After 30 gripping weeks of Rugby League action, the curtain has closed once again on the NRL for season 2012. Whilst the game itself was a tough grind there were many exciting moments and plenty of controversy. It was a classic forward's Grand Final where each team tried to belt each other into submission. What may have put a dent on the Storm's Premiership are 2 things. The Storm's previous salary cap issues will mean that for a number of fans, this one included, with a cloud hanging over this Premiership. The Dogs were the best team for 29 weeks, they didn't get their way this game. The Entertainers were shut down even though Ben Barba tried his hardest.
The game started with an almost try to the Bulldogs when Sam Perrett read a Storm pass deep in their own half that was almost intercepted but he fumbled the ball and a knock-on was awarded. The Storm drew first blood. For fans who watched the 2009 Grand Final it was de ja vu as Cooper Cronk drifted wide and hit a hard-running Ryan Hoffman much the same as he did against Parramatta. Cameron Smith didn't have his radar on, missing the conversion and the score stood at 4-0. The Dogs were not going to lie down and after having their own line pressured they worked their way down field and Sam Perrett scored out wide. Tempers flared after Inu shoved Billy Slater. Both teams came running in, some to break it up, others to get physically involved. James Graham was put on report for reportedly biting Slater's ear. Inu, after all the commotion missed the conversion and it was locked up at 4-4. The Bulldogs then stepped up the pressure and continuously hammered the Storm's line but could not breach their resolute defence. The tide turned and for the rest of the half Melbourne had a lion's share of possession. They got down field after a cheap penalty and Billy Slater added to his ever growing tally. Smith converted and it was 10-4.
Again the Storm piled on the pressure and the Bulldogs held firm for as long as they could. Then came the poor refereeing decisions. When Josh Morris was running the ball out from his own end, the Storm's Todd Lowrie slapped the ball out, however the scrum was awarded to the Storm. The Storm continued to advance off the mark with the Bulldogs continuously have to fight both the Storm and the leniency given to the Storm by the referees. On the stroke of half time the Storm kicked across field through Cronk and O'Neill gathered the ball to score. Again Cameron Smith missed the conversion and the score stood at 14-4. The Storm had 68% of possession in the first half and seemingly in control.
The second half started with the Dogs playing up tempo football. They worked their way down field and received several repeat sets but were unable to break the Storm's resolute defence. The more they tried the firmer the Storm's defence held. The Storm then forced their way down field and had seemingly scored the match winning try, only for the try-scorer to be found to have been offside from the kick. The Dogs then seemingly sparked to life. Barba, with room found the open field, he kicked inside for Morris who got the bounce from hell, he kicked it ahead, attempted a catch which did not hit the ground, instead Slater punched the ball dead and it was ruled a Bulldogs knock-on even though the Storm player deliberately played at the ball. The Bulldogs continued pressuring the Storm line but many plays came to nothing. Half back Kris Keating over shot a number of kicks that allowed the Storm to easily get let off the hook.
And that's the way it stayed. Defence reigned supreme in the second half with neither team scoring a point. The 2012 Premiership was ended with the score standing at 14-4 and the Storm winning just their second legitimate Premiership.
That's all for the match reports this season. I have enjoyed writing them and hope to write them again next season.
GO THE EELS. EEL FOR LIFE
Replies
Or is it a mod thing?
This is the official match report. There's one after every Parramatta match and this year for the Grand Final because I had the time. Would you seriously want me to write everything above in a comment.
Weren't you the same mod that deleted a shitload of comments moving blogs into other each other to limit the amount of same topics blogs only the other week?
Yes because they were the exact same thing. Tele1's blog is about the Storm's development. Snake's blog is the match day blog. As is customary for other games, there is the match day blog written before the game and then the match report. This one is the match report. As can be seen above very little comment is made about the development of Storm players. The blogs that I deleted and merged were literally saying the same thing.
I'm not sugar coating everything. Please enlighten me as to how any other blogs on this site that are related to the Grand Final are a match report.
You have a habit of throwing blogs together that have a similar theme but then you double take at your own work.
Standard modding one oh one, do what I say not as I do.
lol you mean the scum lost!!!
nothing better than the bulldogs losing a grand final!!!
fantastic result
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