Cronulla 31 26 Melbourne Match Report & Highlights

That got Cronulla back in the game at 16-10, but another penalty allowed Melbourne to go out to an eight-point lead before Coates’ match-sealing try. Melbourne will now face the winner of Brisbane and four-time defending premiers Penrith in Sunday’s other preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium. Melbourne have given themselves a shot at grand final redemption, with the club’s new big four booking a spot in the NRL decider with a win over Cronulla. Now Craig Bellamy’s men will face the winner of Sunday’s clash between the Broncos and the Panthers in the grand final on October 5. “At the end of the 1xbet login day, it’s hard to get into a grand final, and it’s extra hard to win one. They know how to win grand finals, as we’ve seen in the last few years,” he said.

‘Sad, sad sight’: Storm’s big win over Sharks soured by ‘devastating’ late blow

• Nick Meaney slots the ball easily and Melbourne hold an eight-point lead.
• And with Cronulla doing their best to hang in there at with five minutes to go, it was Harry Grant who provided the knockout blow for the hosts.
• Cronulla’s defence continued to sustain some of Melbourne’s finest attacking plays and again stood up in the 29th minute of the first half when Munster dummied and busted a tackle, broke through the line only to be dragged down by a diving tackle from Blaike Brailey who grabbed Munster by the shorts.
• Reigning Dally M medallist Jahrome Hughes, managing a broken arm with screws, plates and electromagnetic technology to speed up the healing process, certainly showed what the Storm were missing during his absence earlier in the finals series as their key playmaker with a game-high eight tackle busts.

That relief turned to elation when Xavier Coates scored his first finals try in three years to extend the lead out to an unassailable 12 points. It was a third consecutive week where Cronulla conceding the opening try and they showed plenty of resolve to stay in the game on this occasion as well, striking in the 11th minute when the off-contract Will Kennedy dummied Cameron Munster and Jack Howarth before scything the pair and slinging it out wide to Sione Katoa for the first of his two tries prior to half-time. Legendary NRL coach Craig Bellamy has booked himself an 11th Grand Final appearance after his Melbourne Storm held on for a nervy preliminary final win against the Cronulla Sharks. But it was third time unlucky for the Sharks with Faalogo collecting a Nicho Hynes tap-on cleanly and out-sprinting speedy Sharks fullback Will Kennedy over 90 metres to score and give the Storm a 10-0 lead.

Melbourne celebrate victory

The Storm came out from the sheds at half-time to defend a 28-game winning streak when leading at half-time in a final under Craig Bellamy and, for at least the first 18 minutes of the second half, were not assured of a 29th. “Like this thing of ‘you’ve had a failed season if you don’t win the grand final’, that’s a load of crap. The game appeared to be out of reach for the Sharks once Hynes blew a golden attacking opportunity by dropping a slightly wayward fourth tackle pass just ten metres out, and when the Storm won a Captain’s Challenge in attack three minutes later, the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Sharks hit back for their second try of the game in the following set when Billy Burns broke the line and made space for Katoa to reach out for the line on the right wing after surviving an unsuccessful tackle from Xavier Coates that brought him to ground. Reigning Dally M medallist Jahrome Hughes, managing a broken arm with screws, plates and electromagnetic technology to speed up the healing process, certainly showed what the Storm were missing during his absence earlier in the finals series as their key playmaker with a game-high eight tackle busts. Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen extended the lead to six early in the second half with a penalty from straight in front, but failed on a tougher second penalty goal attempt that would have extended the lead to eight in a low-scoring game.

Papenhuyzen also produced a vital try-saver on Briton Nikora midway through the second half, albeit while conceding a high-tackle penalty in the process. The Storm have not won a premiership since Cameron Smith’s retirement after the 2020 grand final, with the new era desperate to claim a title of their own. Braydon Trindall gives a penalty away for an illegal steal, and Melbourne opt to take the kick to push it out to an eight-point lead.

The master coach said this season, like last, can already be considered a successful one, even if the Storm don’t win the title next weekend. Storm coach Craig Bellamy said his team had been given a leg up over next week’s grand final opponent, who will have two fewer days to prepare after playing on Sunday afternoon. It is coach Craig Bellamy’s 11th grand final in 23 years. It will be their seventh grand final since 2012.

Xavier Coates scores, and that all but seals another grand final appearance for the Storm. It’s official, Melbourne are through to grand final once again with a victory against Cronulla. It’s been a public holiday in Melbourne today for the AFL grand final tomorrow, so fans won’t be rushing to leave the stadium, unless they’ve had a big afternoon. Every time the Storm looked like kicking away early in the game, the Sharks did well to hang in the fight.