The Melbourne Storm are through to the preliminary finals, but it wasn’t a performance without its issues for Craig Bellamy’s side, who managed an eight-point victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday evening.
Canterbury had the running at various points, but couldn’t hold it together, and now it will be Cameron Ciraldo’s job to decide which way they run moving forward.
Here are our big talking points from the NRL finals opening match.
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Jonah Pezet must start if Jahrome Hughes is still injured
Craig Bellamy, for the second time in three weeks, made a late call with Jahrome Hughes missing from action to start Jonah Pezet and have Tyran Wishart come from the bench.
It worked an absolute charm.
Pezet was fantastic for the Storm. His kicking game was reminiscent of some of the best over the years, landing the ball in the exact spot he wanted to time and time again.
While some of his shorter range kicking did miss the mark, and his passing wasn’t overly crisp, you can’t expect the world of a player who has played a handful of first-grade games all year in a crunch finals contest.
Whether Jahrome Hughes is fit or not in time for the preliminary final remains to be seen as he attempts to recover from a broken wrist.
This is not a knock on Tyran Wishart, but if Pezet is fit and Hughes is not, there is a clear answer to the purple number seven jumper.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 12: Jonah Pezet of the Stormis tackled during the NRL Qualifying Final match between the Melbourne Storm and Canterbury Bulldogs at AAMI Park on September 12, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
The Bulldogs lack attacking speed, but Lachlan Galvin’s spot is in doubt
The big issues, early at least, for the blue and white, was their attacking speed. Every play they put on seemed predictable, and to be run at a pedestrian-style speed.
It’s an issue that has plagued the Belmore-based outfit for some weeks now. They simply don’t have the pace to take the attack to other sides with Lachlan Galvin at seven.
That’s not a Galvin has no talent factor. Rather, he is simply not ready to be a halfback.
It may come one day, but that day is not now.
It’s little surprise that when Toby Sexton came onto the park, things rapidly improved for the Dogs. They weren’t perfect, but then, missing your captain and with a halfback who hasn’t played for eight weeks, how could you be?
A big week of training ahead, and surely, Galvin’s starting spot if it’s at number seven must be in trouble.
The answer might reveal itself naturally with Stephen Crichton likely to be missing, but there is a big call to be made if not.
Sloppy errors must be cleaned up if either team want to win premiership
The first half of this one looked like an early-season, rust-heavy game between two teams who would wind up being in the bottom four at the end of the year.
It was, in a word, ugly.
To put it simply, neither of these teams are going to win the premiership if they continue to hold onto the ball at the same rate as they did tonight, particularly in that opening 40 minutes.
Both sides were understrength, so that makes up for some of the issue, but there needs to be rapid improvement, firstly from Canterbury next week to save their season, and then from Melbourne in the preliminary final if they want to go to the decider.
Maybe a week off will help – it certainly will on the injury front – but the rust side of things? Who knows.
Melbourne must utilise Cameron Munster’s running game
The final 15 minutes of the game on Friday evening belonged to Cameron Munster.
He was forced to shift to fullback with Nick Meaney being taken for a head injury assessment, and Munster’s running game was able to flip the script.
There are a number of fullbacks who run the ball strongly in this competition, led by Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Dylan Edwards, but Munster was on par with both of them.
Maybe it’s not a surprise. Pound for pound, Munster is one of the game’s strongest players, and when he is taking two runs a set, dragging defenders along with him, it’s not a fact you’re able to dispute with ease.
The bottom line is that, while at five-eighth, Munster has the ability to run, but doesn’t get as involved as he does at the back.
If he can find a way to combine the best of both worlds, particularly if Jahrome Hughes is back, it could make all the difference on the run to the finish line for the men in purple.
Sitili Tupouniua could be the Bulldogs best weapon
Tupouniua’s form in the second-row has been electric in recent weeks.
His running game is essentially as good as anyone’s. The former Rooster has always had this level, but is now realising it at a critical time of year for Ciraldo’s outfit.
Coming up against either the Roosters or Sharks next Saturday evening, this is where Tupouniua must continue to go to the same level.
He is a try-scoring threat just about every time he touches the ball from close range, and a tackle breaking one from longer range.
Working with Sexton, Burton or even Galvin, he needs to find a way to dominate the game.
The refereeing must improve
I don’t want to harp on about this, so it’s a short and sweet one to finish.
The performance from the match officials was simply not good enough. Inconsistent at times against the rest of the season, with numerous head scratching decisions.
These officials are supposed to be the best of the crop, and the performance tonight can’t be happening at this time of year.