Source: Radio New Zealand
Hookers Harry Grant and Wayde Egan will face off, when Melbourne Storm meet NZ Warriors. RNZ/Photosport
NRL: NZ Warriors v Melbourne Storm
Kickoff 9.30pm, Saturday, 11 April
AAMI Stadium, Melbourne
Live blog updates on RNZ website
Analysis: Can the NZ Warriors break the longest active head-to-head losing streak in the NRL, when they visit Melbourne Storm on Saturday?
Just three weeks ago, the Warriors were sitting atop the competition table, unbeaten over the opening three rounds of the 2026 season.
Back-to-back defeats have seen them slide from their lofty perch and that slump now faces a major challenge in a team that have dominated the Auckland side for more than a decade.
Here’s what you need to know about the Warriors v Storm showdown.
History
If you google ‘NRL dominance’, the answer will likely be Melbourne Storm v NZ Warriors.
No team has inflicted more pain on the Warriors over the years than Melbourne Storm, who have won 35 of their previous 53 meetings, a 66 percent winning record.
Plenty of other teams have struggled against Melbourne, who actually have better winning records against NRL powerhouses South Sydney (83.7 percent), Brisbane Broncos (70.5 percent) and Sydney Roosters (69.1 percent), among others.
Miraculously, up until 2015, the Warriors-Storm rivalry was relatively even – the Warriors had won 16 of 36, with two draws – but recent encounters have brought them nothing but heartache.
Melbourne have won the last 17 meetings between the two sides and the Warriors haven’t won in Melbourne since 2014.
In fact, 12 of those 17 wins came at AAMI Stadium, which is perhaps an indication of how NRL scheduling has favoured the Storm, especially when it came to Anzac fixtures. From 2009-23, Melbourne hosted the Warriors on 25 April every year, with just two exceptions – 2015, when Warriors hosted Gold Coast Titans, and 2020, when Covid intervened.
During that period, the Warriors were never allowed to host the Storm for an Anzac game.
Xavier Coates has been a constant thorn in the side of the Warriors. Photosport
Their last meeting was almost exactly 12 months ago, also in Melbourne, when the home side prevailed 42-14, after leading 36-0 at halftime. Wing Xavier Coates scored two tries against a Warriors line-up without both their wings, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Among those 17 straight defeats, the Warriors have come close to halting the streak, but none more gut-wrenching than the 2024 clash, when they led 26-24 into the final minute, then watched Coates score a miraculous try in the corner for victory.
Their worst loss was the club record 70-10 capitulation in 2022, when the Warriors were right in the contest at 16-10 through the first 40 minutes, but conceded 54 unanswered points in the second half. Coates had four tries that particular day.
During that horror run, the Storm have two other games where they ran up 50 points, which they also achieved in 2000.
By contrast, the Warriors’ biggest margin came in 2002, when they won 28-12 in Melbourne, scoring six tries, with fullback Ivan Cleary slotting 6/6 from the tee.
Undoubtedly, their most famous win was achieved in 2008, when the eighth-placed Warriors faced a sudden-death playoff game against the minor premiers in Melbourne. In the final minutes, five-eighth Michael Witt waved the ball at Storm defenders, as he touched down for a gamewinning try in the 18-15 upset.
Form
As troubling as the Warriors’ consecutive losses have been to Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks, the Storm actually enter this game with worse form, losing three straight and conceding 50 points to archrivals Penrith Panthers last week.
Melbourne and Penrith have probably been the competition’s most consistent performers over the past decade – and they met in the 2020 grand final, the last time the Storm won the championship.
Melbourne have lost the last two grand finals to Penrith and Brisbane Broncos, but have leaked players to other clubs, retirement and injury since that last crown six years ago. Only halves Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes remain from that triumph.
They currently sit 11th on the table, with two wins over Parramatta Eels and St George Illawarra Dragons in their opening games, before falling to the Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys and Panthers since.
Hughes is still one of the best halves going around, and leads the league in try assists (8) and linebreak assists (10). Hooker Harry Grant has the most dummy half runs (33).
Collectively, the Storm are still the best team at completing sets (86 percent) and linebreaks (35). They completed at 94 percent (34/36) against Penrith.
The Warriors are fifth on the ladder, but share six points with six other teams. Only the Panthers have scored more points than their 156 across five rounds and only the Panthers have a better points differential than their +52.
They have the most kick metres (3270) in the competition, with halfback Tanah Boyd leading the individual rankings (2804) in that regard.
Front-rower Jackson Ford has the most post-contact metres (376).
Jackson Ford leads the competition in post-contact metres. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
One area they need to improve is set completions, which have been a hallmark of their play under coach Andrew Webster. They are still among the best in the competition with 82 percent, but fell to 77 percent and 76 percent in their losses.
Only the Broncos and Eels have missed more tackles (180).
Teams
Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark
Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Marata Niukore, 16. Demitric Vimauga, 17. Tanner Stower-Smith, 18. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 20. Alofiana Khan-Pereira
Reserves: 21. Morgan Gannon, 22. Luke Hanson, 23. Ali Leiataua
Webster has had at least two changes forced on him, after last week’s loss to the Sharks.
Five-eighth Luke Metcalf limped off with a hamstring strain late in that contest and has been replaced by Chanel Harris-Tavita, who had a try double in the season-opener, but was concussed the following week, before losing his spot outright to Metcalf.
Webster named centre Adam Pompey on Tuesday, hoping to get a dangerous contact charge downgraded at judiciary, but that case was thrown out and now Pompey will miss the next two games.
Specialist midfielder Ali Leiataua may be promoted from the reserves or Webster could opt to shift Leka Halasima from the second row. He may yet need both options, because Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad also suffered a head/neck injury against Cronulla and must be in some doubt.
Storm: 1. Sua Faalogo, 2. Will Warbrick, 3. Jack Howarth, 4. Nick Meaney, 5. Moses Leo, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. Stefano Utoikamanu, 9. Harry Grant, 10. Josh King, 11. Joe Chan, 12. Cooper Clarke, 13. Trent Loiero
Interchange: 14. Tyran Wishart, 15. Alec MacDonald, 16. Jack Hetherington, 17. Davvy Moale, 18. Lazarus Vaalepu, 19. Manaia Waitere
Reserves: 20. Preston Conn, 21. Hugo Peel, 22. Trent Toelau
The biggest defections from coach Craig Bellamy’s roster this season have been fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen (retired?) and Nelson Asofa-Solomona (boxing), while Coates – who has scored eight tries in five previous appearances against the Warriors – is rehabbing an Achilles tendon injury suffered in pre-season.
Craig Bellamy has seen his player stocks dwindle since his last championship. Photosport
They lost Elie Katoa to long-term head injury during the international window, while Fijian prop Tui Kamikamica suffered a stroke this month, leaving the Storm pack particularly vulnerable.
His backline will be bolstered by return of former All Blacks Sevens star Moses Leo from concussion and centre Jack Howarth (hip).
Player to watch
Despite losing Papenhuyzen from the No.1 jersey, the Storm have been well served by electric Sua Faalogo at the back.
He has eight tries from five games, while also ranking among the competition leaders in linebreaks (7), tacklebreaks (33), linebreak assists (8) and runs (98).
Kiwi to watch
All eyes will be on former All Blacks Sevens star Will Warbrick, who has become one of the NRL’s top wings, since switching codes in 2023.
He scored four tries against the Cowboys two weeks ago and then confirmed he would head back across the Tasman to join the Warriors next season, replacing Tuivasa-Sheck.
They said it
“They’ve just got to go harder and, if they don’t want to go harder, they can go play reserve grade – that’s how we normally handle these situations.”
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy reflects on the loss to Penrith
“Feeling pretty good about it, eh? I think over the last 10 years or something, it’s some kind of record that we haven’t won, so it’s not about them losing three in a row, it’s about us.”
Warriors captain James Fisher-Harris looks forward to the Storm challenge
Will Warbrick has already confirmed his move from the Storm to the Warriors next year. AAP/Photosport
What will happen
Worrying signs for the Warriors and three defeats will just make the Storm more ruthless than usual.
This is an early chance for the Warriors to turn their season around – or extend their historic slump to 18.
Storm by 12.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
