NRL: Storm ease by Roosters

Justin O'Neill of the Storm dives over for a try. Photo / Getty Images

Storm 21 Roosters 4
The stars may have been missing but Melbourne Storm still outshone the Sydney Roosters with a 21-4 win in the NRL clash at AAMI Park on Monday night.

The Storm went into the match without skipper Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Dane Nielsen, all away on Origin duty with Queensland.

But they shrugged off their absence to consign the desperate Roosters to yet another loss - their ninth of the season - with fullback Justin O'Neill scoring a double.

To be fair, the Roosters were also missing their Origin big guns Mitchell Pearce, Nate Myles and veteran Anthony Minichiello, who was recalled to the NSW line-up for the second match on Wednesday night.

But on paper they looked the more formidable line-up.

That rang true early as they looked sharp and scored the opening try in the 17th minute.

Skipper Braith Anasta fired a bullet cut-out pass to winger BJ Leilua to lead 4-2 after an earlier Storm penalty kick by Gareth Widdop.

But as the match wore on their frustration mounted alongside the error count.

As has been their way this season, the 2011 grand finalists failed to put enough pressure on the opposition and never really looked like scoring again in the second half.

Melbourne five-eighth Widdop stepped up to steer the side in the absence of Cronk.

Early on Widdop committed a school-boy error when he took the ball from the restart and then put his foot over the dead-ball line, with a goal-line drop-out the result.

Leilua's try came in the ensuing play.

But Widdop grew in confidence as the game wore on and he sealed the result with a field goal for a 17-4 lead with 10 minutes left on the clock.

The Storm led 8-4 at halftime; fullback O'Neill gave them the advantage in the 34th minute when he ran on to a ball after a terrific break from Maurice Blair.

A penalty early in the second half extended the lead to six points and then the match turned fiery with players involved in some push and shove.

Roosters prop Frank-Paul Nuuausala was put on report for a swinging arm in a tackle which sparked the action.

The visitors then took another hit in the 60th minute when Leilua and Storm winger Sisa Waqa leapt high for a Blair kick but the ball came off the Rooster, with Beau Champion pouncing on it.

While Widdop's field goal sealed the result, O'Neill put the icing on the cake with his second try, in the 80th minute.

The Storm improved to second on the ladder on points differential and the Roosters stayed 13th.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy described the performance as a "special night".

"I was really proud, it was a real, complete team performance and that's a big thing to say when we haven't got our key position players," he said.

"I just thought it was one of the best team efforts since I've been here."

He was delighted with the way his side stuck to their game plan and handled the pressure from the Roosters, offering extra praise for Widdop and stand-in skipper Adam Blair as well as centre-cum-halfback Maurice Blair.

"I'm sure this performance will stick in these guys' minds for a long time, it was a special night tonight.

"To play like that without our captain and our Origin players is a wonderful performance and they'll remember this and hopefully take some confidence out of it."

Roosters coach Brian Smith said he believed his side deserved more and lamented the huge injury toll as well as representative duties which meant he only had 15 players available from a squad of 30.

He said the inexperience hurt his side.

"It was frustrating, there were some efforts from our guys that deserved a better reward than to lose and particularly by that margin," Smith said.

"It's a tough time and a battle for us at the moment."

- AAP