The Canberra Raiders secured a massive 26-22 home victory over the Melbourne Storm at GIO Stadium on Friday, surviving a chaotic second half to hand Craig Bellamy’s squad a fifth consecutive defeat. The historically disciplined Storm are currently collapsing under the weight of a severe injury toll and the delayed impact of key roster departures, sliding completely out of top-eight contention to sit at 13th on the ladder after a strong two-win start to the 2026 season.
But the Raiders nearly derailed their own resurgence. Forward Corey Horsburgh suffered a mental lapse late in the first half, getting penalized in possession for dissent after aggressively spraying the referee over a slow ruck. That specific penalty gifted Melbourne the field position to rally and steal a 16-12 halftime lead.
Canberra’s salvation came through right centre Simi Sasagi, who delivered a career-best performance when the sports franchise desperately needed it. Sasagi crossed for the opening try, executed a crucial try-saving intercept on the defensive end, and delivered a flick offload to set up Ethan Strange, amassing a massive team-high 182 running metres, according to a detailed statistical breakdown published by AAP News.
The physical toll of the match was heavy. Veteran Canberra prop Josh Papalii was forced off the field early in the second half with a left calf injury. Teammate Matt Timoko battled severe late-game cramping, and forward Hudson Young was placed on report late in the contest for a high tackle on Storm fullback Sua Fa’alogo. Despite the mounting defensive vulnerabilities and a chaotic final ten minutes, the Raiders held the line to snap their recent string of home struggles.
The Melbourne Storm are now navigating a rare statistical collapse. This is the first time the club has suffered a five-game losing streak since 2012, which is Bellamy’s worst start to a campaign since 2001. The underlying metrics highlight the structural breakdown at GIO Stadium, as Melbourne completed just 68 percent of their sets. That is only their second time dropping under 70 percent since the start of last season, while they continue to concede 25 or more points for four consecutive weeks.