MELBOURNE STORM 52 PARRAMATTA EELS 4
IAN HOWE, AAMI Park, Thursday

HARRY GRANT won the international Golden Boot in 2025 and in the opening round of the 2026 NRL season he demonstrated just why he had won that prestigious award with a superb performance that Parramatta couldn’t counter.

But the Storm hooker had to leave the field after 60 minutes with a hamstring strain, at which point the Storm were 36-4 ahead and the hope in Melbourne is that it won’t be a significant problem.

Melbourne and Parramatta had dominated the Rugby League news cycle coming into this game as they tried but failed to reach agreement for the Storm to sign Zac Lomax, who had walked out of the Eels after serving one year of a four-year contract at the end of the 2025 season.

So all eyes were on AAMI Park for the first NRL game of the season to be played in Australia to see whether the animosity between the two sets of club officials would be replicated on the field.

Both sides came into the game with significant changes from last season.

Ryan Papenhuyzen departed the Storm at the end of 2025, while Xavier Coates and Eli Katoa are both long-term injury absentees. Sua Faalogo, Moses Leo and Ativalu Lisati came in to replace them.

Parramatta welcomed Jonah Pezet, signed from the Storm, Brian Kelly from the Titans and veteran Jack De Belin from the Dragons to their starting ranks, with star winger Josh Addo-Carr out injured.

The game began with Storm forward Alex MacDonald having to leave the field with a grade-1 head injury after making contact with J’maine Hopgood’s shoulder, with Hopgood receiving a yellow card.

But it was the 12-man Eels who took the lead when Sean Russell scored on the left from a great tip on by Isaiah Iongi. Moses missed the conversion attempt and that was it for the Eels.

From that point onwards the Storm, under Grant’s influence, were almost unstoppable. They hadn’t lost an opening-round game in Melbourne since 2001 and they were in no mood to lose that record.

Their first try came from a brilliant pass to the right from Jahrome Hughes into the arms of Will Warbrick to touch down by the corner post. Nick Meaney converted to give Storm the lead.

Grant then ran 30 metres from dummy-half to grab their second try and Jack Howarth scored the third to put them comfortably ahead 18-4 at half-time.

And things only got worse for the Eels in the second half, as the Storm scored six more tries through former Catalans Dragons star Joe Chan, Grant for his second, former New Zealand rugby sevens star Moses Leo, two from brilliant fullback and Melbourne domestic product Faalogo and Ativalu Lisati.

The Eels suffered a second yellow card when Bailey Simonsson was sin binned for interference in the 66th minute.

Parramatta had won the NRL Pre-Season Challenge but on this form they are a long way from winning the NRL Premiership.

It was their heaviest defeat under their coach Jason Ryles, while the Storm, under Craig Bellamy, simply go marching on.

GAMESTAR: Harry Grant was in Golden Boot form and Storm coach Craig Bellamy will be relieved that his leg injury that forced him to leave the field on 60 minutes didn’t look as serious as first feared.

GAMEBREAKER: The Eels had to score first in the seocnd half if they were going to make a game of it but Joe Chan’s touchdown ensured that wouldn’t happen.

MATCHFACTS

STORM
1 Sualauvi Faalogo
2 William Warbrick
3 Jack Howarth
4 Moses Leo
5 Nick Meaney
6 Cameron Munster
7 Jahrome Hughes
8 Stefano Utoikamanu
9 Harry Grant
10 Josh King
11 Joe Chan
12 Ativalu Lisati
13 Alec MacDonald
Subs
14 Tyran Wishart
15 Cooper Clarke
16 Tui Kamikamica
17 Davvy Moale
18 Preston Conn
19 Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown (not used)

Tries: Warbrick (11), Grant (15, 51), Howarth (26), Chan (47), Leo (56), Faalogo (64, 77), Lisati (67)
Goals: Meaney 8/9

EELS
1 Isaiah Iongi
2 Bailey Simonsson
3 Viliami Penisini
4 Brian Kelly
5 Sean Russell
6 Jonah Pezet
7 Mitchell Moses
8 J’maine Hopgood
9 Ryley Smith
10 Junior Paulo
11 Jack Williams
12 Kitione Kautoga
13 Jack de Belin
Subs
14 Dylan Walker
15 Sam Tuivaiti (not used)
16 Matt Doorey
17 Tallyn Da Silva
18 Kelma Tuilagi (not used)
19 Joash Papali’i

Tries: Russell (5)
Goals: Moses 0/1
Sin bin: Hopgood (1) – high tackle; Simonsson (66) – interference

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 12-4, 18-4, 24-4, 30-4, 36-4, 42-4, 46-4, 52-4

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Storm: Harry Grant; Eels: Viliami Penisini

Penalty count: 4-6
Half-time: 18-4
Referee: Todd Smith
Attendance: 18,264