Junior Rep Report- Round 15 (Men's U21's)

Melbourne Storm U21s hosted the Canberra Raiders over the weekend at Seabrook Reserve but unfortunately went down 4-46 in a tough outing.

Despite strong form throughout the season, Saturday’s performance was an uncharacteristic one for the side. The young squad struggled to match the intensity of the Raiders from the outset and couldn’t regroup after the break to return to their usual brand of football.

“If we don't turn up prepared as individuals, then in this competition we're going to get exposed,” Head Coach Mark Russell said after the game.

Storm’s Jersey Flegg side managed just one try for the day, with the Raiders dominating in all

areas.

Russell acknowledged the performance wasn’t up to the group’s usual standards but praised the squad’s response post-match.

“ There's not a pat on the back, but definitely the way they've handled it, it's been pretty mature."

Melbourne will now turn their focus to this Saturday when they host Cronulla Sharks, widely regarded as one of the best teams in the competition.

“They’re good across the park, they'll burn you with shape and powerful through the middle. To compete with them, we’ve got to go back to what’s worked for us the past 16 weeks," said Russell.

Storm could be still missing a few key players due to U19 Origin duties, including Cooper Clarke, Amaziah Murgha, Jai Bowden, and Kobi Floro. Their availability for the weekend remains not guaranteed.

“We’ll have to wait and see if they back up from Origin on Thursday, that said, we’ve got a strong squad, and I’m pretty confident that the blokes we have here, they can go and do a pretty good job this weekend,” Russell said.

This weekend's clash shapes up as a big test for Storm. Kick-off is scheduled for 2pm Saturday at Seabrook Reserve.

Originally published on melbournestorm.com.au