Bulldogs burst into eight despite Storm valour

Dave Lyall | July 31, 2026

Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton has scored two late tries to seal a 36-22 win over a brave and seriously undermanned Melbourne in an entertaining clash at AAMI Park. 

The Storm threatened a famous victory for almost an hour before the surging Bulldogs stamped their authority on Friday night’s game, moving into the top eight for the first time since round six with a sixth win in their last seven games.

While the Bulldogs scored seven tries to four, the Storm were valiant in defeat.

Already without Harry Grant, Cameron Munster and Jack Howarth, they suffered another crushing blow pre-game with Jahrome Hughes a late withdrawal due to hamstring soreness.

That pushed 19-year-old star-in-waiting Hayden Watson into his NRL debut after just seven NSW Cup appearances. .

Watson showed flashes of his undoubted potential in attack, kicked well and was solid in defence, despite the constant threat of Viliame Kikau, Crichton and Matt Burton on his edge.

Storm fullback Sua Fa’alogo was at his dangerous best too, scoring a try, setting up another and lighting up the game with his kick return threat. He also saved what looked like a certain Jacob Kiraz try in the first half with a last-ditch tackle.

For the Dogs, big names Kikau, Crichton, Burton and Jacob Preston all stood up at various stages, while Jaeman Salmon nabbed a double and Enari Tuala threatened constantly.

Moses Leo opened the scoring on five minutes, leaping high over Jacob Kiraz to pull in a Trent Toelau bomb. 

Ten minutes later Kikau split the defence on halfway with Salmon the beneficiary, touching down under the posts to square things up.

Another deft kick from Toelau, this time a grubber for Fa’alogo, put the Storm back in the lead at the game’s quarter way mark.

The scoreboard was ticking again four minutes later when Crichton was rocked in a late tackle that landed Oryn Keeley on report, and from the resulting set of six Jethro Rinakama crossed for the Dogs.

Salmon had the Bulldogs’ third on the half hour mark, but Melbourne kept fighting, Leo crossing out wide on the stroke of halftime for a 16-all scoreline at the break. 

Just a minute earlier Dogs’ hooker Bailey Hayward was sin-binned for a professional foul on Toelau. 

The Storm struck seven minutes into in the second period, Angus Hinchey scoring off a Tyran Wishart break, only for Burton to toe a loose pass ahead and touchdown for the Dogs three minutes later.

When Josh Curran scored just past the hour mark the Bulldogs were back in front and after a pair of tries followed for Crichton the win was sealed.

Despite the loss, the Storm will finish the weekend still in 12th, but they are now in genuine danger of posting their worst ladder finish since their inception in 1998 – 10th, excluding the 2010 season when they were stripped of their competition points.