MELBOURNE have sunk to a fifth consecutive defeat, fighting back against Canberra before eventually finishing off second best at GIO Sttadium.
In a seesawing game, Canberra grabbed a 12-0 lead early and then Melbourne swept back to hit the front. At halftime it was 16-12 to the visitors at the break.
Canberra led by 10 well into the final 10 minutes but their cause wasn’t helped when the restart after Nick Meaney’s 74th minute try went out on the full.
But Zac Hosking seemed to made sure of it for the Green Machine with a try with three minutes on the clock.
But the incident was revisited by the Bunker as there was a head collision, with Hudson Young placed on report and the try chalked off.
CANBERRA 26 (Sasagi Horsburgh Strange Timoko tries Sanders 6 goals) beat MELBOURNE 22 (Meaney 2 Fa’alogo Warbrick tries Meaney 3 goals) at GIO Stadium.
Teams:
CANBERRA: Keao Weekes; Sebastien Kris, Simi Sasagi, Matt Timoko, Jed Stuart; Ethan Strange, Ethan Sanders; Joe Tapine (c), Tom Starling, Ata Matiota, Hudson Young, Zac Hosking, Corey Horsburgh. Res: Josh Papalii, Noah Martin, Jayden Brailey, Morgan Smithies, Daine Lawrie, Joe Reddy.
MELBOURNE:Sua Fa’alogo; Will Warbrick, Jack Howarth, Manaia Waitere, Nick Meaney; Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes; Stefano Utoikamanu, Harry Grant (c), Josh King, Joe Chan, Cooper Clarke, Trent Loiero. Res: Tyran Wishart, Alec McDonald, Jack Hetherington, Shawn Blore.
Referee: Peter Gough