NRL: Raiders break Storm hoodoo

Canberra winger Joel Monaghan has bounced back from his State of Origin disappointment to lead the Raiders to an historic 26-16 victory over Melbourne.

Monaghan had been in doubt before the match at Canberra Stadium after suffering a corked thigh playing for NSW in the second Origin game.

But he shrugged aside any fitness concerns, scoring two tries and having a hand in two others tonight as the Raiders beat the Storm for the first time in seven years.

Raiders coach David Furner said the 27-year-old had been in doubt to play the previous day.

"When we had our last training session he was in a fair bit of doubt," Furner told reporters.

"(But) I thought once he got on the field and got involved in the game he was as pumped as any other player."

Although barely able to walk on Friday, Monaghan wasn't so worried.

"Home game against Melbourne? I was always going to play," he said.

Monaghan is one of the few current Raiders who can remember the last win against the Storm in 2002 and he said it made the victory all the sweeter.

"It was one of the best wins I've been involved in at the club actually," he said.

"To get beaten by them for seven years ... it's been a long time between drinks and the personnel has changed but it is great to get that monkey off our backs."

Furner said the club had refused to dwell on their unenviable record.

"We never spoke about when the last time was that we've beaten Melbourne so it was just good to have that win because we worked hard for it," he said.

"Out of all the games we've played it was a pretty committed 80 minutes and there wasn't many times there that we dropped off at any stage - you couldn't against a good side such as Melbourne."

Canberra's success story began in the 13th minute when halfback Marc Herbert and Monaghan helped winger Justin Carney score the opening try.

Monaghan scored the first of his own in the 25th minute to take Canberra to an 8-0 lead and was on song again just three minutes later to extend it to 14-0.

The Storm began their fightback in the 40th minute when the Raiders conceded a soft try to hooker Cameron Smith but fast hands from Monaghan to Carney after halftime saw the Green Machine extend their lead once more.

Melbourne centres Greg Inglis and Will Chambers found the line in the 57th and 65th minute to bring their side as close as 20-16.

But a four-pointer to Canberra second-rower Bronson Harrison in the dying seconds ended the Raiders' long wait for a win.

Storm assistant coach Stephen Kearney, who was at the helm while Craig Bellamy attended to NSW's flagging Origin side, admitted his team's play was lacking across the board.

"There are areas of our game which we pride ourselves on which certainly we were missing at stages today," he said.

"To get back in contention with three or four minutes to go was certainly a credit to the group but the disappointing part is letting ourselves into that position."

- AAP