Junior Rep Report- Rounds 16-19 (Men's U21's)

Round 19

Melbourne Storm U21s came from behind to secure a gutsy 34-26 victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on the weekend.

Storm were slow out of the blocks, a contrast to their recent form, and trailed 10-20 at the break. But a strong message from Head Coach Mark Russell at halftime sparked a turnaround.

The second half saw a shift in momentum as Storm returned to playing their brand of footy, showing grit and composure to claw their way back into the contest and seal a hard-fought win.

Russell praised the team’s ability to reset and respond, saying, “after half-time we went back to what was really good for us.”

Angus Hinchey and Cooper Clarke were standout performers for the young side, while second rowers Zayvian Langkilde-Fale and Preston Conn also impressed, playing the full 80 minutes and making several key defensive efforts.

Russell also highlighted the defensive work of Jai Bowden, who made 39 tackles with just one miss, adding, “we just went forward after half-time and those blokes were a big part of that.”

The Storm U21s now turn their attention to this weekend’s Round 20 clash, travelling across the Tasman to face the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:15am (AEST).

Russell said the focus this week will be on consistency, “just putting 80 minutes of footy together, that consistent at a high standard from the start.”

Round 18

Melbourne Storm U21s had a strong outing over the weekend, recording a dominant 34-6 victory over the Cronulla Sharks.

Head Coach Mark Russell was pleased with his side’s performance, particularly their defence, which has been a key focus in recent weeks.

 "It was pretty pleasing to hold one of the best teams to one try, and showed the boys' mentality around defence," said Russell.

Storm came out firing, crossing for two tries in the opening 10 minutes. They maintained the pressure and went into the break leading 12-0. The momentum continued in the second half, with the U21s going on to close out the match.

Amaziah Murgha and Hugo Peel were standout performers, each grabbing a try for the side.

Russell also praised the forward pack for their defensive efforts, “The whole ruck group, our forward pack, has been outstanding.”

The Storm U21s now shift their focus to this weekend’s clash, where they’ll host the Canterbury Bulldogs at Gosch’s Paddock, with kick-off set for 2pm.

Despite the Bulldogs being sixth on the ladder, Russell emphasised "where they sit on the ladder doesn't represent the club or the side that they are."

Round 17

Melbourne Storm Under 21s secured a convincing 36-14 victory over the weekend after travelling to Fiji to face the Kaiviti Silktails.

Head Coach Mark Russell was full of praise for his side’s performance, especially given the difficult lead-up to the match. “It was really hard preparation, we were staying two hours from the field,” said Russell.

“But from the warm-up all the way through to the 80th minute, it was probably one of our most consistent performances for the whole year.”

The Storm U21s started strong, crossing for three first-half tries to take a 16-8 lead into the break. They maintained their dominance in the second half, running in four more tries to seal the win.

Amaziah Murgha was a standout, scoring a hat-trick and setting up another. Jai Bowden, Zayvian Langkilde-Fale, and Hugo Peel also delivered strong performances.

The focus now shifts to this Saturday’s clash with the Cronulla Sharks, a top-of-the-table clash.

The Storm defeated the Sharks just two weeks ago, but the opposition was missing several key players at the time. With the Sharks now near full strength and sitting third on the ladder behind first-placed Storm, a fierce battle is expected.

“We’re going to have to go up there with a really strong mindset,” said Russell.

Round 16

The Melbourne Storm Under-21s have returned to the winners list, securing a convincing 42-18 victory over the Cronulla Sharks on the weekend.

Head Coach Mark Russell was pleased with the response from his side, who were determined to bounce back from last week's performance and play a consistent brand of football across the full 80 minutes.

Russell praised the side on their ability to step up this weekend, describing their performance "as really mature."

Storm started strongly, piling on three tries in the first half to head into the break with a commanding 14-0 lead. They carried that momentum into the second half, crossing for five more tries to seal an impressive win.

One of the standout performers was Talas Abell, who made his Jersey Flegg debut and delivered a solid 60-minute effort in the middle. He capped off his performance with a try and was among the best on the field.

“He (Talas) was an actual standout, and it's a highlight to our program,” Russell said. 

Waka Hammond also impressed, getting two tries. 

The Storm U21s now turn their attention to a trip to Fiji this weekend, where they’ll take on the Silktails. The side will be eager to improve on their Round 7 performance, when they fell short at home.

“We didn’t put our best performance out there last time,” Russell said. “This is a big opportunity for us to go over there and back up what we did this weekend.”

Originally published on melbournestorm.com.au