Warriors End Record Drought With Historic Win Over Melbourne Storm

The New Zealand Warriors achieved a historic milestone on April 11, 2026, defeating the Melbourne Storm 38-14 at AAMI Park. The victory marks the first time in 12 years that the Warriors have won a match in Melbourne and ends a 17-game losing streak against their Victorian rivals.

The result leaves the Storm in a precarious position, as the loss represents their fourth consecutive defeat. This is the first time since 2022 that the traditional powerhouse has suffered four straight losses.

Warriors Overcome Early Deficit

Despite the final score, the Storm held an 18-14 lead at halftime. However, the home side struggled to maintain momentum, failing to score any points after the 25th minute of the match.

Melbourne’s only try came in the 23rd minute from Jack Howarth, which was converted by Nick Meaney.

The Warriors shifted the momentum shortly after the Storm’s try through a fortunate play. Hooker Tanah Boyd delivered a pass that eluded six players from both teams and bounced, allowing Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to recover the ball and score the first of his two tries on the evening.

Discipline and Defensive Failures

The second half was dominated by the Warriors, who capitalized on Melbourne’s lack of discipline. The Storm conceded seven penalties, primarily for ruck infringements, compared to three for the Warriors.

Lock Trent Loiero, who was placed on report, and second-rower Joe Chan were identified as the primary offenders regarding the Storm’s disciplinary issues.

In addition to the penalties, Melbourne’s defensive efforts were poor, recording 32 missed tackles. This follows a previous round in which the Storm suffered a 40-point loss to Penrith.

Coach Craig Bellamy expressed significant frustration with his team’s performance and defensive execution.

We have to take responsibility. If there’s people not doing their jobs properly, we’ll need to make changes. It doesn’t matter how old they are or young they or whatever, we just need to get it right, Bellamy said. But we need to make changes, without a doubt.

Bellamy specifically criticized the defensive work put in during the week leading up to the game.

We did a lot of work on our defence this week. May as well have gone to the pub and had a couple of beers.

Craig Bellamy

Tactical Dominance

The Warriors’ tactical approach effectively neutralized the Storm’s playmaker. Skipper Harry Grant was limited to just 16 run metres for the entire match.

The New Zealand club, based in Auckland and coached by Andrew Webster, is currently co-captained by Mitchell Barnett and James Fisher-Harris.

The dominant performance at AAMI Park signals a significant shift in the rivalry, as the Warriors outmuscled the Storm to secure a result that had eluded them for over a decade.