Match Details
Match Date	14th May, 2007
Opponent	Melbourne
Result	Loss 14-38
Coach	Steven Folkes
Captain	Andrew Ryan
Venue	Melbourne (Olympic Park)
Crowd	14,066
Referee	Steve Clark

A measured all-round display from Melbourne half-back Cooper Cronk propelled the Storm to a 38-14 victory over the Bulldogs during their round nine Monday night fixture at Olympic Park.

Cronk starred for Melbourne scoring a first-half brace of tries and setting up several more, as the Storm picked up their eighth win of the season to triumph over the Bulldogs in a match billed as a State of Origin preview.

Storm centre Matt King cemented his spot in the Blues backline with an impressive double of tries with Ryan Hoffman, Billy Slater, and Brett White all pressing their claims with solid performances for the home side.

Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri will face an anxious wait by the phone before the Origin sides are announced tomorrow morning with a nervous display in which he picked up a try, was held up for another, let in a try on his wing, and uncharacteristically missed two conversions from three attempts.

Storm and Queensland hooker Cameron Smith meanwhile put his hand up to take over the goal-kicking duties for the Maroons with a perfect display to sink seven goals from as many attempts.

First half

Tries from Darryl Millard and El Masri put the Bulldogs ahead 8-6 in the 13th minute, but sharp play from Cronk and accurate goal-kicking from Smith shot the home side to a 16-point lead at the break.

Cronk took on the line from close range to score underneath the posts in the seventh minute and was awarded the try by video referee Bill Harrigan after it appeared that Bulldogs full-back Luke Patten had been impeded by on-field referee Steve Clark.

The Storm took the lead in the 22nd minute when King powered through the Bulldogs' right-edge defence to burst his way over the tryline.

Cronk was in the thick of the action again 10 minutes later when he sold a dummy at the defensive line to make a half-break before picking up Blues State of Origin hopeful Ryan Hoffman on his outside to score their third try of the half.

Cronk, third in line to the Queensland number seven jersey after incumbent Johnathan Thurston and Gold Coast half-back Scott Prince, then picked up his second try with two minutes remaining in the half when he scurried out of dummy half to barge over the line.

Queensland selectors will face a nervous wait after Storm lock forward Dallas Johnson was placed on report during the 29th minute for a striking offence on Bulldogs lock Reni Maitua that could result in suspension.

Second half

The Bulldogs reduced the gap to 10 points just seven minutes into the second period when an enterprising cross-field play culminated in centre Willie Tonga finding Maitua on his inside to barge over from close range.

Any chance of a comeback was put on hold when King crossed for his second in the 56th minute, before Smith levelled a penalty shot to hand the home side an unassailable 18-point advantage in the 68th minute.

The Storm were awarded the penalty when Patten collared Slater after the former Queensland full-back found space after good build-up work on Melbourne's left-side attack.

Cronk well and truly left his stamp on the match when he set up boom youngster Israel Folau for his 10th try of the campaign with a cross-field bomb that highlighted El Masri's fallibility under the high ball.

Source: ABC  

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