Storm clouds gather as fresh injury hurts finals hopes

Jasper Bruce | July 17, 2026

Will Warbrick has played his last game for Melbourne, whose NRL finals hopes are hanging by a thread following a 14-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters.

Warriors recruit Warbrick suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the first half at Allianz Stadium on Friday night, falling awkwardly in the lead-up to the Roosters’ second try.

Teammates consoled a tearful Warbrick as he left the field on a medi-cab and became the latest star sidelined from the 10th-placed Storm’s audacious finals push.

“It’s just a shame for Will to end his career with us on that note. He’s been tremendous for us,” said Storm coach Craig Bellamy.

The depleted Storm looked in for a tough task facing top-four side the Roosters in their first game without either of halves Jahrome Hughes or Cameron Munster this year.

But Melbourne’s defensive grit kept them in the game, even if they were out-muscled through the middle and needed 54 minutes to breach the red zone.

Down 8-0, the Storm struck back after being gifted rare field position from a questionable high-tackle penalty blown against Nat Butcher.

Queensland hooker Harry Grant caught the Roosters napping and popped a ball up to Stefano Utoikamanu on the fifth tackle.

Melbourne could have taken an unlikely lead in the final 15 minutes as Trent Toelau put Tyran Wishart into space, but the five-eighth’s pass to Sua Fa’alogo was wayward.

The clunky Roosters only breathed easily when towering winger Daniel Tupou crossed on the left edge as the final five minutes approached.

“We didn’t execute well. It wasn’t pretty,” said coach Trent Robinson.

“But I felt like the energy we did have, we put into defence.”

Earlier, Daly Cherry-Evans was the Roosters’ key man, kicking to the right to help Siua Wong score, then putting in a 40/20 kick ahead of Billy Smith’s try.

Friday night’s defeat means perennial heavyweights Melbourne will finish the weekend four competition points out of the top eight.

They must claim victory in five of their final six games to finish the regular season with a winning record, usually the benchmark for a finals berth.

Since Bellamy took charge in 2003, the Storm have only missed finals once, when they were stripped of premiership points in 2010 for breaching the salary cap. 

“We’re just going to take it week by week,” Bellamy said.

“Whatever will be, will be. As long as we’re out there competing like we did today, we’re a chance of doing something.”