The Canberra Raiders suffered a tough 16-6 loss to the Storm on a wet Saturday night at AAMI Park, Melbourne.
Canberra's resilient defence in the challenging wet conditions held the Storm at bay, keeping the clash scoreless for the first 36 minutes. However, the Raiders were unable to hold on as multiple errors cost them the match.
The match began with early errors from both teams, including an obstruction by the Storm. The Raiders looked dangerous on multiple occasions but were unable to capitalise due to unforced errors.
Hudson Young secured the ball back for the Raiders with a one-on-one strip, marking his first steal of the year, while Xavier Savage and Adam Cook made key plays to keep possession.
Canberra showcased their strong goal line defence, repeatedly holding up the Storm who came close to scoring twice through Grant Anderson and Will Warbrick, only to be thwarted by Cook and Albert Hopoate.
With three minutes remaining in the first half, Storm were the first to score, capitalising on an unforced error that allowed prop Josh King to plant the ball. A conversion from Tyran Wishart brought the score to 6-0 going into half-time.
The Raiders came back from the sheds with purpose, eager to balance out the score.
Two minutes after returning to the field, Kaeo Weekes scooped up the ball, beating multiple Storm players and running the length of the field to score. Jordan Rapana successfully added the extras, evening out the score to 6-all.
But Melbourne were quick to respond, with Shawn Blore and Jack Howarth both planting the ball over the line within five minutes of each other. Wishart successfully converted one of the tries, bringing the score to 16-6.
Jordan Martin made his debut as Raider #398, coming on for Morgan Smithies at the 52-minute mark. However, his debut was unfortunately cut short when he was taken off due to a HIA.
The final 15 minutes of game play consisted of a back-and-forth contest riddled with errors from both sides, including a missed penalty shot from the Storm.
Melbourne's Xavier Coates came dangerously close to scoring their fourth try of the night with seven minutes remaining, however this was disallowed due to a knock-on.
The wet conditions proved challenging, as Coates subsequently left the field with a hamstring injury, and Raiders' Mariota and Rapana were both taken off due to HIA’s .
As the whistle blew, the Raiders fell short against the Melbourne Storm, with the final score standing at 16-6.
The Raiders will look to make amends when they return home to face the Newcastle Knights next Sunday at GIO Stadium, Canberra.
