7:08pm: 68th min: TRY STORM! The hosts are carving up the Raiders on the edges now, particularly down Canberra's left side targetting makeshift centre Jarrad Kennedy. Fonua snaps up a lovely offload from Koroibete to score his second of the game. Smith misses from out wide again, but it's 28-10 to Storm.
7:03pm: Still can't get over Croker having only two runs so far. He's been one of their go to men along with Milford. Very, very strange.
7:03pm: Smith misses the kick from out wide but at 24-10 with 14 minutes left it looks like the Storm will solidify their position in the top eight.
7:01pm: 64th min: TRY STORM! Surely that's the ball game now as Sisa Waqa charges down the sideline and scores in the corner. Storm 24-10
7:00pm: 61st minute: Jarrod Croker has been in sensational form, but that was just his second run of the game! His opposite number Will Chambers has made over 133 metres....
6:57pm: 60th min: Oh boy, the Storm have absolutely bombed a try which would have virtually wrapped this up. A poor read from Jarrad Kennedy, a regular back rower playing centre, opens it up for Fonua but his pass near the try line intended for Koroibete is wayward!
6:53pm: The Raiders have enjoyed so much ball, around six more sets than Melbourne but have just lacked the polish to take advantage of it. Story of their season, really.
6:50pm: 52nd min: TRY STORM! And as you so often see in the NRL, the team who successfully absorbs a lot of pressure get one chance, and they score. Raiders concede a penalty for stripping ten metres out. Cameron Smith runs across field out of dummy half and turns it inside to Mahe Fonua for the try. Smith converts. 20-10 Storm.
6:48pm: 51st min: The pressure valve is let off by a knock on without much pressure on him from Terry Campese. The Raiders have had an absolute glut of possession either side of half time and haven't capitalised.
6:46pm: 49th min: A kick from Milford on the last tackle ricochets off a couple of Storm players into the in goal, but Cameron Smith saves the day. Another drop out for Storm, Raiders building pressure here.
6:44pm: 48th min: A nicely weighted grubber kick from Josh McCrone is tapped dead by Billy Slater. Line drop out to Storm, Raiders to go on attack again.
6:42pm: 45th min: Storm nearly score through Junior Moors, but he's held up by some desperate Raiders defence! That was the tackle count up, Raiders with the ball.
6:40pm: 42nd minute: We're underway in the second half and the Raiders had the first chance, but it was quelled by a Dane Tilse knock on close to the try line.
6:32pm: It's been a VERY long time since back to back NRL wins for Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. Can he break the drought today?
6:27pm: Tweet referring to Raiders star Josh Papalii's bizarre road rage incident this week. And no, we didn't agree to him apologising out the front of the Canberra Times office.
6:26pm: Key stats: Raiders have 11 offloads to four, and have completed 85 per cent of their sets to Storm's 72. Shayne Hayne is not an overly popular man with the majority of the AAMI Park crowd. 5-1 penalty count in favour of Canberra.
6:23pm: Half time: Storm 14 lead Raiders 10. Canberra had a glut of possession and territory late in the half, but just couldn't capitalise. From trailing 10-0 after just seven minutes, the Raiders have got back into this contest.
6:19pm: 37th: Storm fullback Billy Slater is forced to take a grubber kick with the Raiders chase bearing down, and steps into touch ten metres out. From ensuing set Kurt Baptiste grubbers into in goal and forces a Storm line drop out.
6:16pm: 34th min: Sorry guys, a few computer issues there but the Raiders have scored a try through Anthony Milford and the conversion by Croker has reduced Melbourne's lead to 14-10. Raiders helped by a 4-1 penalty count in their favour, that ohance came on back of a penalty.
6:04pm:
Rise4Alex: If you haven't bought a 'Rise for Alex' wristband, get out to a game and get one this weekend. Photo: Getty Images
6:02pm: 21st min: TRY STORM! Mahe Fonua throws an absolutely superb round the corner pass to his winger Marika Koroibete, who scores his first try for his new club since being a mid season transfer from Wests Tigers. 14-4 Storm.
6:01pm: 20th min: Storm go right back on the attack after Anthony Milford knocks on in goal from the kick off. Drop out to Raiders and hosts get another chance.
6:01pm: 20th min: And the NRL's leading point scorer before this round Jarrod Croker misses the goal. It's quite slippery out there at the moment which isn't helping both kickers. 10-4 Storm.
6:00pm:
Raided: Storm forward Kevin Proctor crosses the line to score the opening try. Photo: Getty Images
5:59pm: 19th min: There's a bit of conjecture there whether Raiders prop David Shillington passed that forward when offloading in the tackle to Campese. Video ref can't rule on that however, and Canberra is back in the game.
5:58pm: 19th min: This looks like a try to the Raiders! A beautiful long pass from Terry Campese finds Sami Sauiluma unmarked, who puts it down in the corner. The video referee gives the all clear and it's 10-4 to Melbourne, kick to come.
5:57pm: 18th min: Penalty to the Raiders for a strip in the ruck. They'll go on the attack again here. They need a try to settle into this.
5:52pm: Already eight missed tackles for the Raiders. They need to fix up their leaky defence fast or it will be a long night. A penalty here helps, Canberra will go on the attack 30 metres out.
5:47pm: 8th min: TRY STORM! They're in again through Jordan McLean after the Raiders middle third defence somehow opened up like the grand canyon. Cameron Smith converts and it's 10-0 as Smith converts from in front. Some real danger signs here early for the Green Machine.
5:43pm: 6th min: And that's a terrible conversion attempt from Cameron Smith. Sprays it well left of the posts. It's 4-0 to Melbourne.
5:42pm: 5th min: TRY STORM! Proctor is given the green light for opening points of the match. Very ironic given he very nearly joined the Raiders from next season on a big money deal!
5:41pm: 5th min: Possible try here to Kevin Proctor, who scoooped up a loose ball on ground and caught the Raiders napping. Checking to see if Storm knocked on in the build up.
5:37pm: And we have kick-off here at AAMI Park.
5:36pm: Nice tribute to Alex McKinnon before the game, then a minute's silence for the MH17 disaster.
5:31pm: It is Shaun Fensom's 100th NRL match today. Hopefully he has better luck than recent Raiders centurions Josh McCrone and Glen Buttriss. In McCrone's 100th the Raiders were smashed 68-4 by Storm last year. Earlier this season Buttriss' milestone was spoilt by a 56-18 loss at Manly.
5:27pm:
What a great initiative the 'Rise for Alex' campaign has been this round, raising money for courageous Newcastle player Alex McKinnon who suffered a spinal injury at AAMI Park in round three. A dollar from every ticket sold at each game this round goes to Alex.
5:24pm: I am sitting directly beside the Canberra Raiders coaching box, where Ricky Stuart will be. This should be interesting...
5:14pm: Here's the line ups for today's match.
Raiders: 1 Anthony Milford, 2 Reece Robinson, 3 Jarrod Croker, 4 Jarrad Kennedy, 5 Sami Sauiluma, 6 Terry Campese 7 Josh McCrone, 8 David Shillington, 9 Glen Buttriss, 10 Brett White, 11 Josh Papalii, 12 Joel Edwards, 13 Shaun Fensom. Interchange: 14 Kurt Baptiste, 15 Paul Vaughan, 16 Dane Tilse, 17, Shannon Boyd.
Storm: 1 Billy Slater, 2 Marika Koroibete, 3 Will Chambers, 5 Mahe Fonua, 19 Sisa Waqa, 6 Ben Roberts, 7 Cooper Cronk, 8 Jesse Bromwich, 16 Cameron Smith, 10 Bryan Norrie, 11 Kevin Proctor, 12 Ryan Hoffman, 17 Jordan McLean. Interchange: 13 Ryan Hinchcliffe, 14 Tim Glasby, 15 Tohu Harris, 18 Junior Moors.
5:13pm: In team news, there is no new from the Raiders side of things - they're 1-17. Centre Matt Allwood travelled with the side but coach Ricky Stuart has stuck with back rower Jarrad Kennedy at right centre, who is playing his first NRL match there.
For the Storm, Mahe Fonua moves from right wing to right centre, with Sisa Waqa coming onto the right wing. Jordan McLean to start at lock with Ryan Hinchcliffe dropping back to the bench. Junior Moors comes onto the bench.
5:13pm: Here is the AAP preview for today's game.
Melbourne Storm v Canberra at AAMI Park 5.30pm
Head to Head: Storm 24 Raiders 10
Last clash: Round 7 2014 - Raiders 24 bt Storm 22 at GIO Stadium
Tab Sportsbet: Storm $1.20 Raiders $4.75
FootyTAB: Raiders +12.5
This is a game eighth-placed Melbourne need to win to stay in the hunt for a top four berth. Halfback Cooper Cronk slammed the Storm's recent efforts as "mediocre" so expect his teammates to respond. The Raiders have enjoyed three of their five wins on the road this year so can't be underestimated. They need a win to help distance themselves from the wooden spoon.
Key: The end of Origin. The Storm traditionally come into their own at the end of the interstate period, expect big games from Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater and probably a big Melbourne win.
Tip: Storm
5:12pm: Hello and welcome from an overcast, but so far dry, AAMI Park for the crucial NRL clash between Melbourne Storm and Canberra Raiders. The Storm (8-8) are in eight spot on the ladder and looking to solidify themselves in the top half of the ladder. The Raiders (5-11) are searching for back to back wins for the first time this season after breaking a four game losing streak with a 36-20 win on the Gold Coast last week.
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