QUESTION MARK OVER MELBOURNE STORM
The Melbourne Storm is at $1.37 to defeat the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL first preliminary final at AAMI Park on Friday night.
Those odds may not, however, be a true reflection of the likely outcome.
It will be remembered that the Sharks defeated the Storm when Melbourne was at odds on in the 2016 grand final.
The Sharks have also inflicted defeats on the Storm on the two occasions they have met this season.
Added to that the Storm’s efforts over the last five or six weeks have been insipid, even in victory.
Against those factors coach Craig Bellamy is a tactical genius while there are no better players than captain Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cameron Munster so the Storm should prevail but the odds are not attractive.
The performances of half-backs Cooper Cronk and Adam Reynolds could well decide the outcome of the second preliminary at Alliance Stadium on Saturday.
Crook, first with the Storm and now with the Sydney Roosters, is proven as one of the most gifted players in the game.
Reynolds is also a master game manager and his try, three goals plus three field goals were largely responsible for the win by the South Sydney Rabbitohs over the Dragons last week.
The Roosters and the Rabbitohs have a win each when they have met this season, which indicates there is not much between them.
As Rabbitohs coach Anthony Siebold says all the pressure will be on the Roosters, but they should be up to the task.
Friday
Melbourne def Cronulla-Sutherlands by 6pts @ AAMI Park
Saturday
Sydney def South Sydney by 10pts @ Allianz Stadium