The Melbourne Storm are at risk of missing the NRL finals for the first time in 16 years, and just the fourth time in club history, following a 36-22 loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday night.

REPORT: Dolphins 28-22 St George Illawarra Dragons

The Storm entered the round 22 clash needing to win all five of their remaining games to finish the season on 32 points, which has been needed to make two of the past three finals series.

Missing captain Harry Grant, five-eighth Cameron Munster, and halfback Jahrome Hughes ruled out 90 minutes before kick-off, the Storm threatened a famous upset win when they led 22-16 early in the second half.

But the Bulldogs rallied with the final four tries of the match to record a sixth win in their last seven matches, and leapfrog North Queensland into the NRL top-eight.

The Storm have only missed finals three times since their inaugural season in 1998. The Victorian club missed finals in 2001 and 2002, the two season prior to Craig Bellamy becoming head coach.

The only time the Storm have not made finals under Bellamy was in 2010, when the club was not allowed to earn premiership points as punishment for salary cap breaches which led to the stripping of the 2007 and 2009 premierships.

Earlier, the Dolphins consolidated fifth place on the NRL ladder with a nervous 28-22 win over the last-placed St George Illawarra Dragons. 

Follow the live blog below, keep up to date with all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:10pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:10pm

Live: Storm vs BulldogsFri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:59pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:59pm

FULL-TIME: Bulldogs 36 def. Storm 22

The Melbourne Storm are at risk of missing the NRL finals for the first time in 16 years, and just the fourth time in club history, following a 36-22 loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday night.

The Storm entered the round 22 clash needing to win all five of their remaining games to finish the season on 32 points, which has been needed to make two of the past three finals series.

Missing captain Harry Grant, five-eighth Cameron Munster, and halfback Jahrome Hughes ruled out 90 minutes before kick-off, the Storm threatened a famous upset win when they led 22-16 early in the second half.

But the Bulldogs rallied with the final four tries of the match to record a sixth win in their last seven matches, and leapfrog North Queensland into the NRL top-eight.

The Storm have only missed finals three times since their inaugural season in 1998. The Victorian club missed finals in 2001 and 2002, the two season prior to Craig Bellamy becoming head coach.

The only time the Storm have not made finals under Bellamy was in 2010, when the club was not allowed to earn premiership points as punishment for salary cap breaches which led to the stripping of the 2007 and 2009 premierships.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:55pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:55pm

78′ TRY: Stephen Crichton has a double for the Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have another try, a second for captain Stephen Crichton, and they are going to win.

Attacking the goal-line, Crichton was able to slice through the defensive line with a nice dummy, and scored.

Crichton converts his own try.

Storm 22

Bulldogs 36

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:51pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:51pm

74′ Viliame Kikau saves the Bulldogs

Melbourne prop Stefano Utoikamanu looked certain to score when he charged onto a short pass close to the goal-line.

Utoikamanu got over the goal-line, but we held up by several Bulldog defenders, but mainly by Viliame Kikau.

Kikau made the biggest contact, wrapped up the ball, and made sure Utoikamanu never got his body or the footy to the ground.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:45pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:45pm

70′ TRY: Stephen Crichton scores for the Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are in again.

Second-rower Viliame Kikau was wrapped up by three Storm defenders, but somehow he got an offload away to Stephen Crichton.

That is a tremendous offload. He might be the only player in the NRL who could do that.

Crichton throws a dummy and is able to cross for the try.

Storm 22

Bulldogs 30

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:43pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:43pm

68′ Storm under pressure after crucial error

Poor Moses Leo. His intention was good, but the result could be disastrous.

Leo was tackled in the in-goal, but he reached out with the ball to try and get it back into the field of play.

But in doing so, Leo drops the ball and the Bulldogs have a scrum 10 metres out.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:31pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:31pm

62′ Josh Curran scores for the Bulldogs, after two brilliant Matt Burton plays

Matt Burton has come up with two big plays, and the Bulldogs have the lead.

The Storm were on the attack, and Nick Meaney went for the line. Meaney then gave an offload, but it went straight to Burton, who then ran the other way.

At the end of the set, left winger Jethro Rinakama taps a high kick back to Burton.

The Bulldogs centre then gave a delightful pass around the back of a Storm defender to Josh Curran, who scored in the corner.

The Bunker took a long, long, long look at the replay to see if there was a knock-on from Rinakama, but the try is confirmed.

Stephen Crichton converts from the left touchline.

Storm 22

Bulldogs 26

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:22pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:22pm

51′ TRY: Matt Burton scores for the Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have punished the Storm for an error inside its own half.

Oryn Keeley dropped the ball for the Storm, just two plays after scoring.

A few plays later, a poor pass from dummy half from Bailey Hayward bounced along the ground.

Bulldogs centre Matt Burton kicked the ball off the ground into the in-goal, and Burton collected the ball and scored.

Crichton could not convert the try.

Storm 22

Bulldogs 20

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:19pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:19pm

49′ Bailey Hayward returns from the sin bin for the Bulldogs

The Melbourne Storm scored 10 unanswered points while the Bulldogs were down to 12 players.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:18pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:18pm

48′ TRY: Angus Hinchey scores for the Storm

With less than 60 seconds until the Bulldogs are back to 13 men, the Melbourne Storm have scored.

Tyran Wishart made the line break from dummy half, then gave an offload to Angus Hinchey, who scored his first NRL try.

There is a massive celebration in the in-goal.

Nick Meaney converts from in front of the posts.

Storm 22

Bulldogs 16

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:08pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 9:08pm

Second half Storm vs Bulldogs begins

The Bulldogs will be down to 12 men for the opening eight minutes of this half.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:54pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:54pm

HT: Storm 16 Bulldogs 16

This has been an excellent first half.

The understrength Melbourne Storm are challenging the Canterbury Bulldogs.

It is 16-all at the break, and the Bulldogs will be down to 12 men for the opening eight minutes of the second half.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:51pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:51pm

40′ TRY: Moses Leo scores a double for the Storm

Terrific from the Melbourne Storm.

With an attacking set at the goal-line, against a 12-man Bulldogs, they have scored.

Left winger Moses Leo got the ball down in the corner after an excellent piece of footwork, then pass, from fullback Sualauvi Faalogo.

Nick Meaney’s conversion attempt just falls short from the left touchline.

We are level at halftime.

Storm 16

Bulldogs 16

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:50pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:50pm

39′ SIN BIN: Bailey Hayward (Bulldogs) off for a professional foul

Bulldogs hooker Bailey Hayward has been sent to the sin bin for a professional foul.

Melbourne’s Trent Toelau put in a grubber kick for the in-goal, and was held back by Hayward.

The Bulldogs might feel aggrieved, because the offload to Toelau looked to have gone forward.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:45pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:45pm

35′ NO TRY: Bulldogs denied by a desperate tackle

Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz looked certain to score.

He grounded the footy in the right corner, but the flag of the touch judge was up.

Kiraz was hit by Melbourne fullback Sualauvi Faalogo, and JUST put his foot into touch before grounding the ball.

Storm 12

Bulldogs 16

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:45pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:45pm

33′ Sualauvi Faalogo makes a big line breakFri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:37pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:37pm

31′ TRY: Jaeman Salmon has a double for the Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have taken the lead, punishing the Storm for a poor error.

Storm forward Alec MacDonald dropped the ball deep in Melbourne territory, putting the Bulldogs on the attack.

The Dogs attacked the line well, were helped with a six-again restart.

Then Jaeman Salmon took the ball, threw a big dummy, then ran over Melbourne prop Josh King to score under the posts.

Storm 12

Bulldogs 16

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:30pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:30pm

25′ TRY: Jethro Rinakama scores for the Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have scored a second try.

Attacking the goal-line, Stephen Crichton threw a flat pass to left winger Jethro Rinakama.

Melbourne winger Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown almost intercepted the pass, but the ball flicked off the Melbourne flyer’s hand and into the grasp of Rinakama, who scored in the corner.

Crichton was unsuccessful with the sideline conversion.

Storm 12

Bulldogs 10

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:30pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:30pm

24′ Stephen Crichton down after a late hit

Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton is feeling a bit unwell after being hit late by Oryn Keeley.

Keeley is on report, and the Bulldogs get the penalty near the Storm goal-line.

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:25pm

Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 8:25pm

21′ TRY: Sualauvi Faalogo scores for the Storm

Excellent response from the Storm.

Boosted by a penalty on the fifth tackle, giving them a full attacking set, the Melbourne Storm have a second try.

Trent Toelau produced a lovely grubber kick to the in-goal, and fullback Sualauvi Faalogo flies through and grounds the footy.

Storm 12

Bulldogs 6

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