CANBERRA RAIDERS 26 MELBOURNE STORM 22
TOM SMITH, GIO Stadium, Friday

CANBERRA condemned Melbourne to a fifth straight defeat for the first time since 2012. 

Simi Sasagi scored a try and set up another, halves Ethan Strange and Ethan Sanders steered the ship and back-rower Hudson Young was his dynamic best as the Raiders overturned a 16-12 half-time deficit. 

The Green Machine made the perfect start, striking twice in the opening ten minutes. 

Hard-running stand-off Strange handed Sasagi the first try before Corey Horsburgh scooped up a Sanders bomb which the Storm spilled.

But the fiery Canberra enforcer then threw away a dissent penalty that shifted the momentum. 

Sualauvi Faalogo immediately slashed through the Raiders’ left edge then Jahrome Hughes assisted Will Warbrick in the same part of the field. 

Nick Meaney soon scored, which proved the difference at the break, but the hosts erased those arrears once Sasagi supplied Strange within five minutes of the restart. 

Then Matthew Timoko justified his recall in place of Savelio Tamale by speeding past Jack Howarth to secure the lead for the Raiders. 

A pair of Sanders penalty goals gave Canberra ten points breathing room, which came in handy when Meaney scored his second. 

The Bunker chalked off Zac Hosking’s sealer for Young’s high tackle on Faalogo, but the Raiders still held on to their first home win of 2026.

RAIDERS: 1 Kaeo Weekes, 2 Sebastian Kris, 3 Simi Sasagi, 4 Matthew Timoko, 5 Jed Stuart, 6 Ethan Strange, 7 Ethan Sanders, 10 Joseph Tapine, 9 Tom Starling, 16 Ata Mariota, 11 Hudson Young, 15 Zac Hosking, 13 Corey Horsburgh. Subs: 8 Josh Papalii, 12 Noah Martin, 14 Jayden Brailey, 17 Morgan Smithies, 18 Daine Laurie (not used), 19 Joe Roddy (not used) 

Tries: Sasagi (5), Horsburgh (9), Strange (45), Timoko (51); Goals: Sanders 5/6 

STORM: 1 Sualauvi Faalogo, 2 Will Warbrick, 3 Jack Howarth, 5 Manaia Waitere, 4 Nick Meaney, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Jahrome Hughes, 8 Stefano Utoikamanu, 9 Harry Grant, 10 Josh King, 11 Joe Chan, 12 Cooper Clarke, 13 Trent Loiero. Subs: 14 Tyran Wishart, 15 Alec MacDonald, 16 Jack Hetherington, 17 Davvy Moale (not used), 18 Shawn Blore, 19 Hugo Peel (not used) 

Tries: Faalogo (12), Warbrick (16), Meaney (26, 74); Goals: Meaney 3/4 

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-6, 12-10, 12-16; 16-16, 22-16, 24-16, 26-16, 26-22

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Raiders: Hudson Young; Storm: Sualauvi Faalogo 

Penalty count: 6-3; Half-time: 12-16; Referee: Peter Gough; Attendance: 17,321