Magic Round LIVE: Munster shot down as Storm battle Eels at Magic Round

An early penalty goal to start the second half with Shaun Lane pinged for taking out the kicker illegally. Grant Anderson is into five-eighth for Melbourne with Munster off as Asofa-Solomona gives away possession with an error in the play-the-ball.

Anderson comes up with a telling play on his own line too, leaping up and reeling in a crossfield kick that had plenty of Parramatta chasers lurking and sniffing out a try.

Storm 18 Eels 10

Nelson Asofa-Solomona is on the field… and on report. That was a clumsy, ugly effort that one. Diving in at Maika Sivo’s shins when he was already held up by two players. Doesn’t seem like any damage done but that was rather dumb stuff. NAS called out for it and on report for dangerous contact. Probably a fine.

And with a minute left in the half, Cameron Munster is in real trouble. He’s reeled out of an attempted tackle. Absolutely shot. The groin injury that’s been plaguing him all season has him in real pain.

Looks to be spasming on the ground after he was caught awkwardly. Eventually he’s able to walk off, straight up the tunnel, and that moment has all sorts of Origin implications. We make it to the break with no further drama.

Storm 16 Eels 10

Talagi’s split eyebrow – it’s still streaming out blood like the proverbial – doesn’t faze the kid in the slightest. He’s on the end of a slick scrum move that keeps Parramatta in this just before halftime.

Nick Meaney turns in at centre and Dylan Brown threads the needle, sends Talagi past him at pace and the Eels needed that one. Critical try. Bit of discussion in commentary about the youngster’s future. St George Illawarra are circling despite Parramatta tabling a three year extension to one of their brightest young stars.

Storm 16 Eels 10

Big old head clash at the half hour mark. Kick goes up for Blaize Talagi and Coates coming through in pursuit. They collide in air and Coates is off for a HIA immediately.

Heavy contact leaves Talagi covered in blood too, but he’ll stay on the field as the trainer straps him up. Melbourne have outside back Grant Anderson on the bench – that’s handy.

Storm 16 Eels 4

And there it is. It’s not Fa’alogo – sorry Pengers – but Will Warbrick splitting some pretty shoddy Eels defence from halfway. Harry Grant and Eli Katoa got that going in the lead-up, Katoa with an offload that had Parramatta scrambling.

And then Warbrick took charge, barging through two tired tackles from a couple of front-rowers back on the inside, and then sprinting away to score under the posts.

From the next set, again Grant steers them down the short side and Xavier Coates gets on the outside and down the sideline. He then pilots his kick in-field perfectly, sits up for Grant and suddenly the Eels are down by two converted tries.

Storm 16 Eels 4

A knock on under the high ball by Will Warbrick gives Parramatta another sniff after Talagi was shut down on the last in their previous raid. Still very clunky from the Eels with a lot of passes missing their mark. Until they stick a play. And score from it.

J’maine Hopgood – in the frame for a Queensland Origin call-up – combines with Dylan Brown to compress Melbourne’s line down the right. Hands will do it from there for Bailey Simonsson to dot down inside the corner post. Sean Russell’s sideline conversion hits the post and just bounces away.

Storm 4 Eels 4

Another Eels error has Melbourne hunting their first try and eventually Parramatta wilt. Harry Grant is in ominous touch early and he engineers this one close to the try line. Just drifts out of dummy-half, draws Campbell-Gillard in and then bullets Tui Kamikamica into the hole left behind. First try after 10 minutes and if Parramatta give Melbourne this much possession and field position, it will be the first of many.

Storm 4 Eels 0

And we’re underway in game seven of Magic Round. Suncorp turf is holding up well. Parramatta kick us off and Harry Grant is already finding a bit of space around the ruck. Looks to be a knock-on by young Blaize Talagi under the high ball and the Storm are pressing their line already.

From side-to-side, Sua Fa’alogo is threatening on both edges and only a couple of try-savers stop him from scoring. Good defence by the Eels, ominous stuff from the young gun. An error by Will Penisini puts Parra back under the pump straight away. And again, the Eels have to pull out all the stops to deny Melbourne. Bailey Simonsson with some important defensive reads there.

Storm 0 Eels 0