Suliasi Vunivalu scores four tries as Melbourne Storm smash Manly Sea Eagles

Melbourne Storm tightened their grip on the NRL minor premiership after cruising to a dominant win over Manly Sea Eagles, with winger Suliasi Vunivalu scoring four tries. 

Vunivalu equalled the club record for most tries in a match with his first-half haul against the Sea Eagles that extended Melbourne's lead at the top of the ladder with a 38-18 win. Intent on avoiding a round 26 decider for the Premiership with the Sharks, Melbourne heaped more burden on Cronulla to continue the pace to finish first in the regular season.

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Melbourne on course for minor premiership

Suliasi Vunivalu runs in four first half tries to secure a Storm win.

The disappointing loss for Manly was compounded by the news longstanding captain Jamie Lyon may not play again this season. Coach Trent Barrett revealed the veteran's hamstring injury will almost certainly rule him out of next week's home farewell game against Canberra and there's no certainty he will play again before retirement. 

"[Lyon is] Unlikely, no, which is a massive shame for us," Barrett said. "It's not looking great at this stage and he's devastated."

They did so like a well-oiled machine, grounding a disjointed Manly to a halt early in the match with acute and constant pressure that eroded any real defence from their former grand final rivals. 

It was a bullet pass from Cameron Munster that made the Storm's early pressure lead to points. His superb delivery for Vunivalu put the winger through to score in the corner before Cameron Smith calmly slotted the conversion from an acute angle. 

A fractured side from numerous late changes could only withstand so much early pressure before becoming porous and it took the Storm little time to double their lead. The big frame of Kenny Bromwich broke through the Sea Eagles line with the grace and speed of an outside back, running 30 metres to score. 

There were few openings for the Sea Eagles and it required a moment of inspiration from young star Tom Trbojevic to open their account. A floated cut-out pass found the young Brad Parker who scored his first try in NRL and filling in for Jamie Lyon, Matt Wright showed promise for the future with a sideline conversion. 

A moment of madness dashed the hosts newfound momentum as a calamitous error by Jorge Taufua and Trbojevic gifted Vunivalu his second try. Playing in his 100th game, Taufua failed to communicate with his fullback, allowed a high-ball to bounce twice before the Storm winger pounced to make it 16-6.

Vunivalu sealed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time through yet another great cut-out pass by Munster exposed space on the right flank for the Fijian to score his third of the night and 20th of the season. 

Just as Manly accepted a 16-point deficit heading into the break, Vunivalu punished them with a fourth try. An incredible banana kick by Cooper Cronk found the winger who is brimming with confidence, taking on three defenders to make it 26-6 at half-time. 

The hosts were more spirited after the break and after opening his NRL scoring account, Manly's Parker had his second, ducking and weaving his way to the try-line. It was a short lived revival from Manly as Melbourne's captain as Smith showed why he's one of the best readers of the game to dash the hosts' hopes of a comeback. A darting run and dummy created indecision among Manly's backs that Smith seized, running 30 metres to score and make it 32-12.

After enduring a horrid time during his milestone match, Taufua eventually had something to celebrate with a try after the hour mark. 

Their lead may have been comfortable on the scoreline but tensions reached boiling point as memories of the famous 2011 brawls came flooding back. Scuffles broke out in several sets with a few stray punches seen flying in the back play. The crowd were out for all-out brawls but much like the glimmer of hope for a comeback, that too never arrived. Felise Kaufusi sealed the win with a late try for the Storm. 

The 20-point win for the Storm moves them three competition points above Cronulla Sharks, who are in second place on the ladder, albeit with a game in hand. 

"The boys played with a lot of energy and enthusiasm that's been missing for a couple of weeks now," Smith said. "I couldn't have asked for more in the first half. I think we were 16 from 19 which is where we want to be in terms of completion rate."