Roosters let chances slip against Storm

The Melbourne Storm racked up a sixth win on the trot and continued their dominance of the Roosters with a clinical 24-8 victory at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

The ladder leaders have now won 10 of their past 11 clashes against the Roosters and are firmly on track for a fifth minor premiership in the last nine years.

The Storm drew first blood after 14 minutes when Jahrome Hughes' slick footwork created space on the left for Shawn Blore who found Jack Howarth for the opening try.

Three minutes later it was hooker Harry Grant making good ground and offloading for Grant Anderson who sprinted 30 metres to make it 10-0 to Melbourne.

A mistake by Eli Katoa coming out of his own end opened the door for the Roosters to hit back and it was Luke Keary lofting a pass over the top for Daniel Tupou to collect the 156th try of his career.

The Storm looked to have gone further ahead in the 33rd minute when prop Josh King came up with a deft grubber for Anderson to score but replays showed Katoa had knocked on in the lead-up and the try was ruled out.

After Victor Radley was sin binned for a professional foul in the 36th minute the Storm made them pay immediately when Ryan Papenhuyzen came up with a sublime cross field kick for Anderson to regather and score to make it 14-4 to the home side.

Just as Radley made his return from the bin the Storm lost a player when Joe Chan was marched for 10 minutes for dangerous contact.

The Roosters were unable to cash in while Chan was off the field and to make matters worse they lost Connor Watson to the bin in the 55th minute and Nick Meaney knocked over the penalty goal to make it 16-4.

With 18 minutes to play the Roosters got over the line through James Tedesco off a Keary kick but the bunker overturned the try for interference by Tupou on Grant as players jostled for the ball.

A try to Dom Young with 13 minutes to play gave the Roosters a sniff at 18-8 and the giant winger got over the line again seven minutes later but was denied by a magnificent ball-and-all tackle by Anderson.

The Storm iced the win when supersub Sua Faalogo picked up a loose ball and scooted away to cap off an eighth win in nine games at AAMI Park this season.

Match Snapshot

• Roosters centre Joseph Aukuso-Sua'ali'i was placed on report in the first half for lifting his knee as his carried the ball into the defensive line.
• Roosters back-rower Victor Radley was sent to the sin bin in the 36th minute for a professional foul.
• Storm winger Grant Anderson came up with the third try double of his career and ran for 151 metres.
• The Roosters had not trailed at half-time since Round 7 against the Storm, when they went on to lose 18-12.
• Shawn Blore came up with 13 runs for 174 metres on the edge for the Storm and made 29 tackles.

• The Storm came up with five line breaks to one in the opening half.
• Roosters centre Sitili Tupouniua left the field for a HIA in the 43rd minute which he passed.
• Storm forward Joe Chan was sin binned in the 47th minute for dangerous contact on Victor Radley.
• Roosters lock Connor Watson was sent to the sin bin in the 55th minute for a professional foul.
• Storm centre Nick Meaney was placed on report in the 72nd minute for a dangerous tackle on Joseph Aukuso-Sua'ali'i, who was sent for a HIA after the incident.
• Wally Lewis Medal winner Angus Crichton backed up from Origin Three with seven offloads and 15 runs for 111 metres.
• Storm centre Jack Howarth had 19 runs for 210 metres. 

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