Melbourne Storm threw their attacking woes out the window with an eight-try demolition of the New Zealand Warriors on Monday night.
The Storm's scoring spree started in the fourth minute and continued as 21,233 supporters enjoyed the free-spirited attacking game. But they would also have wondered how the Warriors could present such a poor defence in the Anzac night game.
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Storm blow Warriors away
Melbourne’s stuttering attack turns full circle as they blow the Warriors off the park 42-0.
Melbourne's 42-0 win was if anything lower than what could have been, as three of the home side's try attempts were ruled out by the video referee in the first half.
Storm forward Tohu Harris won the Spirit of Anzac medal for best embodying the Anzac spirit while the Storm claimed the Michael Moore Trophy for beating the Warriors.
After four weeks of low scores and missed chances, the Storm's attack looked finely honed showing the precise passing and movements of a premiership contender.
The Storm tore up the field in the opening minutes before Cameron Smith passed to Tohu Harris who ran through a gap to score the first try.
Prince's Purple Rain was the club's choice of opening try celebration music in honour of the departed music icon and the tries would keep raining for the home side.
The Storm were clearly inspired and just minutes later two more smart passes and some indifferent marking from the Warriors left room for prop Tim Glasby to run in from 15 metres and score next to the posts. Smith's conversion made it 10-0 after nine minutes.
It should have been three straight when second-game Fijian winger Suliasi Vunivalu was put in at the right post but the rookie stepped too far and put his foot on the sideline before he scored.
Cameron Munster had the crowd at fever pitch when he made a 40-metre run down the right sideline and Warriors' centre Blake Ashford paid dearly for holding down Munster in the tackle, receiving 10 minutes in the sin bin.
Storm immediately cashed in, eating up the metres to goal. Then Smith fed a perfect short pass to Jesse Bromwich who scored the third try to see the home side up 16-0.
Vunivalu caused more damage with a rocking hit on Warriors' fullback Tumoala Lolohea and the subsequent turnover saw Young Tonumaipea lose a tackler and burst down the left before passing to Marika Koroibete who was untouched in his 35-metre run to the line, Smith's conversion made it 22-0 after 24 minutes.
Lolohea hurt his lower leg during the fearsome tackle and was sent to the bench for treatment minutes later.
Cooper Cronk, Munster and Richard Kennar looked to have linked up to give Vunivalu the try of the night on 28 minutes but it was ruled out for obstruction.
Tonumaipea also had a try ruled out for not grounding the ball correctly.
But Munster made sure his hot-stepping was rewarded with points on 35 minutes when he received the ball 10 metres from the line and then stepped off his right foot before evading two support defenders and scoring a try with Storm's conversion seeing them up 28-0 at half time.
The Storm's first-half dominance saw them have 63 per cent of possession and make 1052 metres compared to the Warriors' 563 metres.
Koroibete looked to have damaged his knee in a twisting tackle in the second half but he was able to keep playing.
Warriors' coach Andrew McFadden gave his players a furious address after their demoralising first half and the defence improved after the resumption.
But those words soon faded and the Storm's scoring spree resumed, with Cronk dummying an inside pass and then running through a gap to score on the right side to put his side up 34-0.
Warriors' winger David Fusitua looked to have picked up a consolation try four minutes from time but was ruled to have been forced out before scoring.
Munster's blind pass to Vunivalu topped off the night as the rookie winger completed the job.
He finished the Warriors' sad night by sneaking in front of Manu Vatuvei in the in-goal to snatch Richard Kennar's bouncing kick and touch down.
It's his fourth third try in two NRL games and following in the footsteps of Sisa Waqa and Koroibete, it looks the Storm have developed yet another Fijian try machine.
The Storm's attacking nous looks to have come back too.
The Storm play Gold Coast Titans on the Gold Coast on Sunday at 2pm.
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