Another injured as Storm’s finals hopes hang by thread

Jasper Bruce | July 17, 2026

Melbourne have been dealt yet another cruel injury blow in a 14-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters that leaves the Storm’s NRL finals hopes hanging by a thread.

Warriors recruit Will Warbrick looks to have played his last game for the 10th-placed Storm after suffering a suspected Achilles tendon injury in the first half at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

Storm teammates consoled a tearful Warbrick as he left the field on a medi-cab, having fallen awkwardly in the lead-up to Billy Smith’s try.

He joins Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Eli Katoa, Tui Kamikamica, Xavier Coates and Ativalu Lisati in one of the NRL’s most high-profile casualty wards.

The depleted Storm looked in for a tough task facing top-four side the Roosters in their first game without either of Hughes or 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 earn a red-zone tackle.

The Storm threatened to pull off an almighty upset after being gifted rare field position from a questionable high-tackle penalty blown against Nat Butcher.

Down 8-0, the Storm were back within two points when 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.

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