AAMI Park will play host to Saturday's NRL game between Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Melbourne Storm heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Melbourne Storm vs. Cronulla Sharks game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday September 14, 2024 at 4:05 pm

Where: AAMI Park

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks Odds

Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks Preview

Minor premiers Melbourne Storm host a qualifying final against a Cronulla Sharks side striving to end a six-match finals losing streak.  

The Sharks will look to channel the character that underpinned a 25-18 win at AAMI Park in Round 10, producing an outstanding performance without Nicho Hynes or Braydon Trindall…against a Storm team missing Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen. 

Melbourne won six of the teams’ previous seven encounters. The Storm won the clubs’ 2018 preliminary final convincingly, but the Sharks’ euphoric 2016 grand final victory looms large over the rivalry.  

The Storm cruised to the minor premiership two wins clear, winning 11 of their last 13 games. A second-string team went down to the Cowboys 38-30 in Round 26 but they made an emphatic statement by crushing the Broncos 50-12 in a dead-rubber last Thursday.  

Jahrome Hughes has been the NRL’s best player in 2024, while Cam Munster and Harry Grant are finding their best again in an ultra-consistent, if largely unheralded, Storm line-up.  

The Storm welcome back Papenhuyzen and Christian Welch, while Sua Faalogo is out of the squad altogether with injury. Xavier Coates’ successful return last week leaves Grant Anderson as an unlucky 18th man.  

The underrated Sharks sealed a top-four finish by winning five of their last six games, bouncing back from a shock last-minute loss to the Warriors by putting Manly to the sword 40-20 on the road last Sunday.  

Oregon Kaufusi returns from a one-week rest, pushing Royce Hunt back to the bench – somewhat tempering the potential loss of Tom Hazelton, who is listed in the reserves as he battles a knee injury.  

The Sharks boast threats all over the park in a very settled team, but the unavoidable question mark is linchpin Hynes’ ability to step up in a pressure game. He’s been adequate in the past two rounds since returning from a seven-game layoff.  

The Storm have won eight of the last 10 finals at AAMI Park but have been tipped up twice by the Raiders at home in the post-season in recent years. The Sharks have won one finals match outside Sydney in their history – in Canberra in the 2016 qualifying final.  

Melbourne’s top-shelf spine quartet and vast experience in winning at this time of the season are impossible to ignore and justify their $1.30 favourite’s tag.