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NRL finals have started early with the Sydney Roosters locking up their top-eight spot after holding on for a 18-14 win over Melbourne in a fiery and drama-filled classic at AAMI Park.

The wounded Roosters spoiled the regular-season Melbourne farewell for Storm stalwarts Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi and Brandon Smith on Friday night to secure their seventh straight win.

It was an explosive encounter in front of 25,308 fans as the Roosters ensured they would play in the finals for the sixth straight season.

Trent Robinson's team silenced the parochial Melbourne crowd after charging out to a 14-0 lead after 20 minutes.

But when Nick Meaney scored in the 65th minute it gave the Storm faithful hope they could lock up a top-four spot before an away showdown with Parramatta in the final round next week.

Melbourne made several late bursts as they tried to pinch the lead for the first time in the game but the Roosters bravely defended their line, including a game-saving effort from superstar James Tedesco, to score a famous win.

Kenny Bromwich looked destined to cross for the Storm's third try, but Tedesco was able to put his body between the ball and the line.

"It's not always pretty but you've got to be desperate and you have to come up with try savers to win big games and none more critical than that," Robinson said.

"We had to play in a different way tonight but proud of the way the guys went about it."

However, the Roosters' first victory over the Storm since 2019 came at a cost as they leave Victoria with several concerns.

Star Roosters forward Victor Radley was knocked out and taken off on a stretcher after running into the hip of Storm captain Jesse Bromwich with 10 minutes remaining.

It is a major concern because it was Radley's second concussion of the season after he suffered a big hit in round one.

Lindsay Collins, in his first game back from concussion, was placed on report for an incident with the Storm's Tom Eisenhuth in the dying minutes.

Roosters winger Daniel Tupou opened the scoring with a try in the left corner, but his joy was short-lived.

Tupou left the field less than 10 minutes later with a groin injury, casting doubt on his availability for the finals.

The 31-year-old has a history of groin issues and Robinson admitted the injury was a major concern for the Roosters.

The game was fiery from the start and heated up further when Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle on Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

Melbourne finally took advantage just before Waerea-Hargreaves returned to the field, with young flyer Xavier Coates crossing in the corner eight minutes before halftime.

A dramatic night took another turn when Storm coach Craig Bellamy fell ill with a migraine and was replaced in the post-game press conference by senior assistant Stephen Kearney.

"The Roosters got away to a really good start and we didn't help ourselves there," Kearney said.

"We had our opportunities, we probably weren't quite good enough and I thought the Roosters did a really good job."

The Storm will head to CommBank Stadium on Thursday night against the Eels, with the winners securing a top-four spot and the losers going into an elimination final.

Meanwhile, the Roosters will host South Sydney in a blockbuster re-opening of Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

© AAP 2022

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Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro has been charged over a scuffle with a freelance cameraman on Sydney's northern beaches earlier this year.

NSW Police on Friday served a future attendance of court notice for alleged assault and malicious damage offences on a 51-year-old man, via his legal representatives, they told AAP.

The former politician was involved in the altercation with freelance cameraman Matt Costello outside a bar in Manly on Saturday 23 July.

Footage circulated online shows the pair struggling as they grab and push one another while the man tries to film Mr Barilaro, who then walks away.

Mr Barilaro later confirmed the incident, saying he was confronted in the dark outside a bar and felt harassed during a night out with friends.

"To come out and have a camera shoved in your face. I'm a private citizen," he told 2GB in July.

"All I did was push a camera out of my way. I did not manhandle an individual."

Mr Barilaro is expected to appear at Manly Local Court on October 12.

© AAP 2022

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A massive haul of the drug "ice" uncovered in marble stone at a Sydney port, worth $1.6 billion on the street, is the largest discovery of its kind in Australia.

Last month, Australian Border Force officers homed in on a number of sea cargo containers that arrived at Port Botany in Sydney.

They found 748kg of methylamphetamine concealed in marble stone.

NSW Police strike force investigators later arrested and charged three men, aged 24, 26 and 34.

Last week, an examination of more containers at Port Botany found a further 1060kg of methylamphetamine also concealed in marble stone.

The total haul was more than 1800kg and is the largest seizure of the drug in Australia, NSW Police Detective Acting Chief Superintendent John Watson said on Friday.

"There is no question methamphetamine or ice is an insidious drug," he told reporters.

"It rips apart people's lives, families and local communities.

"This type of amount has the potential to absolutely devastate rural or regional areas, and it has the potential to be distributed right across our nation."

The estimated potential street value of the ice seized was more than $1.6 billion.

It is the first time authorities have found drugs concealed in a marble stone shipment, Australian Border Force Assistant Commissioner Erin Dale said.

No one has been charged over the latest shipment, although police believe an international drug syndicate is behind it and that the drugs could have come from the Middle East.

"What we're seeing now is the syndicate that was operating locally on our shores, they had international connections, so we're looking well to that," Det Watson said.

"We don't know how long they've been operating for, but it is certainly a line of inquiry that we're keen to understand."

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A massive haul of the drug "ice", with an estimated street value of $1.6 billion, has been seized in NSW in the largest discovery of its kind in Australia.

Last month, Australian Border Force officers homed in on a number of sea cargo containers that arrived at Port Botany in Sydney.

They found 748kg of methylamphetamine concealed in marble stone.

NSW Police strike force investigators later arrested and charged three men, aged 24, 26 and 34, who remain before the court.

Then last week, ABF examined more containers at Port Botany and found another 1060kg of methylamphetamine also concealed marble stone.

In total, more than 1800kg of the drug "ice" - with an estimated potential street value of more than $1.6 billion - was seized.

This is Australia's largest seizure of the drug, NSW Police said in a statement.

Authorities will provide more details at a press conference in Sydney on Friday.

© AAP 2022