storms

Storm winger Xavier Coates crossed for four tries in the 60-point romp while fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen was enormous for the side after missing most of the training week with an ankle injury.

Papenhuyzen notched up his 10th try of the season with another career double to secure the ANZAC medal as the Storm piled on 13 in total to secure their biggest ever win over the Warriors and most points scored at AAMI Park.

Smith reeled out a tackle on Joe Ofahengaue in the first set of the match on Saturday night, his left arm hanging limply by his side.

He disappeared up the tunnel after just three minutes while Welch went the same route just before full-time, escorted off by two trainers amid fears he has done his Achilles.

If so, that could be season over.

Papenhuyzen must get through Thursday and Friday training sessions to face the Wests Tigers on Saturday night as he completes his recovery from an ankle injury – but either way he is likely to hand the goal-kicking over to former Bulldogs Meaney at least in the short term.

"I think I might be, depending on how his foot is," Meaney told melbournestorm.com.au.

The dangerous weather left tourists stranded, including several who canceled wedding plans, and some of the islands' most iconic beaches barren as the threat of dangerous flash floods, landslides and crashing tree limbs persisted. It also brought as much as 8 inches of snow atop some of the state's highest summits. The conditions forced Gov. David Ige to issue a state of emergency for all of the state’s islands Monday night.

The 25-year-old took to Instagram to “apologise for how some of the comments have been received” not long after the podcast interview blew up.

And on Tuesday, he told 9 News that he does “regret how it happened.”

After the Storm bowed out of the finals, Smith, along with two of his Storm teammates, Cameron Munster and Chris Lewis were caught on video in a room where there was a white substance on the table.

The trio were fined and will miss the opening round of next season.

Storm chairman Matt Tripp told The Sydney Morning Herald that Munster has a “new lease of life” and there are “fantastic” signs with 27-year-old just days away from wrapping up his four weeks in a Queensland treatment facility.

Munster admitted himself to the facility after he was videoed with a white substance in his hand following the Storm’s exit from the finals.

Munster is beginning a four-week program at a rehabilitation facility for alcohol abuse and received a one-match ban and a $30,000 from the NRL and a suspended $100,000 fine from the Storm, as well as being ordered to stop drinking for a year.

However, he very nearly had his contract torn up completely until the club’s board decided to support him with his issues after a second straight season playing in Queensland put the pressure on him to play up to his larrikin character.

MetService says former Cyclone Gita is expected to have a significant impact on much of central New Zealand over the next 24 hours.

The official forecaster said heavy rain was already falling from Taranaki southwards to the Marlborough Sounds, and was expected to spread over Buller, Nelson and the rest of Marlborough over the next few hours.

Strong winds were expected for the entire country from early this afternoon into this evening, with the potential for damaging wind gusts from Taranaki and Taihape south to Westland and Banks Peninsula, including Wellington.

The Storm are going to finish first on the NRL ladder regardless of the result on Saturday night, but with some player milestones, a departing legend and finals around the corner, the Melbourne centre says there's plenty to play for.

"We've still got a lot on the line," Chambers said. 

"You need to be playing good footy leading into the back end of the year, it’s crazy to think you've got nothing on the line.

In fact, the veteran hooker is even a small chance of playing in the Storm's next NRL match against Manly on Sunday.

There were fears Smith's season was over after the he was reduced to just 44 minutes - his lowest in eight years - in their win over the Raiders.

However, scans on Sunday confirmed the Australian captain could be back by the Storm's Round 23 clash against the Sydney Roosters at the latest.

"We were pleased to find out this afternoon Cameron has only suffered a minor tear to his pec," Storm football director Frank Ponissi said on Sunday.