The Melbourne Storm have sunk to a historic low, losing seven consecutive NRL matches for the first time as the Dolphins powered to victory at a wet Lang Park in Brisbane.
REPORT: Dolphins 28-10 Melbourne StormREPORT: North Queensland Cowboys 28-12 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
The loss comes in the wake of coach Craig Bellamy’s health issues being made public, with the club announcing this week the 66-year-old has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disorder.
Friday night’s 28-10 loss to the Dolphins, a match which the Storm lead 10-0 after Sualauvi Fa’alogo scored a brilliant 85-metre solo try, condemned the Victorian club to their worst-ever run of form.
The Storm held a 10-4 lead at half-time, and when Dolphins fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul in the 46th minute, the Storm were in the box-seat to snap their losing streak.
But the Storm failed to capitalise on their one-man advantage, a precursor to their fade in the back end of the contest.
“Old cliche, it’s a game of two halves,” Storm director of football Frank Ponissi said, sitting in for Bellamy during the coach’s press conference.
“That’s as good as we’ve played in that first half, especially defensively.
“At 10-4, we were a very confident dressing room at half-time.
“Tonight, it was just key moments with the ball that let us down.”
Jamayne Isaako scored one of the Dolphins’ five tries to defeat the Melbourne Storm. (AAP: Dave Hunt)
Storm players were left slumped on the ground at full-time, with the weight of the defeat and the health of their coach seemingly having an effect.
Speaking with ABC Sport after the match, Storm captain Harry Grant described the the emotion of his coach’s health condition as raw and real, while also declaring Bellamy was as determined as ever to lead the club.
“It’s pretty raw, it’s real, and that’s life,” Grant said.
“Everyone in the rugby league community, and especially us at the club, are right behind Craig and his family.
“At the same time, he is really committed to the team and this club for a number of years and I don’t think it’s any different right now.”
Earlier, the North Queensland Cowboys continued their purple patch with a 28-12 win over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in Sydney.
It is a third consecutive loss for the Bulldogs, and a fifth in the past six matches.
Relive all the action from Friday in the blog below.
Key Events
10h ago10 hours agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:51am
11h ago11 hours agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:39am
11h ago11 hours agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:30am
Show all key events
9h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 12:50pm
That is all for the ABC Sport NRL live blog this evening
This is where we blow full-time on the blog tonight.
The Cowboys and Dolphins have enjoyed great wins tonight.
The Bulldogs are in a form slump, while the Storm have registered seven consecutive losses for the first time in the club’s history.
ABC Sport will be back tomorrow as we continue live digital coverage of the NRL premiership season.
We hope you join us then.
Goodnight.
10h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 12:38pm
Dolphins coach praises effort of his players to snap four-match losing streak
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf has spoken to the media after his side’s 28-10 win over the Storm.
The Dolphins have had some tight losses in the last two weeks, and Woolf praised his players for their effort and commitment.
For the last couple of weeks, we’ve tried really hard. We’ve had some great effort about us. We’ve been right in the contest; we’ve been a little bit unlucky at times.
I’m really proud of how the blokes have stuck together, through a tough period, and kept on working and staying positive, and that’s why we got the result.
10h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 12:27pm
Harry Grant joins ABC Sport after Melbourne’s defeat
Melbourne skipper Harry Grant has joined ABC Sport following the Storm’s club record seventh consecutive defeat.
But there are more important matters in rugby league, and that is the health of coach Craig Bellamy.
It was announced publicly on Thursday that Bellamy is suffering from an unspecified neurodegenerative disorder.
Speaking with ABC Sport after the loss to the Dolphins on Friday, Grant said everyone in rugby league was supporting the champion coach.
It’s pretty raw, it’s real, and that’s life.
Everyone in the rugby league community, and especially us at the club, are right behind Craig and his family.
At the same time, he is really committed to the team and this club for a number of years and I don’t think it’s any different right now.
10h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 12:06pm
Storm have another unwanted record
The Melbourne Storm have become the second side in just 70 years to lose seven matches on the trot in the season after reaching the grand final.
“The poster boys of consistency, the Melbourne Storm, have slumped to their seventh consecutive defeat in their storied career” – ABC Sport commentator, Quentin Hull
10h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:51amFULL-TIME: Dolphins 28 def. Melbourne Storm 10
— reporting by AAP
Melbourne have slumped to a club record seventh loss in a row as the Dolphins stormed home for a stunning 28-10 comeback win.
The hosts were inspired by centre and two-try hero Jack Bostock, in his first NRL match in 10 months, and hooker Max Plath in one of his greatest club matches in Dolphins colours
The Storm conceded more than 24 or more points for the sixth occasion in a row but turned their attitude around at Lang Park on Friday night to lead 10-0 late in the first half.
On Thursday the club announced that coach Craig Bellamy had been diagnosed with an unspecified neurological degenerative condition, and the players clearly lifted for their respected mentor, but it wasn’t enough.
Already without star half Jahrome Hughes (concussion), the Storm lost his replacement half Tyran Wishart in the 13th minute in the process of scoring a try.
Wishart did wonderfully well to burst into a hole and twist his body to get the ball down in traffic but injured his left ankle in the process.
The Perth-bound playmaker hobbled off and 26-year-old half Trent Toelau entered the fray for his club debut.
Last week the Storm allowed 15 line breaks against South Sydney but they were resilient in the first half.
Fullback Sua Faalogo scored one of the great individual tries, his 11th for the season, with an 85-metre effort. He left Herbie Farnworth in his wake and then beat Dolphins fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow with a sprint and a crafty piece of deception.
In the 39th minute, razzle dazzle got the hosts a try through winger Selwyn Cobbo thanks to a slick cutout pass by Plath.
Tabuai-Fidow was sin-binned early in the second half for holding down Faalogo but the hosts did well not to concede any points.
When he came back on the Dolphins talisman set up Jamayne Isaako in the corner, and the winger converted his own try to level it up at 10-all.
Dolphins centre Bostock, in his first NRL match in 10 months after an ACL recovery, sprinted diagonally from 20m out to score after a brilliant Plath run through the middle.
Bostock added another when he snaffled an Isaiya Katoa bomb and in-form forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki iced the win with a barnstorming try at the death.
The Storm are languishing in 16th position and appear set to miss finals football.
10h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:50am
79′ TRY: Kulikefu Finefeuiaki scores for the Dolphins
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki has charged through a gaping hole to score.
The Dolphins were attacking the goal-line, and the Dolphins’ enforcer ran a simple unders line, and found a very fractured Storm defence.
Dolphins 28
Storm 10
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:42am
74′ TRY: Jack Bostock has a double for the Dolphins
Jack Bostock has two tries on his return.
Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa kicks to the corner. He is targeting young Storm winger Hugo Peel.
Bostock leaps, catches the ball, juggles it, regathers it, then gets the ball on the ground.
Jamayne Isaako missed the conversion.
Dolphins 22
Storm 10
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:39am72′ PENALTY GOAL: Jamayne Isaako extends the lead to eight points
Jamayne Isaako has kicked the penalty goal.
The Dolphins have an eight-point lead with eight minutes to go.
Dolphins 18
Storm 10
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:38am
69′ Dolphins on the attack again
Storm winger Hugo Peel has dropped a kick, just five metres from his goal-line.
The Dolphins have a scrum on the 10-metre line.
The Storm desperately need to defend their line.
There is another kick to Hugo Peel, but Peel takes the catch.
PENALTY.
The Storm have been penalised for obstructing the kick chase.
There were a few Storm players just standing in front of Peel, getting in the way of Dolphins’ chasers.
Jamayne Isaako has a chance to extend the lead to eight points.
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:30am65′ TRY: Jack Bostock scores on return to give Dolphins lead
The Dolphins are in front.
Jack Bostock, on his return after injuring his ACL mid-last year, has scored.
Dolphins hooker Max Plath made a line break from dummy half, running 40 metres to be brought down on the Storm 20-metre line.
The Dolphins passed to the right, where Bostock was on his own.
The Dolphin then runs back to the left, finds a crease in the defensive line, and slices through to score.
Dolphins 16
Storm 10
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:23am59′ TRY: Jamayne Isaako scores for the Dolphins
The Dolphins have their second try.
Backrower Kulikefu Finefeuiaki came inches from scoring, but was denied by a magnificent tackle from Melbourne’s Jack Howarth.
But the Storm were undermanned if the Dolphins went to the right, and the Dolphins did go to the right.
Jamayne Isaako touched down in the corner, getting a lovely tip-on pass from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Isaako converts his own try from the right touchline. We have a tied game.
Dolphins 10
Storm 10
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:22am56′ Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow returns from sin bin with Dolphins on the attack
It was a sloppy 10 minutes from both teams while Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was on the field.
The Storm will be disappointed with their 10 minutes.
They never looked like scoring against 12 men.
The Hammer returned to action with his team attacking the Melbourne goal-line.
The Dolphins were able to force a dropout.
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:08am46′ SIN BIN: The Hammer is off after chasing down Faalogo
The Dolphins looked set to score, but Melbourne’s fullback Sualauvi Faalogo intercepted the pass and was streaking away in the opposite direction.
The only Dolphin who can catch him is Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
The Hammer runs down the young Storm fullback, but Tabuai-Fidow holds him down for too long, waiting for his teammates to get back in defence.
That is a professional foul, and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is off for 10 minutes.
Dolphins 4
Storm 10
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:06am
43′ Will Warbrick has a leg issue
Melbourne right winger Will Warbrick is limping.
He jumped in the air to catch a ball, but appeared to land hard on his left leg.
Warbrick was with the trainer for a few moments, but is continuing.
Dolphins 4
Storm 10
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:04am
Tyran Wishart will not return
Tyran Wishart limped off after scoring the first try of the match.
He will not be returning in the second half.
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 11:03am
Second half begins at Lang Park
The Melbourne Storm have the first use of the footy in the second half.
The Storm are running to the right of your screen.
It is a good set from the Storm, and they get to their kick at the halfway.
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 10:50am
HT: Storm 10 leading Dolphins 4
The Melbourne Storm are leading 10-4 over the Dolphins at half-time.
The Storm was the better side throughout the half, but the Dolphins came within a whisker of scoring two tries in the final two minutes of the half.
There is a lot of tension at Lang Park. This second half will be epic.
11h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 10:48am
40′ Dolphins almost score again
There are fewer than 10 seconds to play, but the Dolphins make a line break from their own half.
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki makes the break, then passes inside to Kurt Donoghoe.
Donoghoe puts in the kick for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, but the Hammer just cannot get to the ball first.
The Storm survive.
Dolphins 4
Storm 10
12h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 10:45am39′ TRY: Cobbo scores for the Dolphins
The Dolphins have struck just before half-time.
Left winger Selwyn Cobbo has scored in the corner.
The Dolphins made a big line break down the left wing.
Jamayne Isaako ran down the right wing and then kicked infield.
Dolphins five-eighth Brad Schneider collected the ball and was brought down two metres from the line.
The Dolphins have numbers to the left, and that is where they go.
Cobbo grounds the ball in the corner.
Dolphins 4
Storm 10
12h agoFri 1 May 2026 at 10:44am
36′ Dolphins errors mounting, Storm on the attack
The Dolphins have had a poor 10 minutes.
Repeated errors have let Melbourne off the hook at one end of the field, and put them under pressure at the other.
Winger Jamayne Isaako dropped a bomb 20 metres from his goal-line, giving the Storm a great chance before half-time.
Melbourne’s Cam Munster puts in a threatening grubber, but Dolphins fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow comes across to save the day, gathering the ball and getting into the field of play.
Dolphins 0
Storm 10
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