NRL Weekly Wrap: Reviewing Preliminary Finals

Storm’s scintillating attack sees them surge past Roosters

The Melbourne Storm are headed back to the big dance having surged past the Roosters 48-18 behind a Jahrome Hughes hat-trick at AAMI Park on Friday night.

The clash could not have started worse for the hosts with Nelson Asofa-Solomona binned for an opening-play high shot which ended Lindsay Collins’ night with Daniel Tupou crossing to give the Tricolours a quick lead off it.

The rest of the opening forty belonged to Melbourne with Hughes snagging a double and Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jack Howarth also scoring to give them a 22-4 advantage.

The Roosters clawed their way back into it via tries to Terrell May and Nat Butcher in back-to-back sets to cut the deficit back to just four.

The night belonged to the Storm however with Hughes grabbing a third before Papenhuyzen notched a second and Cameron Munster bagged a late double to ice it.

Harry Grant assisted on three tries and made 37 tackles whilst Melbourne’s ever-potent No.1, No.6, and No.7 combined for seven of the side’s eight tries and assisted on the eighth.

Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i assisted on a try and ran for 155 metres with four tackle breaks in his final game before leaving for the Waratahs whilst Victor Radley ran for 112 metres and made 24 tackles with a fractured scapula.

Panthers outlast Sharks to punch historic GF ticket

The Panthers are set to become the first team of the NRL era to appear in five-consecutive Grand Finals having downed the Sharks 26-6 at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.

Penrith took a 10-2 lead into the sheds in what was a tight opening stanza with Paul Alamoti the only try-scorer.

Sione Katoa broke the deadlock an hour in for Cronulla to cut the deficit back to four before the Penrith winning machine took charge.

Brian To’o scored off Penrith’s next set before Alamoti grabbed a second and Liam Martin crossed late as Nathan Cleary earnt a deserved early mark.

Cleary assisted on the first three tries, kicked a decisive 40/20, and ran for 145 metres with four tackle breaks whilst Penrith’s back three combined for 710 metres from 68 carries with 19 tackle breaks.

Katoa scored a try and ran for 167 metres with four tackle breaks whilst Blayke Brailey made a game-high 56 tackles.

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