MELBOURNE STORM 42 CANBERRA RAIDERS 20
TOM SMITH, AAMI Park, Sunday

WILL WARBRICK’S hat-trick lifted Melbourne to a big comeback win over Canberra in Cameron Munster’s 250th NRL game.

Canberra shot to an early lead, but Harry Grant’s entry off the bench swung the momentum. The Storm squared it 20-all by the break, then Warbrick’s third on the hour mark spurred a late flurry to seal victory.

These two clubs are used to playing finals but find themselves at the wrong end of the ladder in 2026, although the Storm’s third straight win keeps them in touch with the top eight.

Melbourne’s Maroons Munster, Grant and Trent Loiero backed up four days after Origin Two, as did Canberra’s Blues Hudson Young and Ethan Strange.

The Green Machine might a fast start when Savelio Tamale found the left corner then Owen Pattie grounded a rare Young kick and Xavier Savage ran 90 metres with an intercept.

But Warbrick got Melbourne on the board before soaring for a Jahrome Hughes bomb to assist Ativalu Lisati.

Munster crossed on his milestone game, and Matthew Timoko and Warbrick traded tries to lock things up at half-time.

It stayed 20-all until Warbrick grabbed another Hughes bomb.

Then Moses Leo, Sualauvi Faalogo and Trent Toelau made sure of the result, before Munster booted the final conversion to finish his 250th in style.

STORM: 1 Sualauvi Faalogo, 2 Will Warbrick, 3 Jack Howarth, 4 Joe Chan, 5 Moses Leo, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Jahrome Hughes, 8 Stefano Utoikamanu, 14 Trent Toelau, 10 Josh King, 11 Cooper Clarke, 12 Ativalu Lisati, 13 Trent Loiero. Subs: 9 Harry Grant, 15 Alec MacDonald, 16 Jack Hetherington, 18 Shawn Blore, 19 Tyran Wishart (not used), 21 Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown (not used)

Tries: Warbrick (22, 40, 60), Lisati (24), Munster (28), Leo (68), Faalogo (71), Toelau (79); Goals: Faalogo 4/6, Munster 1/1, Grant 0/1

RAIDERS: 1 Kaeo Weekes, 2 Savelio Tamale, 3 Sebastian Kris, 4 Matthew Timoko, 5 Xavier Savage, 6 Ethan Strange, 7 Ethan Sanders, 8 Corey Horsburgh, 14 Owen Pattie, 10 Joseph Tapine, 11 Hudson Young, 12 Zac Hosking, 13 Jayden Brailey. Subs: 9 Tom Starling, 15 Ata Mariota, 16 Morgan Smithies, 17 Daine Laurie, 18 Jed Stuart (not used), 19 Vena Patuki-Case (not used)

Tries: Tamale (3), Pattie (9), Savage (17), Timoko (36); Goals: Sanders 2/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-16, 6-16, 12-16, 16-16, 16-20, 20-20; 24-20, 30-20, 36-20, 42-20

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Storm: Will Warbrick; Raiders: Corey Horsburgh

Penalty count: 5-3; Half-time: 20-20; Referee: Todd Smith; Attendance: 19,326