Melbourne Storm 26–18 Canterbury-Bankstown — Qualifying Final, 2025 NRL Finals Series
12 Sep 2025 · AAMI Park, Melbourne, VIC · Attendance: 22,117
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
Qualifying Final, 2025 NRL finals series: Melbourne Storm 26–18 Canterbury-Bankstown, at AAMI Park, Melbourne, VIC on 12 Sep 2025.
Scoring timeline
| 3′ | Melbourne Storm — try, Katoa · Meaney kicked |
| 20′ | Canterbury-Bankstown — try, Sexton · Burton kicked |
| 29′ | Canterbury-Bankstown — try, Kiraz · Burton kicked |
| 34′ | Melbourne Storm — try, Lisati · Meaney kicked |
| 57′ | Canterbury-Bankstown — try, Burton · Burton kicked |
| 65′ | Melbourne Storm — try, Wishart · Meaney kicked |
| 76′ | Melbourne Storm — try, Warbrick · Meaney kicked |
Tries with a sourced minute, in order scored, with the conversion kicked/missed alongside each one where source data lets us match a kicker to that specific try. Tries whose exact minute isn't recorded in available sources appear in the Scorers table below but not here; goal tallies we can't attribute to one specific try are shown as descriptive text in Scorers rather than guessed into this timeline.
Scorers
| Melbourne Storm | Tries: Katoa 3'; Lisati 34'; Wishart 65'; Warbrick 76' Goals: Meaney (4/4) 4', 35', 66', 77' |
| Canterbury-Bankstown | Tries: Sexton 20'; Kiraz 29'; Burton 57' Goals: Burton (3/3) 21', 30', 58' |
Team sheets
| Melbourne Storm | Canterbury-Bankstown | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Meaney | Fullback | Connor Tracey | 1 |
| 2 | Will Warbrick | Wing | Ratu Jethro Rinakama | 2 |
| 3 | Grant Anderson | Centre | Enari Tuala | 3 |
| 4 | Jack Howarth | Centre | Stephen Crichton | 4 |
| 5 | Xavier Coates | Wing | Jacob Kiraz | 5 |
| 6 | Cameron Munster | Five-eighth | Matt Burton | 6 |
| 7 | Jonah Pezet | Halfback | Lachlan Galvin | 7 |
| 8 | Stefano Utoikamanu | Prop | Max King | 8 |
| 9 | Harry Grant | Hooker | Bailey Hayward | 9 |
| 10 | Josh King | Prop | Josh Curran | 10 |
| 11 | Joe Chan | Second Row | Viliame Kikau | 11 |
| 12 | Eliesa Katoa | Second Row | Jacob Preston | 12 |
| 13 | Trent Loiero | Lock | Jaeman Salmon | 13 |
| Substitutes | ||||
| 14 | Tyran Wishart | Kurt Mann | 14 | |
| 15 | Ativalu Lisati | Sitili Tupouniua | 15 | |
| 16 | Alec MacDonald | Toby Sexton | 16 | |
| 17 | Tui Kamikamica | Harry Hayes | 17 | |
| Craig Bellamy | Coach | Cameron Ciraldo | ||
Match officials
| Referee | Adam Gee |
Match report
Melbourne led narrowly at the break after trading tries with Canterbury, who twice hit the front through Toby Sexton and Jacob Kiraz before Storm hit back via Eliesa Katoa and Ativalu Lisati. Matt Burton's try (he also kicked a penalty goal, exact minute unconfirmed) put the Bulldogs back within touch in the second half, but Tyran Wishart restored Melbourne's buffer. Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton left the field injured during a scrappy, error-affected contest, before Will Warbrick's 90-metre intercept try off Viliame Kikau with three minutes left sealed a 26-18 win and a home preliminary final for Melbourne, sending Canterbury to straight-sets elimination.