Storm’s Jersey Flegg side has continued its strong run of form with an impressive 34-20 win over the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground on Saturday.
Two early errors from Storm invited the Bulldogs into good field position and they capitalised on both occasions, scoring two tries through Samuel Kanaan and Timothy Johannssen both inside the opening 10 minutes of play.
With both conversion attempts waved away, Storm would bridge the gap to just two points in the 14th minute after Keegan Russell-Smith put up an almighty bomb that sailed off into orbit, leaving the Bulldogs no chance of catching it cleanly.
Allowing the ball to bounce was the Bulldogs undoing, the ball bouncing straight into the path of a flying Ali Okusitino on debut, who linked up with K-CI Newton-Whare who scored to the left of the uprights.
Bulldogs scored their third try of the afternoon in the 21st minute, Timothy Johannssen crashing over for a first half double.
That try would spring Storm to life however, Russell-Smith once again having an impact with the boot, this time threading the needle and putting through a perfectly weighted grubber for Mitchell Jennings who planted it down in the 29th minute.
Jennings then made it two tries inside five minutes, turning something out of nothing and scooping up a ball that hit the deck before breezing past two-would be Bulldogs defenders to score.
Storm carried all of the momentum into the halftime break and were quick to pick up from where they left off, making the Bulldogs pay for some ill-discipline that gave Storm a piggyback out of trouble.
It was once again Russell-Smith who had the ball on a string, this time executing a perfectly weighted chip kick from dummy half that Matthew Hill reeled in and planted down in the corner for his 8th try of the season.
Storm’s try scoring spree didn’t stop there however, with Storm Academy product Gabriel Satrick once again showing an incredible show of speed to expose some fatiguing Bulldogs forwards and burst through in the 42nd minute.
Russell-Smith then put the game beyond reach with two penalty goals in the final ten minutes of play to see Storm run out eventual 34-20 winners.
Saturday’s win marks Storm’s second consecutive win against a side sitting in the top four of the table, helping lift them to 7th on the table ahead of their Round 12 bye.
