Dominic BrockUpdated May 22, 2026 — 8:27pm,first published 7:30pmYour say: Bulldogs or Storm?By Latest Posts8.27pmBlow for Bulldogs with Preston out with broken armBy Injury dramas for both teams. After copping that blow earlier and attempting to play on, Jacob Preston is out of this game and set for a stint on the sideline with what has been confirmed as a broken forearm, while Will Warbrick has gone off with what appears to be a ribs injury.Storm 12, Bulldogs 6 after 22 minutes8.24pmTRY: Bulldogs hit back through TualaBy Multiple repeat sets have the Bulldogs pinned to the Storm’s tryline, and they strike at last when Lachlan Galvin sends a pass to Enari Tuala who hits half a gap and slides over the line. He hit the ground a couple of metres short but the wet conditions came in handy there with the long slide to the line.Matt Burton converts from out wide on the right and the Dogs are back in this.Storm 12, Bulldogs 6 after 20 minutes8.17pmTRY: Disaster for Kiraz as Leo grabs a doubleBy Oh no. Jahrome Hughes attempts a 40-20 kick for the Storm, and it’s about to trickle over the sideline just inside the Dogs’ 20 metres when Bulldogs fullback Jacob Kiraz gets to it and bats it back inside the field of play.But the only player anywhere near him is chasing Storm winger Moses Leo, and he picks it up and collects the simplest of tries.Nick Meaney converts and the Storm are in control.Storm 12, Bulldogs 0 after 15 minutes8.16pmInjury concern for Preston as Storm go closeBy The Storm get a six-again call for offside and get to the Bulldogs’ 20-metre line, Jahrome Hughes puts up a bomb, and it goes forward from a Bulldogs hand to teammate Bronson Xerri so it’s a Melbourne penalty.And now in more bad news play stops as Jacob Preston appears to have a forearm injury, having copped a knee to the arm while making a tackle. But the star second-rower is playing on for now.Harry Grant’s replacement at hooker Trent Toelau tries a Grant-style cutout pass from dummy-half, close to the tryline – but it’s snaffled up by Marcelo Montoya and the Bulldogs come away with it, as Preston gets more treatment in back play.Storm 6, Bulldogs 0 after 12 minutes8.07pmTRY: Storm strike first after Utoikamanu grubberBy Melbourne don’t have playmaking stars Harry Grant or Cameron Munster so prop Stefano Utoikamanu takes it upon himself to kick on the last, grubbering a kick straight into the legs of Bulldogs defenders. But Josh King scoops up the ball and flicks a pass back, it goes through the hands to the left and Moses Leo bumps off Marcelo Montoya to score in the corner.Nick Meaney slots the sideline conversion in tough, raining conditions and the visitors have a six-point lead.Storm 6, Bulldogs 0 after five minutes8.03pmAnd we’re offBy Sua Faalogo kicks things off for the Storm and the Bulldogs have first use of the ball, getting past their 40-metre line after four tackles and Matt Burton kicking early. The Storm finish their set with a couple of big charges from middle forwards Cooper Clarke and Stefano Utoikamanu, then put up a bomb which is taken comfortably by new Canterbury fullback Jacob Kiraz.Bulldogs 0, Storm 0 after two minutesStorm winger Will Warbrick.Getty Images7.55pmAll eyes on the Bulldogs’ new-look spineBy The Bulldogs’ signing of Lachlan Galvin was arguably the biggest NRL story of 2025 and their slide down the ladder is one of the big stories of this season, and the problem has been their lack of strike in attack. Only the last-placed Dragons have scored fewer points than the Dogs, and that has put plenty of pressure on Galvin and the rest of the playmaking spine.In fairness, Galvin has been one of the team’s better players this season, even if his run-first game is arguably more suited to the five-eighth role than halfback. Meanwhile five-eighth Matt Burton might be better suited to the centres, while no-frills fullback Connor Tracey and young hooker Bailey Hayward have also been under the spotlight.Tonight Tracey is out with a hamstring injury and Hayward will come off the bench, with tackle-busting winger Jacob Kiraz filling in at the back and stand-in skipper Kurt Mann starting at hooker. It’ll be intriguing to see if this new-look spine performs better than the usual version, and they’ll have a decent chance to have some success against a weakened Melbourne outfit. The bookies have Canterbury as slight favourites heading into kick-off.Bulldogs halfback Lachlan Galvin.Getty Images7.45pmNRL backs controversial calls after Stuart criticises officialsBy Canberra coach Ricky Stuart didn’t answer any questions after last night’s loss to the Dolphins but he did make a big impact with his 111-second post-game media conference, criticising a series of close calls against his side.“The game has interpretations and rules, and we’re in a position at the moment where we’re picking and choosing when we apply them, and it’s a very frustrating situation for those who are involved,” Stuart said.“In all the years I’ve been involved in the game as a coach, I’ve never been so confused. It’s disappointing, to say the least, but I’m just so confused at the moment.“You can’t have a rule and apply it one week and not the next week ... it’s disappointing because I love the game.”But the NRL has backed the officials’ decisions in all four cases, which probably won’t make Stuart any happier today.Read the full story7.38pmGould, Ciraldo clash on Galvin’s long-term No.7 statusBy Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould is no stranger to the media and he’s been doing the podcast rounds this week discussing his team’s form and Lachlan Galvin’s suitability to the halfback role, after a five-game losing streak.First, on his own Six Tackles with Gus podcast, he ruminated on the reasons for the Dogs’ struggles, and suggested the new high-scoring version of the game we’re seeing this season just doesn’t suit the club’s focus on defence in recent seasons.“We built this team over the last couple of years built on old DNA of defence and fitness and resilience,” Gould said.“And we haven’t been a big point-scoring team for the last two years either, we’ve been winning games three tries to one or four tries to two and we’ve really backed our defence, and in the game today it’s hard to do that. It just hasn’t suited us.Pinned post from 7.28pmYour say: Bulldogs or Storm?By 1 of 2