For the first time in seven years, the Panthers were held without a goal as the Storm defeated them 16-0 and maintained their chances of winning the minor premiership.<\/p>\n
For the first time since the Storm blanked them 20-0 in 2015, Penrith failed to register a point despite having 55% of the possession and more than 50 tackles within 20 metres of Melbourne’s try line.<\/p>\n
The Panthers have now lost 2 of their last 3 games, giving North Queensland hope of taking the JJ Giltinan Shield when the top two teams square off in the final round at QCB Stadium. It was Melbourne’s third straight victory.<\/p>\n
Players Who Were Not Present <\/strong><\/p>\n The Premiers entered the game without suspended players James Fisher-Harris and Nathan Cleary, the injured Jarome Luai, Dylan Edwards, Taylan May trio and Liam Martin due to an ankle injury.<\/p>\n On the other hand, the Storm has also been severely impacted by injuries; Jahrome Hughes, a prominent halfback, was out with a shoulder injury, and second-rower Felise Kaufusi was not present due to the passing away of his father.<\/p>\n The choice to switch Cameron Munster from five-eighth to fullback proved to be a stroke of genius as the outstanding playmaker carried the ball 194 metres on 17 runs, breaking eight tackles and contributing to three line breaks.<\/p>\n The win moves Melbourne into fourth place, and they will remain in the top four if South Sydney defeats Parramatta on Friday night.<\/p>\n However, the Storm was most impressive on defence, where hooker Harry Grant finished with 62 tackles, followed by second-rowers Tui Kamikamica (53) and Kenny Bromwich (43), lock Brandon Smith (39), interchange forward Josh King (38) and prop Jesse Bromwich.<\/p>\n