Key Players and Team Updates
Several key players have been sidelined or are under consideration for the upcoming matches, with significant implications for both teams involved. The Storm’s star duo, Harry Grant and Cameron Munster, did not participate in Friday’s captain’s run and their availability for the weekend clash against the Roosters remains uncertain. However, Queensland bench forward Trent Loiero is set to feature after completing limited minutes in the State of Origin opener.
Grant delivered an impressive performance for the Maroons, recording a game-high 46 tackles and executing an audacious flick pass that resulted in a try by Thomas Flegler. Meanwhile, Munster contributed 14 runs and set up a try as Queensland struggled to maintain a 20-0 lead during the match in Sydney.
The Storm has yet to decide whether Grant and Munster will play on Saturday night. If they are rested, Trent Toelau and Keagan Russell-Smith are expected to start. Storm coach Craig Bellamy expressed uncertainty about the pair’s participation, stating:
“Whether they play or not, I’m not quite sure yet. We’ll just see how they pull up tomorrow. They won’t be doing any training today. They’d like to play, but whether it’s best for them or not, we’re not quite sure yet. They need to have a few more checks and then go from there. We think Trent’s going to be OK because he only played 15 minutes so he’s really keen to play, and I think he’ll train today.”
Meanwhile, Knights coach Justin Holbrook confirmed that his Origin contingent would all be available for the match against the Eels on Saturday. Kalyn Ponga, who was sent off and fined for a shoulder charge, will lead the side after recovering well from the incident. Blues duo Jacob Saifiti and Dylan Lucas were part of the squad but did not get on the field.
“After Origin, Kalyn’s feeling good, so he’ll back-up,” Holbrook said. “The other boys didn’t get a run, so we’re all good to go as what we’ve named.”
The Storm’s success against the Roosters could depend heavily on the performance of their Origin players, especially if Trent Robinson decides to rest some of his stars. Melbourne is coming off a disappointing loss to the Bulldogs last week, where they again surrendered a big halftime lead, which frustrated their coach.
“We’ve already tried to tweak a few things, but there are only so many things you can tweak. The tweaks we’ve made might take a week or two to work,” Bellamy said. “I can’t remember the last time in my coaching career that I’ve been so confused about that. We’ve tried a few different things, but we just can’t seem to get it right in the second half. If we keep talking about it and thinking about it, we’ve got to worry about the rest of the game.”
