The Storm, meanwhile, have one more pre-season hit-out against the North Queensland Cowboys in Melbourne next Sunday, giving them a final chance to fine-tune their squad before their Round 1 clash against the Parramatta Eels. There is plenty of work to do for Bellamy’s men, particularly in defence, but their second-half fightback showed they won’t go down without a fight. For now, that rounds things out in this one. Thanks for tuning into Tribe.

For the Warriors, this result caps off a solid pre-season campaign, finishing with a draw against the Sharks and a confidence-boosting win over the Storm. Andrew Webster’s side now shifts its focus to a blockbuster Round 1 clash against the Canberra Raiders in Las Vegas, where they will be looking to carry this momentum into the NRL season. With their attack firing and key combinations gelling nicely, they will be full of confidence heading into the new campaign.

Melbourne’s persistence paid off again in the dying minutes, as Ben Talty raced onto a well-weighted grubber from Eli Morris to score next to the posts in the 78th minute. While it was far too late to influence the result, the second-half effort provided Craig Bellamy’s side with something to take away from an otherwise forgettable performance. Sua Fa’alogo had a quiet night at fullback but showed glimpses of his potential, while Lazarus Vaalepu and Kane Bradley were among the Storm’s best.

The Storm, however, responded with much-needed resilience in the second half, managing to stem the flow of points and finally get themselves on the scoreboard. Their first try came in the 53rd minute when Keagan Russell-Smith delivered a pinpoint cross-field kick for Kane Bradley, who soared high to take the catch and touch down in the corner. The Storm continued to work hard in defence, tightening up their middle, while Stefano Utoikamanu stepped up with a stronger second-half showing to lay the platform for their attack.

Ali Leiataua then tore through the Storm’s defensive line twice in quick succession, bagging a double of his own with some powerful finishing down the right edge. The first-half rout was capped off by Chanel Harris-Tavita, who showed great strength to beat multiple defenders and dive over just before half-time. With Luke Metcalf and Harris-Tavita pulling the strings in the halves and Erin Clark leading the charge up front, it was all one-way traffic as the Warriors went into the break with an unassailable 36-point lead.

The Warriors have wrapped up their pre-season in emphatic fashion, cruising to a dominant 26-point victory over the Melbourne Storm at FMG Stadium Waikato. A stunning first-half performance saw the home side pile on seven unanswered tries, leaving the Storm shell-shocked at the break. Taine Tuaupiki got the scoring underway in the third minute, before Roger Tuivasa-Sheck dazzled with his footwork to add another in the 11th. Tuaupiki crossed for his second soon after, and when Kurt Capewell pounced on a dropped bomb to set up Tuivasa-Sheck’s second, the floodgates had well and truly opened.

Last play and the Storm kick low and long, finding Doyle at the back and he is taken on his 10. Kosi has a run, followed by Pasikala to the 20. Ale then works it towards the 30, before Lussick is met by some strong defence. Right it goes through the hands, sending Kosi into space, but the ball spills free as the hooter sounds, and that is full-time.

The Warriors go long with the restart and it's brought back by Huen to the 20. Williams has a run, followed by Williamson to the 30. Roache then goes from dummy half towards halfway.

Morris converts from just to the right of the posts.