Storm v Warriors
Kickoff: 9:30pm Saturday, 16 March
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Live blog updates available on RNZ Sport
The Warriors need to bounce back from their flat opening round performance against the Sharks, or at least the way they played once they'd established a 12-0 lead. Up until then it looked like last year's preliminary finalists had simply picked up where they'd left off in 2023, but a committed Sharks side wrestled back the advantage to take the game 16-12.
Things certainly don't get any easier on Saturday night, with Andrew Webster's side traveling to Melbourne to face an impressive Storm side that knocked off defending premiers the Panthers last weekend.
Here's a look at the teams:
Melbourne Storm: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. William Warbrick 3. Reimis Smith 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Jonah Pezet 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Joe Chan 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero
Interchange: 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Christian Welch 16. Chris Lewis 17. Alec MacDonald
Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Luke Metcalf 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Jackson Ford 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Tohu Harris
Interchange: 14. Freddy Lussick 15. Tom Ale 16. Bunty Afoa 17. Dylan Walker
Warriors selections
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak on his way to the try line during the Warriors pre-season win over the Dolphins. Photo: Photosport
Andrew Webster has named an unchanged 17 for this game, but there is still serious doubt over whether Wayde Egan will take the field after suffering an arm injury in the Sharks loss. If Egan is scratched late, Freddy Lussick will start and there is a strong possibility Chanel Harris-Tavita will be activated from the reserves to play his first NRL game since taking a year off in 2023.
The Warriors will be hoping for more ball out wide to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Marcelo Montoya, who were well contained last weekend. Taine Tuaupiki has recovered from a head knock last weekend, which saw Roger Tuivasa-Sheck play at fullback for most of the game.
Storm selections
Joe Chan. Photo: www.photosport.nz
As usual, there's a strong NZ connection in this Storm side. Even though they are missing Kiwis prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona, William Warbrick, Jahrome Hughes and former Warrior Eliesa Katoa will face the Warriors. Also, Joe Chan, whose father Alex played for the Storm and Kiwis, will make his second appearance in the NRL.
The Storm are also missing Cameron Munster, although as all the Warriors players that faced media this week said, this is still a quality side. Jonah Pezet takes his place at standoff after an impressive debut last weekend.
2023 results
Storm 30 - 22 Warriors
Storm 24 - 12 Warriors
Last year's Anzac Day game was, while still a loss, a really important sign that the Warriors were the real deal in 2023. Despite losing Dylan Walker to the sin bin, they were leading 22-12, before a run of injuries meant no substitutions and the Storm fought back to win.
Later, in round 20, Munster and Hughes put on a clinic at Mt Smart to see the Storm home for a comfortable victory - the only loss in a 12-game stretch for the Warriors.
Prediction
This will be the first time in almost a decade that these sides haven't met in the Anzac Round, but it's unlikely to change the motivations much. AAMI Park is a formidable venue, the Warriors haven't won there since 2014, and unless they can address the attack issues from the Sharks loss that trend will most likely continue. This is another very long NRL season though, so another loss to a quality side like the Storm shouldn't set any alarm bells ringing just yet.