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

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.

The U21s return to action on Saturday 2nd August at 1:30pm when they travel to Newcastle to take on the Knights.

Originally published on melbournestorm.com.au