Junior Report: Round 16

The Melbourne Storm Under-21s have returned to the winners list, securing a convincing 42-18 victory over the Cronulla Sharks on the weekend.

Head Coach Mark Russell was pleased with the response from his side, who were determined to bounce back from last week's performance and play a consistent brand of football across the full 80 minutes.

Russell praised the side on their ability to step up this weekend, describing their performance "as really mature."

Storm started strongly, piling on three tries in the first half to head into the break with a commanding 14-0 lead. They carried that momentum into the second half, crossing for five more tries to seal an impressive win.

One of the standout performers was Talas Abell, who made his Jersey Flegg debut and delivered a solid 60-minute effort in the middle. He capped off his performance with a try and was among the best on the field.

“He (Talas) was an actual standout, and it's a highlight to our program,” Russell said. 

Waka Hammond also impressed, getting two tries. 

The Storm U21s now turn their attention to a trip to Fiji this weekend, where they’ll take on the Silktails. The side will be eager to improve on their Round 7 performance, when they fell short at home.

“We didn’t put our best performance out there last time,” Russell said. “This is a big opportunity for us to go over there and back up what we did this weekend.”

Melbourne Storm U21s take on the Silktails at 5pm this Friday night in Fiji.