Junior Rep Report: Round 17

Melbourne Storm’s Jersey Flegg side were defeated by a strong Bulldogs outfit in Round 17, going down 24-0 at AAMI Park.

Playing as a curtain raiser for Storm’s NRL clash against the Raiders, the home team put in a valiant effort but couldn’t break the Bulldogs defence and were held scoreless for the first time since Round 24 in 2022.

Both teams battled away in a tight arm wrestle in the first half, Bulldogs fullback Ragarive Wavik’s try in the 18th minute the only thing separating the two sides at the break.

Despite Storm’s gritty first half defence, the second half saw the Bulldogs ramp up their offensive efforts, scoring three tries in under 10 minutes to suddenly jump out to a 20-0 lead.

In spite of the scoreline, the Storm certainly showed moments of strong defence and determination, making 348 tackles compared to the Bulldogs 243 and showing plenty of spirit across the 70-minutes.

Unfortunately, Danny Gabrael sealed the victory for the visitors with a final try in the 68th minute.

Storm will look to bounce back against the Sea Eagles at 4 Pines Park on Saturday afternoon in Round 18.

Written by Emily Mattocks

Originally published on melbournestorm.com.au