The Melbourne Storm are through to a home preliminary final after a stunning victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, scraping through by a single point thanks to a Cameron Munster field goal just three minutes from fulltime.
In one of the greatest games in recent memory, neither team was able to take control of the contest, with the lead changing hands all game long.
The Storm got away with it in the end, but they were far from perfect throughout the contest, making some defensive errors at times which let the Rabbitohs back into the game.
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The visitors came away with the first points in the game. Following a disallowed try to Billy Slater, Dane Gagai scored off a pin-point accurate kick from Adam Reynolds to the corner.
The Rabbitohs squandered some opportunities in the next ten minutes, before the Storm got their first points through Curtis Scott.
Despite a penalty goal and try to Greg Inglis off a miraculous Robert Jennings offload, the hosts took the lead into halftime with a try-scoring double to Suliasi Vunivalu, the second from long range.
An excellent first 40 was backed up by a cracking second 40.
Cameron Smith extended the lead with a penalty goal, but a try to Greg Inglis tied the game up shortly afterwards as the Rabbitohs defence got them back on top. Adam Reynolds put a chip kick right on the money, with ‘GI’ then crashing over through Slater.
Robert Jennings had the next try to hand Souths the lead just 20 minutes from time, but Cheyse Blair got it tied up again with a try out wide four minutes later.
Cameron Murray then slipped through a tackle after a controversial forward pass try, and it looked like it would be the match-winner, but Melbourne then scored again through Blair, before Munster slotted the field goal to make himself the hero of the day.
Next week, South Sydney will host the winner of the Brisbane Broncos and St George Illawarra Dragons elimination final on Sunday, while the Storm have a week off before playing the winner of the other semi-final, which will see the loser of Cronulla and the Roosters take on the winner of the Warriors and Panthers.
Melbourne Storm 29
South Sydney Rabbitohs 28
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Munster was ruled out of the remained of the game with the Channel Nine pundits immediately casting their attention to the upcoming Origin series.
