Grant Anderson of the Melbourne Storm scores a try against the Warriors. Photo: photosport
Melbourne Storm's nine-year domination over the Warriors has continued, with a 38-24 victory in an NRL game of fluctuating fortunes at Mt Smart Stadium.
Ill-discipline proved costly for the Warriors who were briefly down to 11 men due to two sin binnings in the second half. The Storm, as befitting being NRL competition leaders, made them pay each time, notching up their 16th victory in a row over the Auckland-based team since a loss in 2015.
The Warriors showed the confidence of their past three victories in a row early in this match, dominating to the extent that after 13 minutes the Storm had made an eyebrow-raising 62 tackles to just five from the Warriors.
With Shaun Johnson returning from injury as attack director, they pinned the Storm deep in their own territory for all but the last minute of the first quarter.
After five minutes they were rewarded for multiple sets with a try to Adam Pompey courtesy of a slick pass from Te Maire Martin. Pompey converted his own try and a few minutes later banged over a penalty.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad's pass to Marcelo Montoya in the 16th minute will go down in the NRL season highlights package as he flicked the ball behind his back to the flying winger. The conversion took the score to 16-0 after 18 minutes.
But then the game was changed on its head as the Storm finally made a foray into the Warriors' half. As Pompey fielded a kick off-balance, Eli Katoa stole the ball from him and scored. Tries to Grant Anderson, Dean Ieremia and Nick Meaney followed and at halftime the Storm had a 20-14 lead.
Warriors captain Tohu Harris and his team-mates commiserate after conceding a try to the Melbourne Storm. Photo: photosport
With steady rain falling, the Warriors had fallen off their tackles, but they started the second half strongly and after six minutes Mitchell Barnett crashed over. There could have been more as Marata Niukore and Jazz Tevaga went close, and the aggressive defence of the Warriors was hurting the Storm players.
But ill-discipline then cost them, with Montoya going to the bin for stopping Jahrome Hughes, who was taking a quick tap penalty, inside the 10m.
The Storm immediately made them pay with Sualauvi Fa'alogo, the brightest of the game's shining lights, sprinting in for a try.
Worse was to follow with Dallin Watene Zelezniak taking out Anderson without the ball and being replaced on report.
The Storm scored two minutes later through Xavier Coates, and although the Warriors showed pluck to bounce back with a try to Montoya with four minutes to go, the Melbourne side had the last say with Fa'alogo zipping in for his second try.
The loss keeps the Warriors out of the top eight.
They also lost Rocco Berry late in the first half with an apparent wrist injury, while Pompey left the field injured in the second half.