Melbourne won 17 matches during the NRL regular season, finishing second on the premiership table, and after defeating the Rabbitohs in week one of the finals have now earnt the right to play the grand final qualifier in front of their home crowd.
While facing the Storm in Melbourne is a daunting trip for most teams, NRL Daily host Brad Fittler believes Manly will not be concerned about the difficulty of the task at hand - despite having never won at AAMI Park.
“You can’t read into the Sea Eagles' record in Melbourne,” says Fittler.
The last time Manly faced the Storm in Melbourne was the opening round of 2011, when Daly Cherry-Evans was making his debut.
“A player like Cherry-Evans is the perfect example of how far Manly have come since they last played there,” Fittler says.
“A player like Cherry-Evans is the perfect example of how far Manly have come since they last played there,” Fittler says.
“Since that game he and his team have come a long way. Cherry-Evans has now represented Australia, won a premiership and is considered one of the experienced players of the game."
While Fittler thinks the home ground will not provide too much advantage for the Storm, predicting the winner of the game will be a little more difficult.
“The rivalry between these two clubs suggests that it’s going to be an aggressive game, possibly leaving the winner limping into the grand final.”
Also on tonight’s show we speak with Bulldogs winger Steve Turner and continue our countdown of the top 30 players of the season.
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