Melbourne flexed their muscle with a particularly impressive 17-10 win over the Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium in Round 6 this year.
Continuing the winning streak that had begun in Round 22 last year, the Storm produced a near-flawless opening half to take a 12-0 lead into the break thanks to a clever try to Kevin Proctor after Cooper Cronk had put Ryan Hinchcliffe through a gap, and another to Mahe Fonua from a pinpoint Cronk chip.
Even more notable was the Melbourne defence that repelled wave after wave of South Sydney attack with last-ditch efforts.
Souths began the second half in much better fashion with Greg Inglis leaping highest to gather in an Adam Reynolds bomb eight minutes into the second stanza and although Gareth Widdop scored a try that was far too easy for Michael Maguire’s liking not long after, an Andrew Everingham try from a bullet Reynolds pass as the clock ticked inside the final 10 minutes set up a grandstand finish at 16-10 to the Storm.
But Cronk would have one final say, booting a simple field-goal with five minutes remaining to ensure his side remained unbeaten in 2013.
Despite completing just 28 sets to South Sydney’s 33, the Storm ran for 139 metres more than their opponents, with four line-breaks to two and nine offloads to five.
Fonua was strong for the visitors with 141 metres, a try and three tackle-breaks, while Inglis ran for a game-high 145 metres for Souths.
