The Warriors will feel a lot better about this year’s Anzac Day encounter than they did in 2010. Ivan Cleary’s men were doomed for failure when last season they took to this ground against a Melbourne team charged by emotion.
The Storm were playing their first match since the salary cap bombshell had been dropped on them a few days earlier, and with everything to prove that week, the Warriors never really had a chance and were trounced 40-6.
WATCH NRL LIVE ONLINE HD TV LINK >> CLICK HERE
In every respect they start on an even playing field this week; the Storm’s stars have been trimmed and there’s no artificial motivator to wipe the Warriors out of the contest. However, it doesn’t mean things will get any easier for Cleary’s charges, who are still trying to ‘discover’ themselves this season.
Just when they looked like they’d got things on track with back-to-back wins over Cronulla and the Roosters, the Warriors were ordinary again on the road last round against Manly. Consequently Cleary has made a key change for the Storm clash, with halfback Brett Seymour brought back from reserve grade to lead the attack.
Seymour was out of sorts in the early part of the year, and the Warriors will be hoping he’s played himself back into form with the Vulcans in the NSW Cup and is now ready to provide the steady hand they need. James Maloney moves to five-eighth, which allows Feleti Mateo to switch back into the forwards and ideally play a less-structured game.
Meanwhile Melbourne are flying high at the top of the table with five wins and just one loss. Newly re-signed winger Matt Duffie will complete a stunning calendar year for the Storm and he typifies their potency in attack: Duffie made his debut against the Warriors on Anzac Day last year and has since scored 13 tries in 18 games – ranking fifth in Storm history for least touches required for every try scored (23.8). That’s some feat.
