Storm Brews as NRL Heavyweights Clash at Sold-Out AAMI Park

As the NRL finals approach in just three weeks, the Melbourne Storm are set to host the Canterbury Bulldogs in a highly anticipated Friday night showdown at AAMI Park. The stadium has officially sold out for the third time this season, indicating the excitement surrounding this heavyweight clash between two of the league's top teams.

Speaking ahead of the match, Storm coach Craig Bellamy has predicted a physical affair, acknowledging that the Bulldogs have come off the boil in recent weeks. "The Bulldogs were testing everyone, but the last couple of weeks they probably haven't been where they were earlier in the season," Bellamy said. "We expect them to come back on Friday night, we're ready for a real tough game."

The Storm have shown resilience in dealing with key player injuries, including the continued absence of star halfback Jahrome Hughes. Bellamy was non-committal on the return of injured fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, who was named on an extended reserves bench. "He missed last week obviously, so we'll just check how he's going, whether we think it's the right thing to play him," the coach said.

Despite the injury concerns, the Storm have continued to perform at a high level, cementing their place in the top four. The club has also reached an all-time record of 40,237 members, the highest tally in their 27-year history.