Melbourne Storm

A potential season-ending injury to Ryan Papenhuyzen compounded the Storm's loss on a day they were poised to threaten with their spine back together for the first time since Round 9.

A frantic finish, which saw the Raiders cross through a superb solo effort from James Schiller, set up a four-point lead with 14 minutes remaining before a try-saving effort from Xavier Savage denied Jahrome Hughes late. 

It was a see-sawing match that the Raiders took advantage of once the Storm lost Papenhuyzen to a serious knee issue. 

The Storm have been in out of sorts in attack with Cameron Munster missing and their defence will be causing headaches for coach Craig Bellamy with 64 points conceded in the past two weeks.

Canberra had a chance to recharge the batteries with a bye and they remain very much in the finals hunt with games against the Warriors, Titans, Knights and Tigers still to come.

The Raiders' star five-eighth Jack Wighton may have been unlucky to miss out on Origin selection but the flip side is he'll be fresh and ready to fire against the Storm.

Melbourne sit second but have slipped six points tearaway leaders Penrith while the Sharks are nestled in fourth as they head into a gruelling month of footy with matches against the Storm, Cowboys, Panthers and Rabbitohs.

The first task at hand for Craig Fitzgibbon's men is to take care of business against a Storm outfit desperate to hit back after an uncharacteristically sloppy loss to Manly but needing to do it without Origin stars Cameron Munster and Harry Grant, as well as Felise Kaufusi who is on family leave in the USA.

Brisbane led 16-6 just before halftime but Kiwis halfback Jahrome Hughes laid on a try for Melbourne halves partner Cameron Munster and then crossed himself to level the scores before the home side took control after the interval.

Hughes scored a second try in a five-star performance ahead of next Saturday's homecoming Test in Auckland against Tonga as the Storm dominated the second term. 

After winning just seven games last season and three the year before, Brisbane have already chalked up nine wins this year on the back of Adam Reynolds' poise and the power of Pat Carrigan and Payne Haas, but they'll have to make do without their skipper at AAMI Park after he injured his ribs against Canberra.

The Storm were pushed all the way by the Roosters on Saturday but found a way to win even with three players backing up from Origin and Xavier Coates sidelined by an ankle injury.

The Papua New Guinea Kumuls star, who has locked down Storm’s left centre position in the past three seasons, joins captain Christian Welch, Jahrome Hughes, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Harry Grant, Xavier Coates, Reimis Smith and Jack Howarth in committing to Storm long-term in recent months.

One of the most damaging ball runners and hardest hitters in the NRL, Olam’s renewed contract runs until the end of the 2026 season, bringing his time with Storm to 10 seasons.

Munster will be a key man for Queensland on June 8 and his form in the opening game of Indigenous Round will have had Maroons coach and Storm legend Billy Slater licking his lips.

The Storm entered round 12 under pressure after two straight losses but they found their groove to run in five tries after an early one went begging when Felise Kaufusi's foot went into touch as he attempted to ground the ball.

Coach Craig Bellamy's biggest concern after the loss in Townsville was that the Cowboys had out-competed his men - something that rarely happens to the Storm and certainly won't happen again on Thursday.

Manly have also suffered consecutive losses and face the daunting prospect of being without superstar Tom Trbojevic for the remainder of the season after he dislocated his shoulder against the Eels.

Four tries in 12 minutes just after half-time ensured the Cowboys would make it six victories on the trot - their best sequence since their premiership year in 2015 when they won a club record 11 straight.

The Cowboys made the perfect start when Tom Gilbert produced a superb solo try from 30 metres out in the 11th minute after the Storm had opted for a short dropout.

Gilbert took the ball on the full before beating Marion Seve and Harry Grant and taking Nick Meaney over the line with him for just the second try of his career.

With Chad Townsend and Tom Dearden clicking in the halves, Murray Taulagi and Val Holmes on fire out wide, and Reuben Cotter playing out of his skin up front, North Queensland look every bit a premiership contender - a remarkable turnaround for a side that finished 15th in 2021.

The Storm did it tough without Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes against the Panthers but Craig Bellamy's men rarely put two below-par performances back-to-back so Todd Payten's men need to be on high alert.