LIVE: Infuriated Luai voices Storm 'slap' claim

The full-time siren blows arsenic the Panthers people a broad 26-6 triumph implicit the Storm.

The two-time reigning premiers conceded the archetypal effort but dominated the remainder of the game, consolidating successful archetypal connected the ladder.

Defence was the hallmark of their performance, peculiarly successful the 2nd half.

Melbourne did not find different effort aft Young Tonumaipea crossed successful the 16th minute, Penrith repeatedly denying the visitors with tremendous goal-line defence.

Brian To'o bagged 2 tries arsenic Jarome Luai and Stephen Crichton snared a four-pointer each.

The Storm are lone clinging to 4th connected the ladder.

Spicy scenes successful Penrith!

Storm centre Marion Seve is gang-tackled into interaction implicit the close sideline and a scuffle erupts.

Jarome Luai is successful the heavy of it and fumes to the referee after.

"I got slapped successful the head, I got slapped successful the head," Luai says.

"You talking to me? I'm listening."

"Oi, oi, relax," says teammate Scott Sorensen, butting successful as helium places a manus connected Luai.

"It's your ball," the referee says to Luai.

"Don't tally the hazard of thing else."

Brian To'o bags his 2nd effort of the nighttime successful the 51st minute, zipping implicit connected the close helping arsenic the Panthers dispersed it wide.

Nathan Cleary converts to widen Penrith's pb to 26-6.

The Storm person conceded a punishment aft Harry Grant flew retired of the enactment and was deemed to person made precocious interaction with Sunia Turuva, but a mates of rugby league greats reckon the determination was overkill.

Grant archetypal made interaction with Turuva's shoulder, and his limb crept up and brushed his face.

"It looked bad," Andrew Johns said connected Nine's coverage.

"Harry Grant looking to alteration the crippled for his team, which is what you privation to spot from your leaders," added co-commentator Paul Gallen.

"But I can't accidental helium got that wrong. That shouldn't person been a penalty. Ridiculous."

The 2nd fractional kicks disconnected with the Panther holding a 20-6 lead.

Brian To'o, Jarome Luai and Stephen Crichton person scored for Penrith, while Young Tonumaipea has crossed for Melbourne.

The Panthers instrumentality a 20-6 buffer to the sheds aft a converted Stephen Crichton effort successful the shadows of half-time.

It wraps up a ascendant fractional of shot by the Panthers successful which they enjoyed 64 per cent of possession and completed astatine 88 per cent, compared to the Storm's 71 per cent.

When a squad with truthful galore attacking weapons — Cleary, Luai, Edwards, Crichton, To'o and truthful connected — are talented truthful overmuch ball, the absorption is going to pay.

Nathan Cleary slots a punishment extremity to propulsion retired the Panthers' pb to 14-6.

The champion Penrith halfback was floored by a thumping Nelson Asofa-Solomona earlier, with the Melbourne elephantine hitting him precocious arsenic helium kicked the ball.

The Panthers person turned up the heat, piling connected 2 tries successful conscionable 3 minutes!

Brian To'o crossed connected the close helping earlier Jarome Luai divided done the Melbourne defence connected the near edge.

The Panthers leads 12-6 aft 28 minutes.

Making matters worse is an wounded stroke to George Jennings, who's been wiped from the crippled with a genu injury.