NRL LIVE updates: Roosters on top as Storm lose Warbrick

Alex McDonald has passed his HIA in some welcome good news for Melbourne as the second half begins.

Both teams play out some straightforward sets before Jack Hetherington gives away yet another high tackle penalty for the Storm – he brings plenty of aggression but is good for two or three penalties every game, even if he’s not getting suspended as often as he used to.

The Roosters go on the attack but Melbourne do a great job defending their own line, and when it looks like the hosts have created some space on the last tackle down the right, Storm winger Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown rushes up and hits Hugo Savala hard, forcing the ball free.

Roosters 8, Storm 0 with 33 minutes left

Storm bench prop Jack Hetherington gives away a penalty for a high tackle, not an uncommon occurrence, and the Roosters go on the attack again. But this time they let the pressure off when Daly Cherry-Evans loses the ball after a tackle from Cooper Clarke.

There’s more injury dramas for Melbourne with Alec MacDonald heading to the sideline after a head knock, then centre Jack Howarth appears to be struggling with a shoulder issue.

A late Nick Meaney error from a Cherry-Evans kick gives the Chooks one last scoring chance in the first half, and Sam Walker takes a field goal attempt from behind a scrum – and sends it wide to the right.

Roosters 8, Storm 0 at half-time

Terrible news for Melbourne now with winger Will Warbrick staying down after that Billy Smith try, having clutched at his leg. It looks like an Achilles injury. He can’t stand and is stretchered from the field, clearly emotional.

Warbrick has already signed for the Warriors for next season, and going by his reaction to that injury he might be done for the season and his Storm career could be over.

Melbourne have already copped a lot of injuries this season, and are without Kangaroos five-eighth Cameron Munster and Kiwis halfback Jahrome Hughes tonight.

Roosters 0, Storm 0 after 29 minutes

A bad call cruels the Storm now, with Will Warbrick leaping for a Tyran Wishart bomb with Daniel Tupou, the ball hits a hand then finds the turf, Oryn Keeley grabs it and sends it to halfback Trent Toelau with the tryline wide open – but the referee calls play back and rules it’s a Warbrick knock on.

Warbrick complains, and replays show it was actually Tupou who touched the ball, but the Storm don’t challenge and a try goes begging.

Adding insult to injury, the Roosters immediately go down the other end and score themselves, Billy Smith finishing off a nice backline sweep to the left to score. There’s a question about a possible obstruction in the lead-up, but the bunker confirms it’s a try.

Roosters 8, Storm 0 after 26 minutes

Another Roosters chance as Sam Walker kicks for Mark Nawaqanitawase, who leaps, grabs the bomb and gets an offload away – he’s done that three times already tonight – but a Roosters teammate grubbers ahead with too much force and the ball goes dead in goal.

The next highlight play comes in defence from rookie Storm winger Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown, who absolutely flattens Roosters centre Hugo Savala with a crunching tackle.

This one remains a bit of a low-scoring grind, which probably suits this Melbourne side just fine considering the firepower in the Roosters backline.

Roosters 4, Storm 0 after 24 minutes

“That’s the stupidest rule in rugby league” says Nine’s Paul Gallen in commentary after Harry Grant is penalised for jumping out of marker and slapping the ball out of Reece Robson’s hands. Grant wasn’t offside, he got the ball cleanly, but you can only make a play at the ball while making a tackle – as of this season anyway. Phil Gould and Billy Slater aren’t sure why it’s a rule either.

In any case, the Roosters get a penalty and kick for touch, but their attacking set comes to an end when Sam Walker’s last-tackle kick takes a deflection and is defused by Melbourne prop Josh King.

Roosters 4, Storm 0 after 17 minutes

Cronulla won the contest but lost star front-rower Addin Fonua-Blake, twice, in a tense and gritty 20-18 triumph over Newcastle on Friday night.

While Nicho Hynes’ desperate defence and sharpshooting from the tee proved the difference when the Knights outscored the Sharks by four tries to three, Fonua-Blake’s battles with a pectoral injury were cause for ample concern at Shark Park.

Fonua-Blake – Cronulla’s highest-paid forward and recent NSW Origin series winner – came from the field after just 23 minutes at Shark Park, disappeared up the tunnel for treatment on a pectoral injury.

He returned to the Sharks bench and the fray at the 66th minute, but cut his second stint short nine minutes later when he left the field clutching at his chest.

Read the full match report from Dan Walsh

Victor Radley tries a little kick over the top and it traps Sualauvi Faalogo in the in-goal. The Storm try a short dropout, but the Roosters regain it.

And the next time the Tricolours put the ball on the boot, they come up with points – Daly Cherry-Evans sending up a bomb, Mark Nawaqanitawase leaping like few others can, and bats a pass perfectly into the path of Siua Wong who scores the game’s first try.

Another sensational assist for Nawaqanitawase. Sam Walker’s conversion attempt drifts just wide.

Roosters 4, Storm 0 after seven minutes