NZ Warriors' return to Mt Smart Stadium couldn't bring a change in fortunes, as the Kiwi side fell to a 24-12 defeat to Melbourne Storm on Friday.
A hat-trick of tries to winger Edward Kosi ultimately went down in vain, as the Storm ended a four-game losing run in style.
And even missing names like Ryan Papenhuyzen, Brandon Smith, Xavier Coates and Christian Welch, the Storm still had too much for the Warriors.
The loss was the Warriors' 13th in succession against the Storm, and second of the season after the 70-10 humiliation on Anzac Day.
The defeat could be even further soured, as the Warriors lost five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita, leaving the field in the first half with what could be a season-ending knee injury.
Looking to break a 12-game losing streak against the Storm, the Warriors were on the back foot early in the first half, as Cameron Munster put Justin Olam into a gap to score the opening try.
But the Warriors hit back through Kosi, who dived over in the corner in the 21st minute, courtesy of a cutout pass from Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Six minutes later, though, the Storm were in again, as a rampaging Felise Kaufusi threw an offload which put hooker Harry Grant in uncontested.
And to make matters worse for the Warriors, Harris-Tavita limped off the field immediately after the Storm's second.
Harris-Tavita's exit forced a reshuffle in the Warriors' backline, seeing Wayde Egan shift infield to five-eighth.
And the move yielded results almost immediately, another cutout pass to Kosi's wing - this time thrown by Egan - set up the Warriors' second, as the Storm's lead was cut to 10-8 at halftime.
The only lowlights of the first half both came from the Storm, as the pair of Nelson
Asofa-Solomona and Josh King were both placed on report. Asofa-Solomona's forearm connected with the head of Egan, while King appeared to eye gouge Jazz Tevaga in a tackle.
Despite keeping with the Storm in the first half, though, the Warriors fell away in the second as Melbourne took control.
In a rapid start to the second spell, the Storm added to their score before the Warriors even had the ball, as Jahrome Hughes slipped through the defence.
A stunning team effort saw the Storm score their fourth, as an infield kick from winger Grant Anderson was touched down by fullback Nick Meaney, who beat the attempted clearance of Johnson to ground the ball.
A penalty to Meaney put the Storm 22-8 ahead, before the Warriors' woes worsened when Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was placed on report for tackling Meaney in the air, leaving the Melbourne fullback injured and unable to finish the game.
A quick play from a scrum saw Kosi cross over to complete his hat-trick, as fitting redemption after the winger's error-ridden display in the Anzac Day defeat.
One last penalty, this time to Munster with Meaney unavailable, added the final two points to the Storm's tally, and condemned the Warriors to a 14th loss of 2022, and third in a row.
NZ Warriors 12 (Kosi 3 tries)
Melbourne Storm 24 (Olam, Grant, Hughes, Meaney tries; Meaney 2 conversions; Meaney, Munster penalties)
