Storm weather Asofa-Solomona blow to tame Tigers

[Pelican Press 0]

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Storm weather Asofa-Solomona ***** to tame Tigers

Melbourne look set to be without man mountain Nelson Asofa-Solomona for an extended ******* after the prop added to Craig Bellamy’s injury concerns by limping out of the Storm’s 40-28 win over Wests Tigers.

Asofa-Solomona went off midway through the first half at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday with a suspected hamstring injury.

But the big prop’s absence counted for little as the Storm won a fifth successive game to maintain their stranglehold at the top of the NRL ladder.

Fill-in ******* Bronson Garlick also ******* to finish the match after succumbing to back spasms midway the first half of a game from which the Tigers emerged with plenty of credit.

Benji Marshall’s side were in the contest until Solomona Faataape was sent to the sin bin – the Tigers’ 13th of 2024 – in the 46th minute for a professional foul and the Storm pulled away.

The Tigers will finish the round at the bottom of the NRL ladder but they were near faultless through the opening 10 minutes.

They got their reward when Charlie Staines cantered in for the opener, only for Eli Katoa to instantly hit back for the Storm.

Fonua Pole burrowed over underneath the posts to restore the Tigers’ lead before Melbourne began to take control of proceedings.

The Storm were eager to exploit the Tigers’ left edge, where a hobbling Justin Olam at centre and Faataape on the wing represented a weakness.

A break from Tyran Wishart took the pressure off before they flung it to their right edge and Ryan Papenhuyzen breezed past Olam to score.

Will Warbrick was next to expose the Tigers’ flaws on the same side, brushing Olam and Faataape aside to finish in the corner and give the Storm a 16-12 halftime lead.

The Tigers had to be first to score after the break to give themselves a chance of salvaging the game but when Faataape took Warbrick out in the air he was sent to the sin bin.

Referee Peter Gough deemed Faataape had committed a professional foul and on the next set Grant Anderson sliced through the Tigers defence.

Flyweight five-eighth Lachlan Galvin, Staines and Jahream Bula crossed to give the crowd of 10,311 something to cheer in the second half.

But a double from Sua Faalogo and a try from the impressive Wishart ensured the Storm withstood a late comeback.

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Sport,Rugby League
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