There will be no observations below as I reflect on Melbourne Storm's thrashing of the Warriors on Anzac Day. Capturing and highlighting minor details, or even trends in the Warriors performance really isn't required when the game unfolds as it did in Melbourne. I do however have a fair bit to say here and in a video that I'll suss out over the next few days that I hope will encapsulate my feelings about a rather funky week of footy.

Right here and now, I'll solely reflect on the loss to Melbourne. The Warriors weren't very good and everything about their performance starts with the Warriors not playing with the same energy, enthusiasm, skill level, aggression, composure as they have done previously.

To fall back on to the Warriors playing crap though is lazy, that's what lazy journalists do, that's what your mate you didn't watch the game does. To simply say how crap the Warriors were, is what someone who hasn't watched the Storm play in recent weeks would say.

The Storm did exactly what they did against Brisbane Broncos and when they are in such a mood, there is little you can do to stop them. We only need to look at the footy wizardry of their first try to understand this. Melbourne gave early footy to Curtis Scott out on the left edge inside their own 40m line, Scott made a break vs Peta Hiku and then Melbourne came back to the right afterwards with Billy Slater putting in a kick for Young Tonumaipea to set up Ryley Jacks.

Let me explain the nuances...

Melbourne had great success going to their edges early vs Brisbane and no other team is hitting their edges early, deep in their own territory like Melbourne.

Melbourne went left, where Mason Lino was defending. Hiku missed a tackle vs Scott and Melbourne would have wanted to target Hiku, they would have wanted to target Lino as well as Hiku. This was Lino's second consecutive game, he was listed to play earlier in the week instead of being a late call up. Everyone was quick to celebrate Lino after two nice performances as a late call up, but it's a different beast when the opposition (not just any opposition but Melbourne Storm) can prepare to target someone.

Melbourne went left where Hiku's missed tackles were exposed and where Lino was defending.

Melbourne then relied on a kick from Billy Slater.

Slater kicked perfectly, brilliantly, what a guy. Suddenly Billy Slater's chipping across field!?

There was no way the Warriors would have prepared for that. Melbourne did and as we know Slater's a fine runner of the footy, who can set up the edges with his running and passing, having Slater kick was nek level.

Why? Melbourne knew that the Warriors jam when the ball goes wide and with Slater running across field, the Warriors get interested and Slater chips in-behind. Same thing happened moments later as Cameron Munster shaped to run/pass and put a grubber in-behind for a try.

Folks, that's rugby league perfection.

Yeah yeah, the Warriors sucked. But Melbourne rolled through rugby league perfection and didn't even give the Warriors a sniff with the footy for 20 minutes. The Warriors looked alright with the footy when they got a chance, even went close a few times in that first-half and then Melbourne did something crazy and boom, another try. This is less about the Warriors and more about Melbourne Storm doing exactly what they wanted to do, the opposition could have been anyone.

Remember that Melbourne also blew away Newcastle Knights a few weeks ago in similar fashion. Melbourne dominated possession and Newcastle couldn't do anything, then last week Melbourne put on an attacking clinic vs Brisbane. Melbourne scored 40 points vs Knights, 34 points vs Broncos and 50 vs Warriors; 124 points in three weeks.

Also keep in mind that not only were Melbourne in that groove, they were in that groove against a Warriors team without two certain starters in Tohu Harris, Leivaha Pulu and Shaun Johnson,that lost Issac Luke early in the game and are also missing James Gavet (I dunno where Gerard Beale fits in, but he'd be in the mix).

Last week I wrote the same thing; the Warriors beat the Dragons without those guys, wow.
Against a rampant Melbourne Storm, it was exposed. Lino is the example of this, as you can jump into first grade and play well but when your depth is asked to back up (quick turnaround as well, crikey) and back up against Melbourne Storm, it ain't so easy.

I was rolling through all of these thoughts in the first half, so I wasn't mad at the Warriors. Then game the second half and I saw enough to show me that I needed to put this message out there for youz; the Warriors are all good.

Forget the scoreboard, in the second half, the Warriors lingered, they showcased some sort of pride in their performance and didn't do what so many Warriors teams have done in the past.

The game was over after 20 minutes and I was curious as to how the Warriors would perform in the second half, knowing that they had little to play for. I saw enough to know that this is not the same Warriors of old and I'm bloody excited to see the next encounter between these two teams as I have a feeling our lads will be out for revenge.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was amazing and almost single-handidly helped the Warriors go from lingering, to competing. 13runs/182m and 5 of those were dummy half runs for 61m, plus a line break and line break assist.

Joseph Vuna got a run and this was low key interesting because he's usually an edge forward, but played through the middle. Vuna suits that role in the NRL because he's big and has mobility, which could give the Warriors a funky middle forward prospect to keep an eye on, especially with Matiu Love-Henry and King Vuniyayawa offering edge forward depth.

I'd also suggest that coach Stephen Kearney is dipping various players into NRL footy at the moment, while he can. I view this as smart coaching and is a nod to the bigger picture as Kearney is giving minor minutes (5-15mins) to different blokes during the first half of the season.

Ligi Sao started the season and didn't do much wrong. Chris Satae got a chance and did nothing wrong as well. Sao and Satae are joined by James Gavet in reserve grade this week and with all due respect to Vuna, I reckon Sao, Satae and Gavet are all ahead of Vuna in the pecking order - despite Vuna playing vs Melbourne.

We don't know what the best middle combination looks like and Kearney has to figure out who is going to feature on the bench in a top-17; I said this last week and I'll raise it again because of Vuna's inclusion. I've got Blair, Afoa and Gavet starting in my top-17 and Tevaga has a bench spot locked down, those three remaining bench spots are completely up for grabs though.

Sam Lisone, Albert Vete, Agnatius Paasi, Leivaha Pulu, Ligi Sao, Chris Satae and Joseph Vuna are competing for three bench spots. My bench, with everyone available would be; Tevaga, Paasi, Pulu and Sao. No rush to suss this out though, that's the process Kearney is working through at the moment.

In a vacuum, this sucks. 2 points lost, a blow to the for/against tally and a disappointing showing on Anzac Day.

I'm not sad or angry though. This game will be beneficial in the future and we know that a perfect Melbourne Storm dismantled a weakened Warriors team. Now there's a big ol' rest allowing for injuries to heal and homework to be done.

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Peace and love 27.