Nathan Cleary was sent off as Parramatta met Penrith in a drama-filled Western Sydney derby.
Parramatta Eels vs Penrith Panthers
Team statistics
Game by game
Melbourne Storm 24 defeated Warriors 12
For the second time in the 2022 NRL season, the Storm overcame a flat second half from the Warriors, winning 24-12 at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium.
After a tumultuous week in the NRL, which started with a refereeing controversy and continued with the Manly pride shirt saga, the Warriors would have been happy just to fly under the radar in their second game home of the season.
But the storm certainly had them in the crosshairs, taking the direct approach and making a series of strong shots soon after the game started.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s hit on Wayde Egan left the Warriors hooker with a suspected broken jaw after just minutes, an act which saw the Storm team put on notice and the large crowd of Mt Smart was outraged.
The Storm then cashed in on the forced turnover, with Justin Olam crossing a very weak defense on the left wing.
Queensland Origin hooker Harry Grant got the Storm back on track with a try from a Felise Kaufusi break. Some indiscipline from the Storm quickly gave the ball back to the home side, with Kosi making it two with five minutes left in the half.
Team statistics
But the hope Warriors fans had for a victory over their historic rivals didn’t last much past halftime.
Jahrome Hughes scored almost immediately after the restart, and then backup fullback Nick Meaney got on the end of a spot-on center kick from Grant Anderson to make it 20-8.
A big mistake from the Warriors soon after saw them concede a penalty straight up front, which Meaney slotted to extend the lead to 12.
However, that was the last significant contribution he made as he limped off the field with a nasty looking shoulder injury. That will be a concern for manager Craig Bellamy, who is already missing regular full-back Ryan Papenhuyzen.
Kosi crossed for a deserved hat-trick, but it was too little, too late.
The defeat leaves them anchored in the bottom four, while the Storm move up to a fourth with the Broncos.