Melbourne have dealt South Sydney’s NRL top-four prospects a telling blow with a gritty 22-16 comeback victory in a torrid, finals-like clash at ANZ Stadium.
The Storm bagged the only two tries of the second half in driving rain to snap the Rabbitohs’ five-game winning streak in typically clinical fashion.
Five players required head injury assessments as two of the competition heavyweights clashed for the full 80 minutes on Friday night.
But, as is so often the case, it was the Storm’s trump cards who stole it as Cameron Smith combined with Ryan Papenhuyzen to set up the match-winning late try for playmaker Cameron Munster.
The bruising win kept Melbourne in the fight for another minor premiership, although Penrith remain frontrunners sitting three points clear of the Storm with three regular rounds remaining.
There were concerns for the Storm, though, with prop Christian Welch placed on report for a crusher tackle on Souths forward Liam Knight.
Fellow representative forward Felise Kaufusi is also likely to come under scrutiny from the match review committee for a suspect first-half behind-the-play bump that left Souths halfback Adam Reynolds needing a HIA.
With rumours that skipper Smith is set to call time on his decorated career, it was the champion hooker’s Test successor Damien Cook who made the first early statement, exploding out of dummy-half and slicing straight through the Storm defence.
But despite Souths dominating possession and territory, Melbourne came perilously close to scoring first, winger Isaac Lumelume denied by the bunker after Storm centre Brenko Lee was deemed to have knocked on in the lead-up.
The let-off proved costly for Melbourne, with Lumelume making a meal of a grubber kick from Rabbitohs five-eighth Cody Walker into the in-goal two minutes later, allowing Campbell Graham to pounce.
Reynolds’ conversion, adding to his fifth-minute penalty goal, gave Souths an 8-0 lead.
The Storm wasted little time cutting the deficit to two points, Josh Addo-Carr burning Steven Marsters on the outside to put Papenhuyzen over in the 27th minute and Smith adding the extras from the sideline.
Some direct running from Walker restored the Rabbitohs’ eight-point buffer three minutes before the break, only for Papenhuyzen’s lightning speed to leave Marsters wanting again and setting up Justin Olam for the Storm’s second try in the shadows of halftime.
The Rabbitohs’ coach killer kept the Storm within striking distance and, as ever, that proved enough for Craig Bellamy’s second-placed outfit to collect another all-important two competition points.
