Dragons edge clear of Warriors atop NRL ladder after big win over Storm
Euan Aitken of the Dragons scores one of his two tries against the Storm at UOW Jubilee Oval.
St George Illawarra confirmed their status as NRL premiership favourites after a Euan Aitken double fired them to a 34-14 win over Melbourne on Sunday.
It saw the Dragons inch clear of the New Zealand Warriors for a two-point lead atop a crowded ladder, with Penrith lying third ahead of the Storm. The defending champions hold fourth on points differential in a group of teams on 10.
The Dragons racked up their eighth win in the opening nine rounds, with Sunday's victory perhaps their most impressive against the premiers in front of 19,173 fans at Sydney's Jubilee Oval.
James Graham of the Dragons is tackled by Cameron Smith and Felise Kaufusi of the Storm during the round nine NRL match.
The Dragons scored four tries to Melbourne's three, Gareth Widdop's radar boot - he kicked nine from nine - blowing out the margin.
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Storm captain Cameron Smith makes his point to referee Matt Cecchin.
Aitken continued his compelling push for a New South Wales call-up after powering over Cameron Munster for the opening try before his four-pointer in the 65th minute killed off any hope of a Storm comeback.
What was supposed to be the game of the year at times became stilted following a series of bizarre refereeing decisions.
In one incident head referee Matt Cecchin ruled a knock-on against Dragons winger Nene MacDonald 20m out from his own line only for assistant whistleblower Chris Butler to over-rule and give the home side the play-the- ball.
The Storm's frustrations were compounded when Josh-Addo-Carr was denied a try in head-scratching circumstances.
The star Melbourne winger crossed for what appeared to be his double, only for the play to be called back because of a penalty against the Dragons in the play-the-ball.
Storm skipper Cameron Smith queried why play wasn't allowed to go on while league great Braith Anasta called it "diabolical" and "one of the worst calls I've ever seen in a game" on the Fox League broadcast.
To rub salt into the Storm's wounds, another Widdop penalty gave the Dragons a 12-4 advantage at the break and they took the match by the scruff of the neck from there.
Just after halftime Smith was hit in the groin in the play-the-ball, opening up a gap in the Storm defensive line to allow Cameron McInnes to dive over.
And when Tim Lafai produced a spectacular put down in the left corner in the 47th minutes, the Dragons were suddenly up 24-4.
Addo-Carr eventually got his second - his fourth two-try haul in as many games - to give the Storm a sniff at 24-8 with 16 minutes remaining.
But Aitken's second put the nail in the Storm's coffin with Addo-Carr's hat-trick try with five minutes remaining providing little consolation.
- AAP
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