Melbourne Storm were both clinical and sentimental as they closed out the NRL regular season on Saturday night.
The minor premiers did the business against Canberra Raiders, recording a 32-6 win and, on first look, not picking up any major injuries while treating 20,508 AAMI Park faithful to a free-wheeling and scrappy contest.
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The Storm helped Cameron Smith celebrate his 355th appearance by dispatching of the Canberra Raiders 32-6.
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Melbourne conquer Raiders
The Storm helped Cameron Smith celebrate his 355th appearance by dispatching of the Canberra Raiders 32-6.
Along the way Suliasi Vunivalu claimed the try he needed to become the NRL's leading try-scorer for the second straight season while departing star Cooper Cronk's career was celebrated as was Cameron Smith equalling Darren Lockyer's games record of 355.
The Storm will take on Parramatta Eels in a qualifying final at AAMI Park this coming weekend with a Saturday night game a strong possibility due to Geelong and Richmond playing at the MCG on Friday night.
But the NRL won't confirm the finals fixtures until Sunday night with Sunday's games to decide the bottom half of the top eight.
Melbourne have won seven straight games but their last loss was against the Eels at AAMI Park, although they were missing centre Curtis Scott and their six Queensland State of Origin players that game.
Storm forward Tohu Harris will face a nervous wait after being placed on report for dangerous contact after his fend off on Aidan Sezer early in the second half.
The contact looked modest and Harris apologised to Sezer soon after the incident, so it looks unlikely he will face a suspension but his fate still rests with the match review committee.
Reliable forwards Dale Finucane and Tim Glasby were both left out of the game due to minor injuries with Nate Myles and Robbie Rochow coming in but both players are likely to come straight back next game.
Whether the Storm opt to keep Myles for his experience remains to be seen as Slade Griffin, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Tim Glasby and Kenny Bromwich have all been productive off the bench this year.
Felise Kaufusi pulled out a party trick to open proceedings, falling onto a loose ball and, to his own surprise, wedging the ball beneath his arm.
The Raiders didn't see he had the ball, so stood back up and then powered forward 10 metres to score the first try after just three minutes.
Jesse Bromwich broke his duck for the season with a try on seven minutes with Smith's kick making it 12-0.
The Storm have a tradition of making players who don't score during the season do a nude run and Bromwich has never made the dash, his try continuing a streak of another kind.
The Raiders had their chances but errors cost them any chance at points in the opening 20 minutes while Harris gave the Storm their third try, diving between two defenders to score while the video referee ruled it an eight-point try due to a Raiders player attempting to kick the ball as Harris put it down.
Smith converted both kicks to make it 20-0 at half-time.
The Raiders broke through just before the hour with a perfect kick into the right corner finding winger Jordan Rapana, who just had to catch the ball and put it down, cutting the lead to 20-6.
But the Storm replied as Will Chambers put in a rolling grubber kick for Vunivalu, who won the contest to grab the ball then touched it down to make it 26-6.
On the restart, Smith looked to have set up Cronk for a try in his final regular season game at home but Cronk was ruled to be in front of Smith as he kicked the ball.
Raiders agitator Joey Leilua had a running battle with Curtis Scott and Cameron Munster in the second half with both clashing with the centre, fortunately neither appearing to hit out and risk suspension.
Munster turned his attentions back to the game and se tup Harris for his second try 90 seconds before full-time.
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