Updated: Storm 54 defeat Rabbitohs 18 in Week One
11 Sep 2009
The South Sydney Rabbitohs were steam-rolled by the Melbourne Storm in the first qualifying final of the 2009 Toyota Cup Finals Series, going down 54-18 at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium tonight (Friday).
Melbourne scored ten tries to three in a dominant performance, with five-eighth Dane Chisholm scoring an amazing five tries in the game.
It was a nervous start for both teams with both sides turning over early possession.
The Storm were the first team to pull themselves together with Chisholm crossing first in the sixth minute. A good kick led to the try with Chisholm outpacing Rabbitohs fullback Luke Capewell to score.
The Rabbitohs struck back seven minutes later through centre Junior Vaivai, The Rabbitohs took advantage of repeat sets to gain good field position. Three long right-to-left passes found Vaivai who stepped through the defence to score. Halfback Adam Reynolds converted to give the Rabbitohs two-point advantage.
Five minutes later the Rabbitohs scored their second try through winger Josh Mansour. Mansour burrowed over the line from dummy half to score. Reynolds converted to give the Rabbitohs a 12-4 lead after 20 minutes.
The Storm thundered back when they scored tries to Fred Makimare in the 29th minute and Chisholm’s second in the 38th minute. The first try came on the back of ill-discipline from the Rabbitohs with piggy-back penalties putting Melbourne in scoring position. The second try came from the Rabbitohs failing to capitalise on a great scoring opportunity, and then the defence not stopping the roll the Storm found themselves on.
The Storm led 14-12 at the break, but the Rabbitohs were unlucky to be trailing. The bookends of Brad Lupi and Jake Shearer were working hard and making metres for South Sydney, and the Rabbitohs’ halves were using the width of the field and their strikepower in the backs to trouble the home side.
The Storm came out on fire in the second half, scoring two tries in the first six minute, both to five-eighth Chisholm. Two conversions to Widdop stretched the Storm’s lead to 14 in the wink of an eye.
Rabbitohs captain Jason Clark grabbed his side by the scruff of the neck and dragged them back into the game. In the 49th minute he charged hard on to a pass from the dummy half, and ran hard and elusively to the line to score adjacent to the posts. Reynolds converted to bring the Rabbitohs within eight.
The Storm were next to score in the 60th minute when winger Matt Duffie scored in the left corner to extend their lead to 32-18 with less than 20 minutes left on the clock.
Chisholm scored his fifth try in the 64th minute, again from a clever Widdop kick. Widdop converted from in front to extend the lead to 20.
Prop Jesse Bromwich was the next to score in the 71st minute, with four Rabbitohs defenders unable to stop him reaching out close to the line to register a four-pointer. Widdop’s conversion gave the Storm a 44-18 lead.
Melbourne extended their lead to 30 in the final five minutes when centre Justin O’Neill scored in the right hand corner in the 75th minute. O’Neill scored his second in the last 30 seconds from a Luke Kelly kick, sealing a massive win to the side that finished third on the Toyota Cup ladder.
The Storm registered the biggest win in Toyota Cup finals history at home tonight (Friday).
The Rabbitohs season has now ended having finished as one of the two lowest-placed runners-up in week one of the finals.
Melbourne Storm 54 (Dane Chisholm 5, Justin O’Neill 2, Fred Makimare, Matt Duffie, Jesse Bromwich tries; Gareth Widdop 7 goals)
defeated
South Sydney Rabbitohs 18 (Junior Vaivai, Josh Mansour, Jason Clark tries; Adam Reynolds 3 goals)