Junior Report: Round 12

The Melbourne Storm U21s travelled to Sydney over the weekend and delivered an impressive 34-18 victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Round 12.

Despite a slow start, the Storm produced a dominant second-half performance to secure the win. Head Coach Mark Russell described the contest as a "game of two halves," with his side trailing 18-6 at half-time.

The first half saw the U21 have limited possession and football that resulted in repeated defensive sets, reflecting the half-time score. 

Melbourne regrouped after the break, turning the momentum in their favour by scoring five tries and holding the Rabbitohs scoreless with a series of strong defensive efforts.

Halves Eli Morris and Dylan Brettle had impressive second-half performances which influenced their sides turn around.

"They stood up and took control of the team and pointed us around the field. That was the difference. They put us into the positions where we could utilise our strengths and our assets,” Russell explained.

Front-rower Jak Goulding also delivered a standout performance, playing 70 minutes. The workhorse made over 40 tackles at 90% effectiveness and ran for 170 metres during the afternoon.

The win sees the U21s climb back to second place on the ladder. They will return to Sydney this weekend to face Manly on Sunday at 12pm.