Tonight’s NRL Round 4 match is between Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm. The opening kick is set to commence at 7:05pm local time with the game to be played at Suncorp Stadium. The odds have Melbourne Storm as the short priced favourites for the match. View the preview and teams for the game between Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm.
Round: Round 4, Friday 7.05pm (Qld time)
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Odds:
Brisbane Broncos $3.15 vs Melbourne Storm $1.38 at Sportsbet Australia
Brisbane Broncos $3.05 vs Melbourne Storm $1.39 at Luxbet Australia
Preview:
Watch Out Broncos: Cooper Cronk proved to be a thorn in Brisbane’s side last year as he orchestrated a thrilling win in Round 24 and he looms as the danger man again this week.
Cronk has been in scintillating form this season. In three games he tops the league for try assists and line-break assists with four each, has scored two tries himself and added five tackle-breaks. While Cameron Smith and Billy Slater present huge threats in their own right, it is Cronk that has risen to a new level over the past two seasons and if Brisbane can limit his influence they will go a long way towards causing the upset.
Watch Out Storm: If there is one man that the Storm don’t want to see with room to move it is Justin Hodges. His presence was sorely missed against the Roosters last week but back in the side this week he will be keen to put in a huge game against the NRL’s top side.
Hodges has been in great form in 2013 – almost single-handedly putting Manly on the back foot in Round 1 with two remarkable try assists. The first saw him step back inside and push away a defender before offloading on the inside for Matt Gillett to score untouched. The second was even more spectacular as he drew two defenders and threw a flick pass out to Lachlan Maranta who scored. The Broncos might be struggling to cross the stripe at the moment but Hodges is one man who can fix that problem in a flash.
Plays To Watch: The Cooper Cronk inside ball continues to be one of the most effective plays in the NRL. When he first unleashed it a few years back, Billy Slater was usually the man that would receive the football back on the inside but Cronk has expanded that this year in an effort to further confuse defences. In Round 1 his inside ball found Gareth Widdop storming through a gap and then in Round 2 it was Ryan Hinchcliffe charging onto the ball and running 60 metres to score.
Where It Will Be Won: The halves will have a huge say in this one. Melbourne’s duo of Cronk and Widdop have been brilliant so far this season and Brisbane’s thus far rock-solid defence will be tested like never before. As for Brisbane, they desperately need Prince and Wallace to find their groove if they are to become serious contenders in 2013.
The History: Played 32; Storm 20, Broncos 11, drawn 1. Melbourne hold a 7-3 advantage in clashes at Suncorp. They have also won their past four meetings and six of their past seven!
Match Officials: Referees – Jared Maxwell & Adam Devcich; Sideline Officials – Jeff Younis & Michael Wise; Video Referees – Paul Simpkins & Neil Wharton.
Televised: Channel 9 – Live 6.30pm (Qld), 7.30pm (NSW); Fox Sports 1 – Delayed 10pm.
The Way We See It:It’s hard to see Brisbane troubling Melbourne here. If there is one thing we know about the Storm this season, as always, it’s that they know how to score points. And if there is one thing we know about the Broncos it’s that they don’t. Brisbane will improve as the year goes on but to beat the reigning premiers you need to be playing your best football and Brisbane are still a long way from that. Storm by at least eight points.
Teams:
BRONCOS:
Corey Norman, Josh Hoffman, Jack Reed, Justin Hodges, Lachlan Maranta, Scott Prince, Peter Wallace, Ben Hannant, Andrew McCullough, Sam Thaiday (c), Alex Glenn, Matt Gillett, Corey Parker
Interchange: Ben Hunt, Dunamis Lui, David Stagg, Scott Anderson, Nick Slyney (one to be omitted)
STORM:
Billy Slater, Matt Duffie, Will Chambers, Junior Sa’u, Mahe Fonua, Gareth Widdop, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich, Cameron Smith, Bryan Norrie, Tohu Harris, Ryan Hoffman, Ryan Hinchcliffe
Interchange: Jason Ryles, Lagi Setu, Slade Griffin, Junior Moors, Siosaia Vave (one to be omitted)
