ABC News
[ Source: ABC ]
The Dolphins have stunned the Melbourne Storm, scoring seven unanswered tries to turn a 16-2 deficit into a 42-22 victory at Lang Park on Good Friday.
The Storm’s night was made even worse by the pre-match revelation that Origin hooker Harry Grant is likely to be out for between four and six weeks with a hamstring injury.
“It was pretty innocuous, during the captains run, just pulled up lame,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy said pre-game on Fox Sports.
“He went for a scan and it wasn’t great news.”
If Grant’s injury is as bad as feared, he will miss Origin I in Brisbane on May 28.
Despite the loss of Grant, things started well for the Storm with Kane Bradley, Xavier Coates and Ryan Papenhuyzen all scoring as the side leaped into a 16-2 lead after 21 minutes.
However, soon after, winger Jack Howarth left the field with a dislocated shoulder, while the Dolphins lost Max Plath to a foot injury as well as veteran Felise Kaufusi.
Both Howarth and Plath are Queensland Origin hopefuls, adding more problems for the Maroons camp.
Those injuries indirectly changed the entire complexion of the game, with the Dolphins scoring an increasingly impressive array of tries through Josh Kerr, Jack Bostock, Ray Stone (twice), Connelly Lemuelu, Kodi Nikorima and Herbie Farnworth.
Stone in particular impressed off the bench, picking up the mantle from Kaufusi with 124 running metres from 12 carries.
Isaiya Katoa had four try assists in a staggeringly good display at halfback as the Dolphins claimed a third-straight NRL victory.
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