Match Details
Match Date	4th Apr, 2011
Opponent	Melbourne
Result	Loss 16-30
Coach	Kevin Moore
Captain	Andrew Ryan
Venue	Melbourne (AAMI Park)
Crowd	11,592
Referee	Shayne Hayne Gerard Sutton

The Bulldogs arrived in Melbourne hoping to maintain their impressive unbeaten streak. They left last night dazed - quite literally in the case of star centre Jamal Idris - after a crushing defeat, and with just five days to recover before another rigorous test against the Dragons at the SCG.

In beating Wests Tigers, South Sydney and Sydney Roosters, the Bulldogs had forfeited vast territorial advantage, yet survived with scrambling defence and struck hard through the dash of Idris and the crash of Frank Pritchard and prop Aiden Tolman. But, in the face of the re-energised Storm, their inability to control play proved costly as they were punished by a far more quick-witted, more cohesive opposition.

A couple of late tries provided window dressing but, for the most part, the Dogs were comprehensively outplayed. Storm kept a relatively sparse crowd of 11,592 entertained with some sleight of hand and bounced back strongly from a 34-6 drubbing by North Queensland.

Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore was incensed by an obstruction decision by the video referee that denied young centre Tim Lafai a try with the Storm leading 8-4 in the first half. Jake Foster seemed unlucky to be penalised for taking out Cooper Cronk. That Melbourne scored soon after was salt in the Dogs' wounds.

''It was a disgraceful call in my opinion,'' said Moore, who suggested Cronk had fallen deliberately to milk a penalty. ''If Chris Ward is in the video ref's box next week, Bill [Harrigan] is not fair dinkum.''

However, like the scoreboard, that version of an apparently game-turning decision did not tell the full story. As Storm coach Craig Bellamy pointed out, the final pass in the movement was well forward. ''Rough justice,'' said Bellamy.

Regardless, the result itself was entirely justified. The Storm were simply too strong with superstar Billy Slater returning to form with a busy game and their pack smothering the Bulldogs' ball carriers.

Idris, lauded after his dominant performance against Greg Inglis two weeks ago, was a virtual non-factor last night - maybe the result of a heavy knock he received when crashed to the ground by Justin O'Neill in the first half, or a consequence of the Storm's in-your-face defence. Whatever the reason, the budding state of origin player was not even the best centre on the park. Inglis's replacement, former Rabbitoh Beau Champion, did more with one clever off-load to send Matt Duffie over the line than Idris managed during 80 frustrating minutes.

Melbourne's strength was symbolised by an electrifying moment in the first half when their Holy Trinity of Slater, Cronk and Cameron Smith combined in a sweeping move that took the ball deep into the Bulldogs' half. However, it was the denouement that tells the story of their impressive 3-1 start to the season - a move that saw Adam Blair burst a tackle before five-eighth Gareth Widdop set up Dane Nielsen with a neat one-handed off-load.

Much has been made of what the Storm have lost after their salary cap disgrace. Last night there was ample evidence coach Craig Bellamy has again stocked his larder well. Smith praised the work, particularly, of the front row. ''The whole forward pack was outstanding,'' he said.

Impressive again was Duffie who scored a double and showed why he has attracted the interest of several clubs. And why the Storm will seemingly forsake the talented Anthony Quinn, for whom Duffie was a late inclusion, to keep him.

As early as the first two minutes, the Storm's crushing Townsville defeat last Monday looked like an aberration. Although Melbourne's early try came with some unwitting assistance from Bulldogs fullback Ben Barba, who chased back hard to stop Cronk's attempted 40/20 only to knock the ball into the path of Duffie.

As Idris staggered to his feet after crashing head-first into the turf, Trent Hodkinson's perfectly weighted grubber caught the Storm off-guard and Steve Turner pounced. The score was then 8-4 and the Bulldogs seemed to be back in the game.

But after the controversial no-try, Slater rose athletically to tap back Cronk's kick to Kevin Proctor. Nielsen's try soon after gave the Storm an 18-4 half-time lead, with Duffie's second five minutes after the re-start, snuffing out a Bulldogs revival.

''Just one of those nights,'' said Moore, whose team now faces a very big Sunday at the SCG.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

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