Storm go top after 11th straight win

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Warriors v Melbourne Storm

Nicho Hynes and Brandon Smith have starred to deliver Melbourne an emphatic 42-16 which sees the Storm overtake Penrith at the top of the NRL table.

The Warriors put up a bit of resistance early and did go ahead early through a 10th minute penalty goal - which the Storm equalised five minutes later for a 2-all score. Melbourne would open the tryscoring after 23 minutes when Dean Ieremia finished off a brilliant bit of play down the right side, started by a Jahrome Hughes mid-field bust and finished with Reimis Smith turning it out for Ieremia who found plenty of space.

A few minutes later Melbourne added to their lead with Brandon Smith taking on the line and slamming it down among Warriors defenders. In the blink of an eye it went from 2-all to 14-2 - and the Storm weren't done yet in the first half.

Despite Ieremia being denied a double five minutes from the break, it was the visitors who scored last in the half with Josh Addo-Carr nailing the perfect put-down off a Hynes grubber into the corner. Melbourne took an 18-2 lead into the sheds.

Five minutes into the second half the Storm snuffed out any reasonable hope the Warriors might have held of making it a contest with a bizarre try - Harry Grant went within inches of scoring but Bayley Sironen stripped the ball from him... then it bounced up into Hughes' arms.

Addo-Carr turned provider for the Storm's fifth try when he gave an inside ball to Justin Olam at the 56th minute.

In the only bright spark for the Warriors today, departing winger Ken Maumalo scored a hat-trick before he packed his bag to head to Concord - he becomes a Tiger this week. His first try in the 61st minute was doubled two minutes before the siren before he completed the treble on fulltime.

Between his first and second tries, Grant and Tom Eisenhuth would add their names to the tryscorers sheet. The final scoreline read 42-16.

The win sets the Storm up well for a crack at the Wests Tigers next week where they'll aim for win #12 in a row. Originally at AAMI Park, the contest will take place at Sunshine Coast Stadium as Melbourne comes to the tail-end of its latest COVID-19 lockdown.

The Warriors meanwhile are away to Newcastle next Saturday in a game between two teams who are struggling badly.