Team Update: Round 2 v Rabbitohs

Author: melbournestorm.com.au
Timestamp: Wed 16 Mar 2022, 05:25 PM

Bronson Garlick, Jayden Nikorima, Jonah Pezet, Jack Howarth and Will Warbrick will drop out of Thursday night's 24-man squad.

Original Story Follows:

Some of Melbourne Storm’s biggest stars are confirmed returnees for the round two Return to AAMI Park match against South Sydney at AAMI Park on Thursday night.

Craig Bellamy’s run-on team in his 500th game as coach will feature captain Jesse Bromwich, who missed the round one win against Wests Tigers due to being a COVID-19 close contact, as well as State of Origin representatives Cameron Munster and Harry Grant who were suspended for last week.

Bromwich will start in the front-row and will be sole captain with Christian Welch out for the season following an achilles rupture in the dying stages of Saturday night’s win. He underwent successful surgery on Monday.

Grant replaces Brandon Smith, who had surgery yesterday on his broken hand and is expected to miss around a month of action, while Munster resumes in the No.6 jersey worn last week by Nick Meaney.

Victorian Dean Ieremia starts on the wing, replacing George Jennings who suffered a suspected season-ending ACL tear against the Tigers. Last year’s recipient of the Billy Slater Medal as Storm Rookie of the Year, Ieremia scored six tries in 10 appearances in his debut season.

Round 1’s impressive debutants Tyran Wishart and Alec McDonald have retained their bench spots.

Kickoff is at 8pm following the curtain-raiser between the Victorian Thunderbolts and South Sydney in the Jersey Flegg under-21s competition at 5.30pm.

The Thunderbolts are coming off a 30-20 win against Wests Tigers in their season opener on Sunday.

Team

1. Ryan Papenhuyzen

2. Dean Ieremia

3. Reimis Smith

4. Justin Olam

5. Xavier Coates

6. Cameron Munster

7. Jahrome Hughes

8. Jesse Bromwich (c)

9. Harry Grant

10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona