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Melbourne Storm fans accused of dodgy act during loss to Raiders

Raiders players, pictured here appearing to be tricked by a Melbourne Storm fan blowing a whistle.
Raiders players appeared to be tricked by a Melbourne Storm fan blowing a whistle. Image: Fox Sports

Details have emerged about an incident in the Canberra Raiders' win over Melbourne Storm in which Raiders players appeared to be tricked by a Storm fan blowing a whistle.

Harry Grant gave the Storm a short-lived lead in the second-half of Sunday's game at AAMI Park when he took advantage of some shoddy defence and dived over from dummy-half.

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The Storm hooker darted over after taking off down the short-side, with Corey Harawira-Naera and Joseph Tapine barely laying a finger on Grant.

Raiders players immediately remonstrated with referee Ashley Klein, but it wasn't clear what they were complaining about.

However details have since come to light that Canberra players were fuming about a fan who blew a whistle.

The sound of a whistle could clearly be heard in replays of the try, which came just seconds before Grant picked up the ball.

Raiders fullback Xavier Savage immediately spun around to look at Klein after hearing the whistle and failed to attempt a tackle on Grant.

Canberra captain Josh Papali'i then approached Klein to complain, but there was nothing the referee could do.

Raiders players, pictured here protesting with the referee after Harry Grant's try.
Raiders players protested with the referee after Harry Grant's try. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

"Interesting watching the reaction there of Papali'i and Xavier Savage," Michael Ennis said in commentary for Fox Sports.

"They were instantly blowing up about something."

Raiders fan account 'The Greenhouse' tweeted: "Were we just imagining the whistle blowing before that Harry Grant try?!

"Listening on the replay, there is definitely a whistle, so it is no wonder that the Canberra Raiders defenders thought that there was something amiss in the Storm play the ball. Could have been very costly."

Ryan Papenhuyzen injured as Raiders shock the Storm

Luckily for the Raiders it didn't prove costly, with a late James Schiller try propelling the visitors to a 20-16 victory.

In a horror blow for the Storm, fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen appears destined to miss the remainder of the season after breaking his kneecap in a collision with Jack Wighton.

Two tries to young winger Schiller, the nephew of Canberra legend Brett Mullins, helped the Raiders to victory on Sunday and kept their finals hopes alive.

For the first time since round nine, Melbourne had their complete spine back together, but that lasted just 19 minutes after Papenhuyzen was helped off after a sickening clash of right kneecaps with Wighton.

He was taken to hospital and is expected to have an operation on Monday.

"He's got a broken kneecap and he won't be back (this season) I wouldn't imagine," Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.

Wighton had plenty of sympathy for Papenhuyzen, who he described as a champion bloke and player.

"I really hate seeing that stuff for any player," Wighton said.

Papenhuyzen has scored 14 tries in 11 games this season but has missed matches with a posterior cruciate ligament injury and a hamstring issue.

"He's laboured a little bit since he has been back but I thought he looked pretty sharp there," Bellamy said.

The Raiders notched a fourth-straight win over the Storm at AAMI Park and moved up one spot to 10th, just two points behind eighth-placed Manly.

"We're in the (finals) hunt there's no doubt about that I just need us to play with that type of spirit," Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said.

with AAP

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