SMITH JUMPS TO STORM DEFENCE

MELBOURNE are confident Parramatta won’t be able to repeat their dazzling try-scoring feats when the two teams do battle in their sudden-death NRL semi-final on Saturday night.

The Eels ran in 11 tries in their 58-0 thrashing of Brisbane at the weekend to advance to an AAMI Park meeting with the Storm, who were two-point losers to Canberra.

Storm captain Cameron Smith says statistics show they are the best defensive team in the NRL and he is backing his side to shut down the Eels.

As minor premiers, Melbourne conceded only 300 points in the regular season – 63 points better than the second-placed Sydney Roosters.

“The thing that we did do well is defend,” Smith said yesterday.

“Canberra scored a try in the 77th minute of the match on the back of an error where we weren’t in great position to defend and up until then they’d scored one try.

“We’re the best defensive team in the comp and we’ve got that result for a reason – we work hard and have a good defensive structure.”

Melbourne gave up their home preliminary final with the Raiders loss but Smith can draw on the 2015 heroics of Johnathan Thurston and his Cowboys for inspiration.

The then third-placed North Queensland lost their qualifying final but advanced to the grand final by ousting the Storm at AAMI Park in the preliminary final before a golden-point win over Brisbane to take the title.

“It’s not undoable. Losing the first week doesn’t mean we can’t go past this week and progress further,” Smith said.

“We’ve got a good footy side. We finished minor premiers, so I think we need to take a step back from the disappointment we felt against Canberra and remember that.

“We are up for this challenge – it’s not the preferred route but we’ll be ready to go.”