A Historic Low for Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has admitted he’s never felt more embarrassed after the team suffered a historic low in their Anzac Day clash against South Sydney. The Rabbitohs delivered a stunning 48-6 victory, marking their first win in Melbourne after 28 years and 21 matches. This defeat was not only a significant milestone for the Rabbitohs but also a painful moment for the Storm, who now face their worst performance at AAMI Park and their largest loss since 2003.
The loss extended Melbourne’s losing streak to six consecutive games this season, a run that last occurred under Mark Murray in 2002 before Bellamy took over. For Bellamy, who has coached 613 NRL games and played 150 for Canberra, the performance was particularly disappointing.
“Probably the most embarrassed I’ve ever been in my footy life, to play like that tonight,” Bellamy said. “The opposition played really well, but to come up with a performance like that and a lack of effort like that on Anzac Day is embarrassing.”
South Sydney skipper Cameron Murray acknowledged the surprise at the margin of the victory. “Yeah, probably a little bit, it’s never easy coming down here,” Murray said. “Not having won down here, it’s pretty special to break a drought like that.”
With only two wins this season, Melbourne is now at risk of missing the finals for the first time under Bellamy. Their situation could become even more challenging as star halfback Jahrome Hughes was forced off due to an arm injury.
Dominance in the First Half
Souths were almost unstoppable in the first half, building a 24-0 lead with Alex Johnston scoring a double among their five tries. Latrell Mitchell, named Anzac Medallist, played a key role in both of the Rabbitohs’ opening tries. His efforts set the tone for a dominant first-half performance.
Melbourne’s first-half statistics were grim for the large crowd, completing just 12 of 19 sets while making no line-breaks compared to Souths’ eight. They also made seven errors, with mistakes by Sua Faalogo and Nick Meaney leading to possession being handed over to the Rabbitohs for scores.
Bellamy gave the team a strong halftime speech before leaving the changeroom, entrusting the senior players and assistant coaches to find a way out of the slump.
Struggles in the Second Half
Despite some signs of improvement in the second half, Melbourne struggled to make an impact. Seven minutes into the half, they looked to score, but the bunker ruled Trent Loiero had promoted the ball as he attempted to ground it over the line. Keaon Koloamatangi and Sean Keppie provided desperate defense, but it wasn’t enough.
Tallis Duncan added to Melbourne’s woes by scoring his second of three tries, following up on a tackle on both the Storm’s five-eighth and Jack Howarth. Campbell Graham also grabbed a double, diving across for his team’s eighth try in the 66th minute.
Faalogo finally broke the hosts’ duck three minutes later in a surprising fashion when he scooped his own short kick-off to split the defense and score a brilliant individual try. It was Melbourne’s first line-break of the night, but the visitors still had the final say with Duncan’s third four-pointer.
Challenges for the Rabbitohs
The only downside for the Rabbitohs was the loss of Brandon Smith, who suffered a recurrence of a calf injury that had limited him to three games this season. However, the Souths felt the issue wasn’t serious. Despite this setback, the Rabbitohs celebrated a historic win that will be remembered for years to come.
