We often get our asses kicked in this fixture, but I think it's one of the most significant for the club. While it doesn't happen as often now, there was a time when we were the boogeymen for the Storm. I think that time has permanently tethered our two clubs together.
Secondary to that, you also have a disproportionately large number of Kiwis in the Storm. They're almost the perfect amalgamation of New Zealanders and Australians, all playing within one successful team. Sounds pretty relevant to ANZAC day, no?
Another reason for the fixture is that we're both young clubs that don't have any geographical rivals like the QLD or NSW teams. Broadcasters love a story and with the above, I think there's enough to sustain this fixture as a meaningful one.
All true.
The story of our rivalry is as old as the Storm itself and is more legitimate in it's pedigree than many so called Darby matches.
1998 the Storm launch three years after the Warriors. They were supposed to struggle, for the same reasons the Warriors struggled.
But the Warriors looked on in envy as the Storm landed in their first Warriors clash undefeated.
A sibling rivalry was born, as the Warriors defeated Melbourne....their first ever defeat in the NRL. Typical of the confidence side that the Warriors are, they never held any fear nor respect for the new kids, they just didn't.
The Storm went on from that game to dominate the NRL. Only losing one game before again meeting the Warriors in round 16.
The Storm were ready for the Warriors this time. However the fairly shithouse Warriors won in a thriller 24-21. The Warriors were the first team to score back to back victories of Melbourne.
Then the Michael Moore incident happens at the viaduct, where the Storm manager fell to his death while visiting NZ after the Storm V Warriors. Ever since 2001 the Warriors play the Storm for the Trophy which is presented on ANZAC day by one of the Moore family.
2001
Daniel Andersons nobodies had an unlikely chance of making the Warriors first ever NRL final.
They had to get past the Storm to make it. The Warriors needed a win or a draw.
The game turned out to be the most brutal matches of rugby league ever played. At games end there were players lying on the ground that could not get up to celebrate.
The Warriors were playing with no bench after their replacements were needed due to the violence of that game.
The Warriors clung on to a historic 24 all draw. The match has been archived by the NRL as an NRL official classic match.
Chris Anderson the then Melbourne coach was in his last season.....he commented after the Warriors fifty point hiding in round one of the finals "We did that too them".
To this day Craig Bellamy steers away from talk of the Warriors, he loves to say it is just another game....even though we know....he is full of shit....I give you Ivan Clearys comeback men take the Storm down as Michael Witt plays silly buggers with the ball....or Shaun Johnsons carve up and feed to Lewis Brown in another thriller.
One day we will play the Storm in a GF and they will shit themselves.
Commentators reccon it is our second phase that troubles them. I don't see a lot of second phase when we play the Storm, in fact no jungle ball, we play it tight.
The reason they struggle against us is that our props show up and dummny half run, constantly preventing the Storms wrestles then resets as our guys surrender on their fronts, fast ptb, another DH charge.
The type of game that will suit our new pack....when the dam pack is fully fit.
