The Storm escaped with the two points on Thursday night but coach Craig Bellamy knows his side will have to step it up if they’re going to be a chance of winning the premiership.
Melbourne staved off a spirited Parramatta outfit, who have improved dramatically since the two faced off in Round 1, with a 16-10 win.
It was their first test without star halfback Jahrome Hughes — who’s out for six weeks with a shoulder injury — and while they technically passed, it was far from pretty.
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“It was a bit close for comfort,” Bellamy said of the tight finish.
“We weren’t really playing that well or sticking what we’d be doing in that situation. A couple of times we went away from that so we just need to have a look at that.
“We were fortunate enough to get out of it tonight but if you keep doing that it’s not going to help you.
“We know there’s some things we’ll need to do differently or it’s not going to work in six weeks time.”
It’s worth noting that there were a lot of changes in the spine that the Storm had to adjust to. Besides Hughes’ absence, Cameron Munster returned after a week off and Ryan Papenhuyzen was back on deck after a month on the sidelines, which forced Nick Meaney back into the centres.
And given those circumstances, Bellamy wasn’t too fazed by the clunky moments in attack.
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“I thought it was always going to be a little bit difficult and ‘Paps’ hasn’t played for four weeks so just getting that combination back when we had ‘GA’ Grant Anderson) has been playing in the centres and Nick (Meaney) has been playing fullback,” he said.
“When you take all of that into consideration I’d say it was a pretty brave performance but like I said we were a bit undisciplined at times and that’s something we’ll have to have a look at.”
The Storm had planned to put the icing on the win with a field goal in the final two minutes however a penalty ruined that opportunity — something captain Harry Grant wants answers on.
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With just over two minutes to go, while 25 metres out from the Eels’ line Grant hoped to get the ball to Ryan Papenhuyzen, who was set up for a field goal. However an Eel sitting in the ruck impacted his ability to do that.
Referee Gerard Sutton penalised Grant though, claiming that he deliberately threw the ball into Luca Moretti.
“Maybe that’s something through the week we can have a conversation and get some real understanding about,” Grant said in the post-game press conference.
“We’re in a position to take a field goal there and… there was a lot of it in the game.
“It’s probably something we can ask the question about and then have a real understanding and then go from there.”
Bellamy was asked whether he had any thoughts about the incident.
“Yeah I’ve got a view on it but you probably don’t want to hear it,” he said before the Storm’s media manager wrapped up the press conference.
