Buzz: Scorelines that reveal why no team will want to play Melbourne Storm in the first week of finals

The statistics and score lines that reveal it is so hard to win the weekend after playing Craig Bellamy’s team – and that 16 times teams have lost after playing them.

Up until this weekend, only the New Zealand Warriors had won (in golden point) the week after playing the premiership favourites.

Then the Roosters came out on Saturday night and got the job done against Manly at Brookvale Oval, eight days after going down to the Storm.

The Storm curse has brought down some of the best sides in the comp.

The Panthers got beaten by the Rabbitohs, the Raiders lost to the Bulldogs, the Sharks got flogged 42-16 by the Roosters and Manly lost 42-4 to the Bulldogs.

You look at other scorelines.

Two of Souths’ six wins this season have come from playing teams who faced the Storm the previous week.

The Dolphins put together two 50-point performances against post-Storm teams

So what’s the cause of this? Why can’t teams back-up after playing them?

We checked in on Sunday with Parramatta Eels coach Jason Ryles. His side got towelled up 32-6 to the lowly placed Wests Tigers the week after playing Storm.

“Maybe team’s prep and get up for them because they’ve been a great club for so long,” Ryles said, “and then it’s hard to back it up the week after. But I’m only guessing here.

“I’m not sure it’s the bruising or physical side of their game although they have a big team physically with Nelson (Asofa-Solomona) and Stefano (Utoikamanu).

“They’re actually big across the park.”

Dragons coach Shane Flanagan is not so sure about the physical side of it.

“When we (Cronulla) won the comp in 2016 teams struggled after playing us because we were so physical,” Flanagan said.

He doesn’t think that’s the case with Storm.

His Dragons lost by a point to the Eels after playing Storm when Zac Lomax landed the field goal in golden point.

“I think it might be the mental preparation of playing against them,” Flanagan said.

“Mentally you get yourself up for them.

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“There’s many challenges preparing for them with their halves, Harry Grant and Ryan Papenhuyzen.

“Maybe you slacken off a bit the next week.”

Whatever it is, just hope that the team you support doesn’t have to play them in week one of the finals. It could mean the end.

Originally published as Buzz: Scorelines that reveal why no team will want to play Melbourne Storm in the first week of finals