For the eighth time Melbourne will face New Zealand on ANZAC Day.
Home games do not get any bigger than this so here are the key stats and talking points you need to know ahead of the AAMI Park blockbuster.
The ANZAC Day Blockbuster. 25 April. AAMI Park. Be there!
ANZAC Day surprises
Anything can happen when these two teams meet on 25 April. The Warriors have come to Melbourne to produce an upset on several occasions while Storm have also recorded their own famous wins, most notably the 42-0 drubbing they handed out on their Trans-Tasman rivals last season. You are never quite sure what you are going to get when Storm and the Warriors lock horns, making Tuesday night intriguing in more ways than one.
The Munster question
Where will Cameron Munster play? It is a question we might not know the answer to until kick-off or perhaps even latter than that. Munster played 54 minutes against Manly in his return from a broken jaw and may well see an increase in that on Tuesday. The young star has been named to come off the bench for the second straight week however it remains to be seen just how he can fit back in to Craig Bellamy’s lineup. The master coach is likely to keep us guessing until the eleventh hour.
Warriors completions
In the last month New Zealand has been living by their completions. In the two games they have won their completion rate has been 82 and 86 per cent. However against the Raiders and the Dragons, that completion rate has been below 70 per cent. There is no secret what the focus of Stephen Kearney’s men will be, hold onto the ball and do not let this stingy Storm defence off the hook.
Foran the focal point
Shaun Johnson is a dynamic playmaker but the past few weeks have shown the importance of Kieran Foran to this Warriors outfit. In his three games Foran has produced three try assists, three line breaks and one try, The five-eighth is the structured executer that perfectly compliments the off-the-cuff style of Johnson. Should both fire at the same time, they will present a difficult duo to stop.
RTS the metre-eater
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was on the field for just 27 minutes the last time these teams met back in Round 2. The Warriors captain missed the following week but has been on fire since his return. RTS has run for 200 metres or more in the last four games. His brilliance with running the football, combined with his ability to break tackles (ranked No.1 at Warriors) makes him the visitors’ most dangerous playmaker.