Junior Rep Report- Rounds 20-24 (Men's U21's)

Round 20

Melbourne Storm U21s secured another convincing victory on the weekend, defeating the New Zealand Warriors 48-12 in Auckland.

Storm got off to a flying start, crossing twice in the opening ten minutes before piling on six first-half tries to take a commanding 32-6 lead into the break.

They maintained their momentum in the second half, allowing just one Warriors try off a kick while adding another three of their own to cap off the dominant performance.

Head Coach Mark Russell praised the team’s preparation, which had been a key focus in the lead-up to the early 10am (8am AEST) kick-off. 

"They did a really good job with the early start, everybody was up and ready to play, there was no excuses."

Mitchell Jennings, Eli Morris and Suli Pole were standout performers, while Amaziah Murgha impressed with a strong performance and two tries.

Storm U21s now head into a well-deserved bye this weekend. Russell highlighted the importance of using the week to get the full squad fit and ready for the run home to finals.

"We will hopefully give players some game time at feeder level this week, so we maintain our fitness and energy.”

Following the bye, Storm has five regular season rounds remaining, including several top five clashes. Russell stressed the need to keep pushing, “we need to push hard to make sure we continue our strong form,” post the bye.

Round 21

No Report Available

Round 22

Melbourne Storm U21s suffered a narrow loss on the weekend, going down 20-18 to the Newcastle Knights in Newcastle.

The match was played in challenging conditions, and according to Head Coach Mark Russell, it simply came down to the Knights “handling the conditions better.”

Despite the result, Russell was still pleased with his side’s effort.

“Defensively, they didn’t break our line once, they scored three tries off kicks. We just didn’t react well to the conditions, with so much water on the ground. I was really impressed with how we handled the day overall,” he said.

It was a tight contest in the first half with scores locked at 8-8 at the break. The second half followed a similar pattern, with the match ultimately decided by a penalty goal.

Preston Conn, Hugo Peel, and Eli Morris were standout performers, doing everything they could to lift their team.

Storm U21s will now look to bounce back this weekend when they take on the fifth-placed Parramatta Eels — a side fighting to cement their spot in the finals. It shapes as a key test for Storm as they head into the final stretch of the season.

Round 23

Melbourne Storm U21s suffered another narrow loss on the weekend, going down 24-18 to the Parramatta Eels.

The Storm controlled much of the game and led 14-12 at half-time, but a few lapses in the second half ultimately proved costly.

"We won all the statistical areas, we did all the little things… but there were moments where we didn’t, and opportunities we missed… so it’s a bit of a learning for us," Head Coach Mark Russell said.

Preston Conn, Stanley Huen and Cooper Clarke were standout performers, doing everything they could to get their team over the line. Luke Cesari also made a strong contribution, crossing for two tries.

Storm U21s will now look to bounce back this weekend against the Roosters and reclaim their brand of footy.

Russell emphasised that the focus for the remaining three home and away games is to “go back and rebuild, building our blocks again… not gonna panic.”

Round 24

Melbourne Storm U21s produced a dominant performance on the weekend, returning to the winners list with a 46-12 victory over the Sydney Roosters.

Storm controlled much of the contest, taking a 22-6 lead into half-time before continuing their momentum in the second half. Their strong defensive effort kept the Roosters to just two tries for the match.

Hugo Peel starred with a hat-trick, while Dylan Brettle crossed for a double.

"We probably ran a little bit harder, I reckon the boys just really dialled back into what we’re good at, power-based footy," Head Coach Mark Russell said.

Jordan Blundell, Jai Bowden, Hugo Peel and Eli Morris were all standout performers.

Russell also singled out captain Preston Conn for praise after being shifted to the centres early in the game, "he did an outstanding job," Russell explained.

Storm U21s will look to carry their form into this weekend when they take on Manly in their second-last match of the home-and-away season before finals.

"We just want to nail our identity this weekend," Russell added.

Originally published by melbournestorm.com.au