Storm on top with Warriors win

SYDNEY: Defending champions Melbourne Storm went top of Australias National Rugby League with a hard-fought 12-6 win over the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland on Sunday.

The Storm outlasted the Warriors two tries to one to claim their seventh straight win and move above St. George Illawarra and South Sydney on points differential in the standings.The Warriors slipped a spot to eighth behind Brisbane on points differential and hold a four-point buffer over the West Tigers in eighth place six rounds out from the play-offs.

St. George Illawarra Dragons leapfrogged Souths into second place with their 24-10 win over North Queensland.Following South Sydneys shock 22-6 loss to the Wests Tigers, the Dragons were convincing four tries to one winners in Townsville to snap a two-game losing streak.

Wests Tigers posted one of their best wins of the season in Robbie Farahs 250th game for the club, ruining John Suttons historic 300th game milestone for Souths and keeping the Tigers finals hopes alive.The loss ended a nine-game winning run for the Rabbitohs, but kept the Tigers in striking distance of the top eight.

There was no love lost between Farah and his former teammates following his mid-season move as he was ironed out in the first half by a Sam Burgess high shot, with the Englishman then screaming at a prone Farah for what he believed was a dive to earn a penalty.

Canberras late finals charge was scuppered by a controversial try ruled against them in Cronullas 28-24 win.

Despite trailing 22-6 at half-time, the Raiders had the upper hand in the second half to narrow Cronullas lead to just four points with a quarter of the game remaining.Then came a dubious call to award Sharks winger Sione Katoa a try in the 57th minute that derailed the visitors momentum in their comeback.

The Sydney Roosters are in fifth spot after a 56-24 rout of the Manly Sea Eagles.Winger Blake Ferguson scored two of his teams 10 tries, while NSW Origin centre Latrell Mitchells personal haul of 24 points included a pair of tries and eight goals.Brisbane blew away Penrith 50-18 and rebooted their top-four hopes to lie in seventh place just two points off fourth spot.