36m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:20amNRL live: Storm vs Eels4m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:52amHT: Melbourne Storm 18 lead Parramatta Eels 4

The first half comes to a close.

The Melbourne Storm are in control, with three first-half tries to take an 18-4 lead at the break.

There was a fair bit of feeling between the teams to end the half, as a pair of skirmishes broke out in the final five minutes.

It sets up a terrific second half at AAMI Park.

12m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:44am

32′ Eels fullback off for a HIA

Parra fullback Isaiah Iongi is off for a Head Injury Assessment, called for by the independent doctor.

Iongi had stayed down, with what looked like a potential crusher tackle.

It was cleared by the ref unit, despite it appearing that Iongi was hit high.

The doctor saw the hit to the head, and he is off for a HIA.

Begs the question: if the doctor thinks he was hit in the head and needs to be checked, why isn’t a high tackle a penalty?

Storm 18

Eels 4

15m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:41am

30′ Eels come up short by a centimetre

There has been some great footy so far tonight, but this passage was the best of the lot.

Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes runs the ball on the last tackle, then goes for the chip-and-chase.

Parramatta fullback Isaiah Iongi scoops up the ball and runs into Melbourne’s half.

Parra shifts the ball from the left of the field to the right, and centre Will Penisini is sprinting down the wing.

Penisini steps inside Melbourne fullback Sua’lauvi Fa’alogo, and goes for the line.

Two Storm defenders, one of whom was Cam Munster, desperately hold Penisini.

The Eels centre reaches out and grounds the ball just one centimetre before the line.

Storm 18

Eels 4

21m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:35am

26′ TRY: Jack Howarth scores for Melbourne

Melbourne has been rewarded for its dominance with a third try.

Forward Joe Chan took a strong hit-up close to the line, and rose quickly for a speedy play-the-ball.

Jahrome Hughes was at dummyhalf and quickly darted to the right, and gave a quick pass to centre Jack Howarth, who charged onto the ball and crossed the line.

Conversion is successful.

Storm 18

Eels 4

23m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:33am

24′ Parramatta lose thier captain’s challenge

Melbourne is on top at the moment.

They look very dangerous in attack, and Parramatta looks tired.

In more bad news for Eels fans, Parramatta has lost its challenge.

The Eels were called for a knock-on at midfield, but they protested that the ball went backwards.

The Bunker has dismissed their plea, and Parra’s captain’s challenge is gone.

Storm 12

Eels 4

34m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:22am

15′ TRY: Harry Grant scores for Melbourne

Harry Grant has scored under the posts for the Melbourne Storm.

The Storm number nine picked up the ball from dummyhalf, 31 metres from the line, and found the Eels defence in tatters.

Grant took off and went straight through the middle.

Conversion is good.

Storm 12

Eels 4

40m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:16am11′ TRY: Storm score their first try

Melbourne right winger Will Warbrick has scored in the corner for the Storm.

(Getty)

Warbrick was on the end of a magnificent cut-out pass from halfback Jahrome Hughes.

The Storm were able to take advantage of Parra being down a player, just as J’maine Hopgood was preparing to return from the sin bin.

Conversion from the sideline is good.

Storm 6

Eels 4

47m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:09am5′ TRY: 12-man Eels score the first try

It is the Parramatta Eels, with a man in the sin bin, who have scored the first try.

Left winger Sean Russell has scored in the corner.

Parra had a full set at the Storm line, after Melbourne winger Nick Meaney dropped a bomb-kick on his own 10-metre line.

The Eels made the most of that opportunity.

Halfback Mitchell Moses and fullback Isaiah Iongi were involved in the chain of passes that led to the try.

Conversion was missed.

Storm 0

Eels 4

52m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:04amSIN BIN: Hopgood has been sent to the sin bin

Referee Todd Smith has sent J’maine Hopgood to the sin bin for the tackle which knocked-out Alec MacDonald.

52m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:04am

Alec MacDonald knocked out in the first minute

Time has been called off, as Alec MacDonald has been knocked out and lies flat on his back.

(Getty)

MacDonald took a hit-up and lowered his body into the tackle of Parramatta’s J’maine Hopgood..

Hopgood’s shoulder made contact with the head.

54m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:02amKICK-OFF: Storm with first use of the ball

Referee Todd Smith blows his whistle, and Mitchell Moses kicks the ball away.

The Storm will have first use of the footy.

Cam Munster catches the kickoff and gives the first hit-up to Josh King, who is met by Parra’s welcoming committee.

56m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 9:00am

Harry Grant leads the Storm onto the field

This big crowd at AAMI Park rises to welcome their side onto the pitch.

57m agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 8:59am

Mitchell Moses leads the Eels onto the field

The men in yellow are greeted with a chorus of boos.

1h agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 8:56am

Kick-off is a few moments away

There is a nice crowd that has come to AAMI Park for tonight’s clash between the Storm and the Eels.

For your information, the referee is Todd Smith, and Chris Butler is in the Bunker.

1h agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 8:45am

Why Melbourne Storm have been waiting a generation for a player like Sua Fa’alogo

by ABC Sport’s Nick Campton

Sua Fa’alogo has been waiting quite a while for his chance to be Melbourne’s fullback, but nowhere near as long as Melbourne has been waiting for someone like him.

Over their almost 30-year existence, the Storm have never been short of stars, especially at number one.

It makes Fa’alogo, who starts at the back for Melbourne tomorrow in their season opener against the Eels, the heir to a storied bloodline.

Wearing the jersey that was first donned by Robbie Ross, then elevated by Billy Slater and recently vacated by Ryan Papenhuyzen — with talents as diverse as Greg Inglis, Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes all pulling it on in the spaces between — is a lot to live up to.

But this is a dawn that has been beckoning ever since Fa’alogo’s NRL debut back in 2023, when he moved like he was firewalking, scoring a double that made him seem a star of tomorrow.

That tomorrow has now arrived, and when you combine the weight of history and the possibilities of the future, it gives Fa’alogo the look of a chosen one, and that’s what Melbourne — not just the Storm, but Melbourne itself — has been waiting for.

Fa’alogo is a Victorian junior, a Broadmeadows and Northern Thunder man to be precise, and while he isn’t the first local boy to play for the Storm, he has a chance to be their first homegrown star, which always shines brightest on the horizon.

Read the full story by Nick Campton by tapping the link below.

1h agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 8:38am

A big weekend of sport in Melbourne

Happy to be with you Michael and looking forward to this weekend of footy and the Grand Prix. No injuries please and go the Eels and Oscar.

– KB

G’day KB.

What a weekend to be in Melbourne. I feel very lucky.

F1, NRL, AFL on Sunday. It’s a mighty weekend of action.

Tonight is a fascinating match-up between the Storm and Eels.

I hope you, and all our readers, enjoy it.

1h agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 8:28am

The 24-year record the Storm are trying to keep

You may have heard this week that the Melbourne Storm have an impressive record in round one matches.

The men in purple from the Victorian capital have won in round one, every year, since 2002.

The last time the Melbourne Storm were defeated in a round one match, was a 14-10 defeat to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, at Docklands Stadium in 2001.

1h agoThu 5 Mar 2026 at 8:15am

NRL round one results

There have been two matches played so far in round one, both held last weekend in Las Vegas.

The Newcastle Knights kicked off the new season with an impressive 28-18 win over the North Queensland Cowboys.

Golden point was needed to seperate the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and St George Illawarra Dragons.

A field goal by captain Stephen Crichton gave the Dogs a 15-14 win.