Live: Storm looking to ‘control emotions’ and bounce back against Wests Tigers

-with AAP

Wests Tigers are facing off against Stefano Utoikamanu for the first time this afternoon.

But there’s a world where Fonua Pole is also lining up for Melbourne this week.

The 22-year-old Wests Tigers prop is one of few Victorian juniors playing in the NRL and had become a keen Storm fan after his family moved from New Zealand when he was six.

A young Pole showed enough talent to earn selection with the Victoria Thunderbolts, the youth representative side that has since been replaced by the Storm’s own Jersey Flegg, SG Ball and Harold Matthews teams.

The Thunderbolts had been designed to prepare the state’s best talent to be cherry-picked by the Storm.

But Pole’s phone never rang.

“It’s a tough one to explain. I didn’t really feel like I was getting looked at over there,” he said ahead of the Tigers’ clash with the Storm on Sunday.

“The pathways weren’t as good as it is right now. They’ve built a good system and pathway for the young ones now but back when I was there it was pretty hard to see locals in the top grade.

“As soon as I left, that’s when they started prioritising their pathways and stuff. I think it was just timing.”

A teenage Pole was grateful for an opportunity to join the Tigers, even if it meant moving away from his tight-knit family and potentially forgoing the chance for a dream debut at the Storm.

But the relocation has paid off in a big way.

Pole has amassed 65 NRL appearances since his first-grade debut in 2022 and is now rated one of the NRL’s best young props.

Now, he’ll be up against one of the other top big men in the league, Utoikamanu, who left the Tigers for a big-money Storm deal in the off season, lining up against them for the first time.

“I’ll try and go after him a little bit,” Pole said with a smile.

“He’s been waiting for this game but I’ll do my job and treat it like every other week.”

It’s a really interesting match up for me, Bailey.

I think the Storm will have had a sufficient roasting from Craig Bellamy after their errors last week in Magic Round, and will be eager to atone.

But that desperation carries a risk against a Wests Tigers team that are improving all the time.

The visitors are coming off two wins against the Sharks and Dragons and although they are not quite at the same level as the Storm, they simply cannot be written off.

Here’s how the two teams will line up.

Both teams have made a late change, with the Storm adding Nelson Asofa-Solomona to the interchange.

The big forward has not played since round three.

Meanwhile Wests Tigers have stuck with the same run on side for the third week in a row, with Tony Sukkar the only change, being added to the interchange with Jack Bird named as the reserve.

Benji Marshall is speaking on Fox Sports now.

The Tigers have won only two from 15 in Melbourne, and have lost their last seven against the Storm.

And Marshall is under no illusions about what’s about to come their way, albeit with a degree of confidence.

“It’s gunna be a big test for us,’ the Tigers coach says.

“We don’t have anything to lose if we’re being honest.

“We come here to play and it’s a great day for footy.

“Not a lot of expectations from everyone else but internally we’ve got a bit of belief and looking forward to playing our style.”

He acknowledges the Storm “are good” though.

Well that’s good then.

Cameron Munster has just been speaking to Fox Sports.

Tellingly, he said, without prompting, that the Storm needed to control their emotions this week.

“Hopefully we can keep our emotions in check and be able to play the footy we want to play,” Munster said.

After the Storm lost to the Raiders in golden point in Magic Round, Munster himself said his side played some “dumb footy”.

Needless to say, Craig Bellamy was not best pleased with how his team failed to see out that game, but Munster said the squad knew what they needed to do.

“Look, he wasn’t happy,” he said.

“It’s a frustrating time, especially when we gave the ball away to the opposition.

“We just need to hold the ball, complete and play the ball that we know we can do.”

Hello folks and Happy Mothers day to all the mothers out there.

My name is Simon Smale and I am with you today for all the action as round 10 of the NRL wraps up with two intriguing games.

First, we head down to Melbourne where the Melbourne Storm will want to banish their shoddy showing in Magic Round.

They’ll take on the Wests Tigers, who will come up against one of their ex-players in Stefano Utoikamanu, with a Melbourne boy who could have been playing for the Storm in Fonua Pole in his place.

Then it’s off to Brookvale as the Manly Sea Eagles return after the Magic Round bye to take on the Cronulla Sharks, a team they’ve not beat on the Northern Beaches since 2019.

Should be a good, fun afternoon of rugby league, so let’s get into it.