NRL 2024: Melbourne Storm win 38-24 over New Zealand Warriors, after Marcelo Montoya, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak sin-binned

The NRL’s longest head-to-head losing streak since 1980 has continued, with the Storm cruising past the Warriors for the 16th straight game, after New Zealand were reduced to 11 men.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JUNE 15: Dean Ieremia of the Storm celebrates after scoring a try during the round 15 NRL match between New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, on June 15, 2024, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

It’s been 3,261 days since the Warriors last beat the Storm, the longest active head-to-head losing run in the NRL, and that streak was extended on Saturday night at a predictably sold out Go Media Stadium in Auckland.

They may have trailed 14-0 early but Melbourne cemented their position on top of the NRL ladder with a 38-24 triumph over a shell-shocked New Zealand side.

The result stretched the Storm’s winning record against the Warriors to 16 straight, dating back to 2015.

Dean Ieremia celebrates after scoring a try, as the Storm recorded a 16th straight win over the Warriors. Picture: Getty Images

Boosted by the return of Shaun Johnson, who missed the last three matches with a pectoral injury and was the only Warrior to have tasted victory for the club against the Storm, New Zealand began the game on fire.

They scored within five minutes via a converted Adam Pompey try and made it 8-0 three minutes later. They were up 14-0 after 17 minutes.

It took a piece of individual brilliance from former Warrior Eli Katoa to stop the rot for Melbourne, the inform backrower pick pocketing Pompey in the shadows of the line after the Warriors’ centre had seemingly defused a Jahrome Hughes bomb.

If ever there was a half of two quarters, this was it. By the break the Storm had scored three more tries to Grant Anderson, Dean Ieremia and Nick Meaney to be up 20-14. It was some comeback.

The Warriors were the first to strike in the second half with Mitch Barnett, who earlier this week signed a two-year extension to stay across the ditch, crashing over but the revival was short lived.

New Zealand winger Marcelo Montoya found himself in the sin bin seven minutes later for a mindless strip on Hughes and Melbourne made them pay immediately with an electric try to Sua Fa’alogo pushing the lead back out to eight.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak followed Montoya shortly after for a high tackle and with the Warriors down to 11, Xavier Coates scored a simple try to make it 32-18 and with 17 minutes remaining the game was effectively over.

DWZ was sent to the sin bin for this dangerous hit on Grant Anderson.

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Storm coach Craig Bellamy admitted his team had started poorly but was proud of the grit they showed to bounce back.

“With all due respect, obviously, they played well in that first 15 minutes, but we didn’t handle it at all well,” he said.

“I think we completed one set in the first 15 minutes so, I can’t remember us starting that badly, to be quite honest.

“To take that into account, but obviously the guys showed a lot of resilience to come back and just build ourselves back into the game again. And it was probably a bit of a surprise that we’re in front at halftime.”

Storm skipper Harry Grant echoed his coach’s comments.

“I think, like Craig said, our discipline let us down (early),” he said. “We didn’t have any field position. Kept turning a bit of cheap ball there, and you give quality side like the Warriors that, with a crowd behind them, they made us pay with some points.

“I think real credit to our playing group. I think everyone was very calm, patient, knew what we had to do to get ourselves back in the game.

“It wasn’t too long after that that we did get ourselves back in the game, and it happened pretty quickly, and we just went on with that. So, I’m very proud of the performance of our group.”

Storm fullback Sua Fa'alogo performs a swan dive as he scores a try, only to hurt himself on the landing. Picture: Getty Images

SLEEPING STORM

Veteran coach Craig Bellamy would have been scratching his head to remember a more statistically lopsided – and poor – start to a match for a Melbourne side.

The Storm had made 68 tackles before the Warriors had affected six. At that point, 12 minutes into the game, Melbourne had missed 11 tackles, made three errors, given away three penalties, two ruck infringements and made just three runs.

With the home crowd in a frenzy, it looked like the losing streak would be obliterated but the Storm had other ideas.

BILLY’S RELIEF

Queensland coach and Storm great Billy Slater would have been all smiles after this one with Xavier Coates and Harry Grant appearing to finish the match in good health and ready for game two of State of Origin back in Melbourne on Wednesday week.

Coates, the hero for the Storm when he scored the match winner on full-time against the Warriors earlier this season, was uncharacteristically quiet in the return bout before scoring his try.

Shaun Johnson’s return failed to inspire the Warriors. Picture: Getty Images

GOOD DAYS AHEAD

Despite the loss and the worrying way his side fell away after the opening 20 minutes, Warriors coach Andrew Webster has every right to see blue skies ahead.

The Warriors had picked up eight points from the last month via a bye and wins over the Panthers, the Dolphins and the Cowboys. Tonight, they never gave up and now they have a delicious draw over the next two months.

They will face the Titans, then the Broncos featuring several stars backing up from Origin, and the Bulldogs, then enjoy a bye, before taking on the Raiders, Tigers, Eels and Dolphins.

It is not a stretch to suggest they could be inside the top four entering the last month of the season.

One worry for Webster is the hand injury suffered by Rocco Berry, with the centre leaving the contest before halftime.

Originally published as NRL 2024: Melbourne Storm win 38-24 over New Zealand Warriors, after Marcelo Montoya, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak sin-binned