Game gets a good

Perhaps it was the cold, wet weather that got to referee Gavin Badger tonight, or perhaps it was the presence of his video aid Bill Harrigan.

Harrigan, famous for sending four players to the sin bin in the Round three clash between Parramatta and Newcastle in 2003, must have looked on with a tear in the eye as Badger went one better tonight.

With Melbourne holding a tenuous 4-0 lead, a mistake from Matt Cooper led to a push and shove between Jamie Soward and Billy Slater that sparked a wild all-in brawl, spilling over the sideline and continuing for several minutes before calm was finally restored.

Badger, looking to restore some control to proceedings, binned Soward, Slater and Storm forward Adam Blair before blowing a penalty to the Dragons.

Following a Dragons mistake two minutes later, a scrum was packed close to where the original brawl broke out.

Now Jason Ryles is a no angel, and he