Canberra’s poor form at home has continued, going down 14-10 to Melbourne at a wet GIO Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Raiders were up 10-2 at halftime, but let Melbourne score two quick tries after the break to extend their record in the nation’s capital to just four wins from 19 matches.
It’s the first time the club has lost their opening three matches of a season at the venue.
Ricky Stuart’s men had been hoping to take advantage of a Storm outfit without their No.1 Billy Slater, but his replacement Cameron Munster proved a handful at fullback.
In only his second NRL match, Munster handled the pressure well and scored one try, while he had another disallowed.
It was an evenly-contested start to the match, with both sides converting penalties for an easy two points in the opening 20 minutes.
The Storm were first to get on the board after Cooper Cronk was ruled to have been tackled without the ball just metres out from the Raiders try-line.
Minutes later, a spectacular 40-20 helped send Munster over the line in just his second NRL appearance – only for it to be ruled a no-try by the video referee for obstruction.
A similar decision went the way of the Raiders in the 25th minute, with winger Jeremy Hawkins awarded a try for his magical put-down just millimetres inside the line on the Storm’s right edge.
The converted try gave the Raiders a 10-2 lead, which they held into halftime.
But the pendulum swung entirely the Storm’s way after the break.
Despite the pouring rain, the visitors scored twice in four minutes – first through Mahe Fonua on the back of some clever passing; then through Munster after a lengthy play and rushed cross-field kick.
Things only got worse from there for the Raiders, with hooker Josh Hodgson and lock Shaun Fensom both taken off injured.
It was Dae Tilse’s 200th NRL match and final appearance at home before he heads to play in the English Super League.
Both sides wore yellow armbands in memory of Stephanie Scott, the school teacher found dead on Friday in Cocoparra National Park, in NSW’s Riverina region.
