Canberra’s Corey Harawira-Naera has been sent off as the Raiders missed their chance to topple Melbourne and enhance their top-eight NRL chances.
The prop hit Jahrome Hughes high with his shoulder with four minutes to play, sending the playmaker to the sheds and gifting the Storm two points to ice a 26-16 win on the Sunshine Coast on Thursday.
Harawira-Naera apologised to a groggy Hughes as they left the ground, early reports indicated the Storm No.7 had suffered a concussion but no broken bones.
“That’s one of the worst we’ve seen,” Fox League commentator Cooper Cronk said.
“I know he’s trying to change momentum for his team but he’s clearly got that wrong.
“He’s going to spend a long, long time on the sidelines, I believe.”
The win was the Storm’s 18th consecutive NRL victory and 29th in games played in Queensland and can equal the 1975 Roosters all-time record of 19 wins with victory over Gold Coast next week.
They looked to be tracking for another lopsided triumph, three tries in 17 minutes exposing a brittle Raiders defence in the first half.
Brandon Smith fooled Jordan Rapana close to the line before winger Dean Ieremia sidestepped the Raiders fullback to complete a neat long-range try.
Chris Lewis’s try was the most damning though, the backrower strolling over when both Josh Hodgson and Joseph Tapine stopped and stared as Cameron Munster found an offload.
But winger Bailey Simonsson, back after five weeks with a toe injury, scored three tries all off Jack Wighton assists – the first after just three minutes and the latter pair after halftime to bring Canberra within four points.
Unforced errors hurt Ricky Stuart’s side though, Hodgson penalised for two high tackles and Tom Starling another while they also failed to find touch when awarded a penalty of their own.
“Canberra always come and play well against us,” Munster told Channel Nine.
“It’s been a big rivalry obviously since Ricky Stuart’s been at the club, he and Bellyache (Craig Bellamy) go head to head all the time and they know each other’s game really well.
“They played well tonight and we needed to play a little bit gritty just to get the win.”
The loss leaves Canberra teetering on the edge of the top eight, while the Storm’s win all but locks up the minor premiership.
Dale Finucane and Jarrod Croker were also unable to finish the game because of head knocks.
It was Finucane’s second incident inside a month, the prop passing his HIA on Thursday but still pulled from the game after displaying clear symptoms.
AAP
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