The Melbourne Storm are World Club Champions today after defeating Super League premiers Leeds Rhinos at Elland Road in a bruising encounter in front of 27,697 fans.

© Melbourne Storm

Storm players celebrate in the changerooms after the game

The predicted torrential rain didn’t eventuate, and despite the drizzle arriving just before kick-off, the weather was generally good which meant the game would be decided by the players rather than the weather.

Storm skipper Cam Smith started the game at halfback in the absence of regular number seven Cooper Cronk, with Ryan Hinchcliffe doing the job at dummy half.

Young prop Jesse Bromwich made his first-grade debut along with fellow forward Hep Cahill, and both had games they can be proud of.

The first half got off to a surprising start for the Storm with Leeds kicking short, with the smallest man on the field Rhinos halfback Rob Burrow gathering the ball to give his team unexpected possession.

The move seemed to rattle the Storm, and on the final play of the first set a grubber kick from Burrow found fullback Brent Webb who gathered and dived over the line. Only a miraculous try saving tackle from winger Luke MacDougal, holding Webb up kept the Rhinos from scoring the first points.

However, the respite was short lived as a penalty against Melbourne for offside right in front of the posts gave Leeds skipper Kevin Sinfield the chance to put first points on the board, and he didn’t waste the opportunity.

Another penalty for the Storm, this time for a high shot on Aiden Tolman, gave the visitors great field position. From the next set of six, yet another penalty for the Storm gave Smith the opportunity to even the scores with a penalty kick, and he duly obliged.

Regular penalties against both teams seemed to be the order of the night, and another from the referee, this time against Storm backrower Adam Blair gave the Rhinos another chance to attack the Storm line. A couple of plays later and Leeds winger Kallum Watkins dived over the line for what looked a certain try, only for Storm fullback Billy Slater and centre Greg Inglis to put on a tackle that dislodged the ball from Watkins’ grasp.

The next player to cross the line was Leeds five-eighth Danny Maguire, but it was his own try line after superbly gathering a Smith grubber kick that looked dangerous with several Storm players lingering, ready to snap up any loose ball for a certain try.

Close calls were the order of the night with first Rhinos prop Jamie Peacock, and then Hinchcliffe getting within inches of the first try of the night, only to be denied by last ditch tackles.

The night turned bad for Sinfield when he hobbled from the field at the 30 minute mark with what appeared to be a badly corked thigh, and he wasn’t to be seen again.

Two minutes later Inglis gave away a penalty for holding too long in the tackle and Burrow converted the penalty giving his side a two point lead in what was turning out to be a tight, physical contest.

With five minutes of the first half left a Cahill tackle that could have ended badly but didn’t, sparked an all in melee. The fallout was a penalty for the Rhinos and a stern word for the Storm number 16.

The adrenalin was clearly still pumping when Storm prop Jeff Lima laid a great tackle on opposite number Ryan Bailey a minute later, jarring the ball loose and giving the Storm a knock on penalty. Lima certainly let Bailey know and it set the scene for the remainder of the game.

From the ensuing set of six the Storm received another penalty and Smith accepted the gift as points were at a premium.

With only a minute left on the clock, the Storm suffered yet another near miss near the try-line with Slater inadvertently knocking on, denying Hinchcliffe a rare try after diving on the loose ball.

Both sides entered the half-time break with four points apiece, the crowd witnessing a classic contest and praying the second half would bring the same again.

Unfortunately for the Storm they couldn’t have started the second half any worse. In the 48th minute a short Smith kick ricocheted off Leeds winger Brett Delaney, bouncing kindly for what appeared to an offside Maguire who ran 90 metres to score in the corner, Quinn’s gallant chase to no avail. Video replays were inconclusive so the try stood and Burrow made the conversion to give Leeds a six point lead.

The quick reply came three minutes later when a penalty against the Rhinos for blocking the chaser gave the Storm great field position. Brett Finch took the quick tap and caught the Leeds defence napping, and a speedy change of hands saw the ball with MacDougall, and he raced away to score in the corner. Smith made the sideline conversion to tie the scores up at ten apiece.

A penalty against veteran Rhinos centre Keith Senior with 20 minutes to go for abusive language towards the referee, while Leeds were in possession, gifted the Storm great field position, and Smith was happy to take the two points and put Melbourne in front for the first time 12-10.

With five minutes to go Watkins crossed in the corner, but once again that man Slater was on hand to apply enough pressure to force the Leeds winger to spill the ball as he was attempting to ground it.

With time running down on the clock, a great move down the Storm’s left involving Finch, Inglis and Anthony Quinn saw the latter cross in the corner and sew up the title for the Melbourne side.

Storm captain Cam Smith was voted the man-of-the-match, but it could have gone to a number of players including Tolman who played for almost the entire match and was at the centre of everything in the middle of the field.

MELBOURNE 18 (Tries: MacDougall, Quinn; Goals: Smith 5) def. RHINOS 10 (Try: Maguire; Goals: Burrows 2, Sinfield) at Elland Road, Leeds