NSW Roosters vs Queensland Storm
Can you give a breakdown of the teams based on who plays for the origin teams? I miss normal Club football, so I need a translator to work out which team to go for! Probably just the non-nsw team I guess?
– Origin watcher
The Roosters have quite a few NSW Origin reps.
Former skipper James Tedesco, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i, Connor Watson, Angus Crichton, Spencer Leniu and Luke Keary were all picked in the Blues’ squads this year. Daniel Tupou has played in the past and Victor Radley was an untimely injury away, but he’s now committed to England.
Lindsay Collins is the only Cane Toad in the bunch.
For the Storm, ever since pinching Cam Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk out from under the Broncos’ noses, they’ve had a distinct Queensland flavour.
Only Xavier Coates, Harry Grant and Trent Loiero were included in Billy Slater’s squads this year, but Cameron Munster and Christian Welch have been there in the past, and centre Jack Howarth will be there in the future.
Firebrands
JWH will knock somebody out with a raised elbow and he will not get sent off. Roosters seem to deliberately use him in that way
– Thiru
G’day Thiru,
I don’t know about all that, but I know Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Victor Radley and Lindsay Collins will make a point of going at Storm giant Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
Victorians on the bandwagon?
No AFL tonight, no Victorian teams in tomorrow’s AFL grand final … will there be some bandwagon fans in the building tonight?
Both teams are 1-18
Electric substitute back Sua Fa’alogo was included on an extended bench earlier in the week as he tries to recover from a hamstring injury, but ultimately the Storm have gone with the team that beat the Sharks in week one of the finals.
And the Roosters are also unchanged from their win over the Sea Eagles last week.
Grant Anderson is the 18th man for Melbourne, and Zach Dockar-Clay is number 18 for the Roosters.
‘I am sure they will be back’: Sacked Walters’s message for Broncos fans
Less than 12 months after coming within a Nathan Cleary miracle of ending the Broncos’ longest premiership drought, Kevin Walters is out as Brisbane coach.
The Broncos appeared to have a premiership hangover without the premiership, losing six straight games in the middle of the season — four of them against non-finals teams — and conceding 40 points in four of their final six games to finish 12th.
It was the third time in four seasons that the Broncos missed the finals and that was too much for the maroon and gold, with the tough decision made to let go one of the club’s favourite sons who took them to a grand final last year.
Storm enjoying home ground advantage
A full house of 30,000 fans is expected tonight.
A long rivalry
Before the Panthers emerged as the best team of the 2020s, the last decade belonged to the Storm and Roosters.
With three premierships each between 2012 and 2020, their omnipresence at the top of the NRL meant clashes between the teams were always must-watch affairs, no matter when in the season they fell.
Tonight’s game marks their fifth finals showdown in the past 10 seasons, with both having won two each, although the Roosters won the biggest games (the 2018 grand final and the 2019 prelim).
The overall records are decidedly more Storm-centric, with the Melburnians boasting a 17-4 advantage since winning their 2015 qualifying final.
Melbourne is also on a run of five straight wins over the Roosters, and 10 of the past 11 clashes, including a last-minute victory in last year’s semifinal.
Welcome to the first grand final qualifier!
One or both of the Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Roosters has appeared in the preliminary finals in 18 of the past 19 NRL seasons and here they are again, ready to face off at AAMI Park.
In a couple of hours, we’ll know our first 2024 NRL grand finalist.
I’m Jon Healy and I’ll be taking you through tonight’s proceedings. Stick around as we bring you all the action, analysis and reaction from the first preliminary final.
