Matchday Live: World Club Challenge – Melbourne v Leeds

James Gordon

It’s the World Club Challenge between Melbourne Storm and Leeds Rhinos – follow live updates below.

FULL TIME: Melbourne Storm 38-4 Leeds Rhinos

80: Icing on the cake for Storm as Finucane crashes over under the posts.

70: Leeds can’t catch a break. Croft’s kick to the right is contested by Hall and Vunivalu, it goes back off the fingertips of Vunivalu and it’s a walk in tight to the touchline for Chambers. 32-4, ktc.

64: Drinks break with just over 15 minutes to play.

60: Leeds get down the other end and though Tom Briscoe goes close, they end up on the back foot as Munster sends Melbourne 50m up the other way.

58: Smith misses. Melbourne 28-4 Leeds.

TRY 57: It’s getting ugly. Great lean off the right foot by Kaufusi gets him through a gap and over the line. Could be a long 20 minutes now for the Rhinos.

51: Cameron Smith goals. Melbourne 24-4 Leeds.

TRY 50: Another penalty leads to another try for Melbourne. Matt Parcell drove and dumped Cameron Smith and was penalised 10 metres out, and from it the big man Solomona busts through and is too strong to stop close to the line.

43: Billy Slater won’t be returning due to injury.

42: A decent chance for Leeds at the start of the second half but two nothing plays – first from Richie Myler who drops off a simple ball for Brett Delaney, and then Brad Dwyer who goes from dummy half on the last and is wrapped up easily.

41: Second half underway.

A blow for Leeds…

HALF TIME: Melbourne Storm 18-4 Leeds Rhinos.

TRY 39: That could be the game breaker. They run it on the last and Vunivalu slices through some tired Leeds defence to go over.

PENALTY 36: Cameron Smith adds two to the tally for the Storm. Melbourne 12-4 Leeds.

33: Leeds again force the ball too much on the left and Ablett puts it down. Completion rate can’t be great in the attacking end for them.

31: Wasted chance for Leeds, who let a drop out bounce out over the touchline. Ryan Hall blaming Jimmy Keinhorst but we think that was your one, WBW.

Tom knows…

25: Blimey, wasn’t that quick?! No problem with that Croft try and Melbourne have the lead for the first time. Leeds need to cut these penalties out otherwise they aren’t going to give themselves a chance. Smith converts for Melbourne 10-4 Leeds.

VIDEO REF 24: And there we go. Brodie Croft has found his way over, it’s gone up as a try but the touch judge says there may be a double movement.

23: Leeds’ good start is being unravelled by a number of errors and penalties, and they’re giving themselves a lot of work to do.

21: Big defence by Leeds to stop the Storm momentum, the hosts send the ball wide left but Watkins, Myler and Tom Briscoe take Scott over the touchline on 20 metres and the Rhinos will get the scrum.

20: Melbourne sent up field by another penalty and they force another repeat set as Cameron Smith’s kick in-goal traps Ryan Hall.

18: Missed! Cameron Smith pings the post from a simple position. Melbourne 4-4 Leeds.

TRY! 17: Bromwich crashes on to a short ball and Melbourne are back on terms off the back of their first penalty of the match.

15: Great take by Jack Walker off Cameron Munster’s kick. Walker is playing in just his 17th first team game. At the age of 18, he’s now taken in a Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford and a World Club Challenge at AAMI Park in Melbourne.

14: Leeds have made a confident start. They need to make sure they don’t get carried away, they pass the ball wide again on the last tackle and Liam Sutcliffe gets a hurried kick away and down the throat of Billy Slater.

11: The conversion stays left of the posts. Melbourne 0 Leeds 4.

TRY! 10: Leeds tap a penalty in front of the posts and the ball makes its way left and Ryan Hall has a one-on-one with his man close to the line and there’s only one winner!

6: Kallum Watkins drills a low kick from halfway which forces Billy Slater to turn around Melbourne start a set inside their own 10 metres and once again go for the early deep kick in response.

Jamie Jones-Buchanan, playing in his seventh World Club Challenge, made his debut before Leeds full-back Jack Walker was even born.

2: Bit of early field position for Leeds after a Melbourne error but Joel Moon’s drop off pass to Brad Singleton is coughed up and the Rhinos waste a chance to ask questions of Storm on the last.

1: Leeds get us underway. You can watch the game live on Sky Sports Arena & Main Event.

Here’s the team news:

Melbourne: Slater, Vunivalu, Chambers, Scott, Addo-Carr, Munster, Croft, J Bromwich, Smith, Glasby, Kaufusi, Hoffman, Finucane. Subs: Smith, Solomona, K Bromwich, Welch.

Leeds: Walker, Briscoe, Watkins, Sutcliffe, Hall, Moon, Myler, Cuthbertson, Parcell, Singleton, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Ward. Subs: Dwyer, Delaney, Keinhorst, Ormondroyd.

NRL Leeds Rhinos

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