It could have been dismissed as beginner’s luck in Round 1 but the Melbourne Storm have well and truly rocked the SG Ball Cup competition after a consecutive upset victory at the weekend.
The SG Ball Cup (Under-18) newcomers stunned heavyweights Canberra 32-22 in Melbourne at the weekend backing up from an 18-14 win against Newcastle in their competition debut in Round 1.
The Storm join fellow SG Ball Cup debutants the Newtown Jets in enjoying a dream start to the NSWRL Junior Representative season after two rounds of action.
The Jets were 44-22 winners over Western Suburbs at the weekend, continuing their good early season form which saw them down the Bulldogs 20-16 in the opening round.
Meanwhile, the Gold Coast Titans have notched their maiden victory in the Harold Matthews Cup (Under-16) competition by smashing St George 38-8 in Tugun.
NSWRL Academy’s Coaching and Development Manager Martin Meredith said the upsets were great news for the competitions.
“Melbourne’s great form in their first season of SG Ball Cup competition is an example of Rugby League’s ability to build and strengthen its playing base outside of traditional breeding grounds of NSW and Queensland,” Meredith said.
“Similarly, the Gold Coast Titans Harold Matthews Cup side are competing in the competition for the first time and have hit the ground running.
“It all bodes well for Rugby League because the stronger these competitions are now, the stronger our elite senior competitions like the NRL will be in years to come.”
The Storm SG Ball Cup team will look to continue their giant-killing run this weekend when they travel to the Gold Coast to take on the Titans in Round 3 of the NSWRL Junior Representative season.
WHAT: NSWRL Junior Representative Season, Rd 3
WHERE: Various locations (see attached draw)
WHEN: Saturday 28th February
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