Can the storm win the top spot without Cameron Munster?
The question has to be asked after Melbourne’s tame performance against Manly on Thursday night.
Munster has certainly been the fit player for the 2022 season, and while the Storm have many other superstars on their team, they seemed a shadow of themselves for 75 minutes against Manly at Brookvale.
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Only a late burst of four attempts in five minutes resulted in the final score of 36-30, before that, Manly totally dominated the storm.
Craig Bellamy’s experiment of playing Jayden Nikorima at five-eighths instead of Munster turned out to be a disaster.
Storm Brandon Smith watches during his NRL Round 16 game against Manly. (Getty)
Nikorima made just one run in the game and missed seven innings, several of which led Manly to try.
No team has made the Storm look as poor as the Sea Eagles last night, and it’s no coincidence that Munster had disappeared.
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It’s not just Munster’s brilliant attacking play that inspires the storm.
He is a ruthless competitor who pushes his teammates to get the best out of their own games.
Without him, they looked like a rudderless boat and Bellamy will pray that her main man is fit and healthy for the final.
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