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Posted:
2023-09-15 08:30:27
Original link:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-15/nrl-semifinal-melbourne-storm-sydney-roosters-will-warbrick/102843800
A 79th-minute try to Will Warbrick has saved Melbourne's season and delivered the Storm a remarkable 18-13 victory over a gallant Roosters side.
Warbrick flew high to claim a cross-field kick from Cameron Munster with barely 90 seconds remaining before slamming the ball down to send Melbourne through the preliminary final, where they will play Penrith.
Another Tricolours boilover looked in the offing after Sam Walker gave the Bondi side a one-point lead inside the final 10 minutes.
But with the Storm facing a straight-set finals exit after last week's humiliation against the Broncos, it was Munster and Warbrick who found the magic when it counted.
Warbrick, a former Aussie Rules player in New Zealand who later went on to win Olympic silver for his country in rugby sevens, has enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Storm and will now live in that club's history forever.
"He's scored a lot of tries for us this year," Bellamy said.
"It's taken him a little while to get used to our game [but] I've really been very impressed with the progress that he's made.
"That was one hell of a big play. That contest would've done justice over the road [at the AFL at the MCG].
"If he hadn't come up with that play, we lose."
The match also marks another match-winning performance on the big stage for Munster, who helped lift the tempo for his side in the second half with some probing runs and more than one bone-rattling tackle.
After downing Cronulla last week, the Roosters nearly pulled off another upset with Lindsay Collins crashing over next to the posts to level the scores before Walker's one-pointer.
With Trent Robinson's side ripped apart by injuries, they needed something special from their big guns and the likes of James Tedesco, Brandon Smith and Victor Radley all delivered.
Smith crashed over for a try from close range in his clash with his former club to stem the bleeding after Melbourne got off to a flying start with an unlikely hero opening the scoring.
With Jahrome Hughes sidelined, Tyran Wishart was called in at halfback and although the Gerringong junior is normally a hooker by trade he wasted no time putting his stamp on the match when he knifed through the Roosters's defence to score from close range.
The Storm struck again soon thereafter, earning possession when referee Ashley Klein missed a clear knock-on from Melbourne hooker Harry Grant.
Klein apologised to Roosters skipper Tedesco for the blunder but the damage was already done with Grant putting Storm centre Marion Seve over for a try following some up-tempo offloading from the Victorians' right edge.
"It was pretty clear it was dropped. He was right there. It hit the ground," Robinson said.
"What can you do? It was an error.
"Key moments are critical for both sides and the referees; you gotta nail 'em.
"I'm not complaining. We should've went down and defended. They shouldn't have scored off a penalty 10 metres off their own line."
The Roosters, who finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak to reach the finals, showed typical fight to get back into the game and even take the lead with eight minutes left.
But Warbrick's moment of magic consigned them to a heart-breaking loss.
Look back at how the game unfolded in our live blog below and check out the full scores and stats.
The Meaney game
Nick Meaney has filled in about every role in the Storm's backline since arriving from Canterbury, but tonight was arguably his best game at fullback.
He tucked the ball under the arm for some powerful hit-ups and was rock solid under the high ball despite Luke Keary and Sam Walker consistently putting him in 50/50 contests on his line. It all boiled down to him taking the catch off the short kick-off to end the game.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy says Meaney was their best on ground tonight.
"I don't know whether having Paps [Ryan Papenhuyzen] around the last couple of weeks might've had him thinking he might be moved to other positions during the game," he says.
"He's had a hell of a year and I thought he was really outstanding tonight. Really proud of him.
"I'm sure [Papenhuyzen has] been giving him a few tips and I'm sure Nick's asked a bit of advice as well."
Trent Robinson 'heartbroken' after a gutting loss
Trent Robinson seems particularly proud of what this team has done, riding all the bumps of a season, chopping and changing their team, recovering from 14th spot in round 22 and coming within a whisker of a preliminary final.
"Heartbroken," he says.
"We felt like we found our team the longer the season went. We found our heart the longer the season went.
"Really proud, but it's disappointing."
And of course he was asked about that Harry Grant knock-on that was missed in the first half, leading directly to the Storm's second try to go 10-0 up.
To Robinson's credit, he's shown a lot more class in his comments on that blatant miss by referee Ashley Klein in a game decided by one try.
"It was pretty clear it was dropped. He was right there. It hit the ground. What can you do? It was an error," Robinson says.
"We should've went down and defended. They shouldn't have scored off a penalty 10 metres off their own line."
Tedesco is pretty diplomatic too.
"I think it was pretty obvious, I think everyone saw it. I think he knew he didn't get that right," he says.
Klein apologised to Tedesco on the field.
Next up for the Storm
The ultimate test in the NRL: Penrith.
Melbourne are saying Jahrome Hughes should be fit for the preliminary final, but they'll need a lot more than that to beat the Panthers.
Tonight's game confirmed the Panthers are a class above both these teams. And they're healthier to boot.
The Storm just got away with this one by the skin of their teeth. They were sloppy in attack but, more importantly, flimsy in defence.
The Roosters pressured without punishing them all that often, but you can bet those half-breaks they made tonight would have been full breaks if the chocolate soldiers had the ball in hand.
Craig Bellamy and the Storm have a lot of work to do to get ready for next Friday's grand final qualifier.
'You dream of those moments': Warbrick
What a moment for this 25-year-old. Build the man a statue.
Will Warbrick came to the Storm this season with no rugby league heritage.
He won a silver medal for New Zealand in the rugby sevens at the Tokyo Olympics and made the switch to league, having never played the 13-person game.
He started this season as a strong ball-runner and a safe set of hands, but he was a defensive liability. Every week, he gets better and Craig Bellamy has spoken so glowingly of him.
And the coach's faith has been repaid.
"You kind of dream of those moments," Warbrick tells ABC Sport.
"So happy and so proud of the team."
Remarkably for a kid from Kawerau, he has an Aussie rules background, playing for the Western Crows in AFL New Zealand and even winning the Rising Star award.
It all came out there. Just the stickiest mitts imaginable.
Will Warbrick? No. Call him Will Warbrick Capper.
Full team stats
The Melbourne Storm have won it at the death!!
What. A. GAME!
Another heart-pumping, heart-stopping, heart-breaking game in these NRL finals.
Melbourne looked to be running out of puff for the final hour of the match, but simply refused to be beaten in a stunning contest.
And the try to Will Warbrick, a rugby sevens star the Storm have nurtured into becoming a brilliant NRL winger, is the perfect capper on a night when they were forced to do it without so many stars.
Harry Grant was excellent, Cameron Munster and Will Warbrick came up with the game-winning play, but Nick Meaney was the hero for Melbourne tonight.
His immaculate composure under the high ball all night, right down to the final short kick-off, combined with some really hard running kept Melbourne's head above water even when they were right up against it.
Meaney converts! Storm lead 18-13 with 25 second left
And Nick Meaney comes up with the short kick-off too! Melbourne will win.
WILL WARBRICK GOES OVER FOR THE STORM!!! Is that the ball game?!
Cameron Munster kicks cross-field and Will Warbrick makes a sensational clean take up above his head in a contest with Junior Pauga.
And he muscles through Corey Allan's cover tackle to slam it down.
What a play by the rugby sevens convert who has gotten better with every week of NRL he's played.
78' Repeat set for the Storm, and a huge missed penalty
A big right-side shift ends with Marion Seve poking his nose through and earns his team six more.
And Harry Grant is smacked in the face by Sam Walker. He stays down, but it's not called.
76' SHOCKING FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT!
The pressure applied to Cameron Munster forces the Storm to go to Tyran Wishart, who drills his field goal attempt into the back of his own teammate.
Golden opportunity wasted.
75' The Roosters give the Storm a golden opportunity
Siua Wong throws a blindside pass over the sideline 15 metres off his own line, and the Storm are right on the attack now. Field goal or try?
74' Trent Loiero goes down with an ankle injury, but it's not called a hip drop
He was right in front, 30 metres out. A penalty would've been a huge call. But not forthcoming.
SAM WALKER SLOTS ANOTHER FIELD GOAL!! Roosters lead!
The Roosters halfback who was the hero last week could be the hero again tonight as he juuuuust gets another one-pointer to sneak over the crossbar.
Roosters lead 13-12 with eight minutes left.
71' Munster makes a meal of it
Cameron Munster tries to make a typical jinking run on the last, but he's harassed into touch by Victor Radley.
Not great for a man who talked about going away from the gameplan too much last week.
69' Huge let-off for the Storm
Nick Meaney makes another great take but is ragdolled into the in-goal by James Tedesco.
But he got some help from Corey Allan, who was offside in the chase, and Ashley Klein blows the penalty.
LINDSAY COLLINS GOES OVER!! It's all square!
Sandon Smith comes off the bench and makes a sensational break through the middle, finding Victor Radley, and Cameron Munster drags him down in a try-saver.
But Smith gets it again out of dummy half and, with any number of options out to the right, finds the big prop with a long ball to send him storming through a yawning gap.
He scores right next to the posts and the conversion levels the scores at 12.
64' Could we have a penalty try? Nope.
Sandon Smith kicks in behind and Paul Momirovski had a good line on it, but he was hit by Reimis Smith. He had to get his timing perfect, and I thought he did, but I'm not sure.
It ends up not mattering because there was an obstruction in the lead-up. So the Storm get a penalty. I'd love a replay of the Momirovski-Smith collision.
63' Roosters get a penalty right on halfway
Trent Loiero is just so obviously hanging onto the ball as James Tedesco tries to play it. Ashley Klein was ready to blow six again, but he says Tedesco dropped it. Roosters charging once more.
Slotted. Storm lead 12-6
Nick Meaney sneaks in a curling kick to give Melbourne a lead of a converted try with 20 minutes left.