NRL: Rivalry packed with drama

Michael Witt and Lance Hohaia celebrate the Warriors' last-gast qualifying final win against the Storm in 2009. Photo / Getty Images

Perhaps it is because they both exist in NRL outposts, far from the hotbed of Sydney. Perhaps it is shared status as expansion clubs. Perhaps it is due to the prevalence of Kiwis at the Storm, from inception until present day.

Whatever the reason, the Warriors and the Storm have come to be great rivals and many of their clashes have proven to be seminal - even season-defining - over the years.

The Warriors and Storm will meet for the 27th time today since the Melbourne club joined the NRL in 1998. The Storm have been ultra-consistent in that time, making the finals 10 times, including five grand finals. In the same period the Auckland-based outfit has managed one grand final appearance from six top eight finishes. Despite that gulf, the Warriors have enjoyed a reasonable record against their fellow expansion club, winning 11 and drawing two of their 26 clashes. Memorable matches included:

2009, Round 26:
Storm 30
Warriors 0

After a 14-14 golden point thriller earlier in the season, the Warriors had disintegrated to the stage where they were one place off the wooden spoon. It was Stacey Jones' second farewell match but the Storm showed absolutely no mercy and this defeat capped a five-game losing streak at Mount Smart Stadium amid a forgettable season.

2008 Qualifying Final:
Warriors 18
Storm 15

One of the best finals games ever seen and a day when the Auckland side tipped NRL logic on its head. It was the first time the eighth-placed qualifiers had beaten the minor premiers and it was achieved in spectacular fashion via a long range try with just two minutes on the clock. Michael Witt nearly blew it with his grandstanding over the line, while an animated Ivan Cleary almost broke the glass in the coaches box. The Storm had to take the hard road to the grand final and never recovered, tipped up 40-0 by Manly in the decider.

2007 Round 13:
Storm 4
Warriors 2

A game for the purists, in Arctic-like conditions at Mt Smart Stadium, in front of just over 6000 people. A Tony Martin penalty was cancelled out by two from the Storm. It was the sixth loss in a row for Ivan Cleary's men but this display of extreme courage and defensive heart seemed to re-ignite their confidence. The Warriors lost just two of their next 12 matches, propelling themselves up the ladder to eventually finish in fourth spot. It remains the lowest-scoring match in NRL history, equalled by the Eels and Knights last year.

2006, Round 24:
Warriors 24
Storm 20

The upset of the season. Coming into this match the Storm had seemed virtually unbeatable and had not lost at Olympic Park all year. But two tries from Brett Webb, solid goalkicking from Lance Hohaia and a great display by Steve Price and Ruben Wiki condemned the Melbourne side to their only home loss of the year. They still took the minor premiership, but this defeat stopped an 11-game winning streak. It gave other teams hope, and the Broncos eventually upset the Storm in the grand final.

2004, Round 16:
Storm 42
Warriors 6

A match that signalled the limits of new coach Tony Kemp's ability. He had replaced Daniel Anderson mid-season and started his reign with an encouraging victory over the Raiders. This was followed by a record 50-4 hiding from the Tigers in Christchurch; a close loss to the Cowboys and then this Matt King-inspired demolition at Olympic Park. The team went on to lose seven of their last nine games in 2004. In 2005, despite the addition of Price, Wiki and Nathan Fien, Kemp could inspire the team to no higher than 11th and was gone by year's end.

2001, Round 24:
Storm 24
Warriors 24

In their seventh season, this heart-stopper sealed the Warriors' place in the NRL finals for the first time. Two tries from Shontayne Hape set up an improbable 22-4 halftime lead before the home side mounted their comeback. Injury dramas meant the Warriors played almost the entire second half with nobody on their interchange bench and Matt Geyer dragged a last minute kick that would have consigned the Auckland club to defeat. They would lose their final regular season match to the Cowboys, before being thumped 56-12 in the first week of the playoffs by an Eels side that voluntarily ended the match with 12 players. But the monkey was well and truly off the back.