PENRITH PANTHERS 18 MELBOURNE STORM 22
TOM SMITH, CommBank Stadium, Thursday
HARRY GRANT’S golden-point genius secured Melbourne’s cliffhanger victory over Penrith in golden-point, snapping the Panthers’ nine-game winning streak.
The Storm trailed by eight before Xavier Coates’ second try in the 53rd minute swung the momentum and Marion Seve’s late score led to a flurry of field-goal attempts.
Then 90 seconds into extra time, the Panthers’ defence rushed off their line to block the next shot, but the quick-thinking Grant spied his opportunity, strolling through from dummy-half to claim the match-winner without a hand laid on him.
The men in black lost no admirers for their role in this pulsating arm wrestle, although the result underlines why the Victorian club are the bookies’ competition favourites.
These clubs have met four times in the post-season since 2020, including last year’s Grand Final, which Penrith secured 14-6. And on the evidence of this top-drawer encounter, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they met again this season.
The Panthers’ nine consecutive wins thrust them into the top four at the expense of the Warriors. The Storm may have ended that winning streak, but Penrith’s hopes of a fifth straight premiership are alive and well.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy lost star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen (concussion) from the line-up that outlasted the injury-hit Broncos last week, joining halfback Jahrome Hughes (shoulder) on the sidelines.
Cam Munster filled in at the back, inviting Seve to slot in at centre and Jonah Pezet in the halves.
Panthers boss Ivan Cleary didn’t tinker at all with the 17 that flogged the Knights 48-12 the Friday prior — their fifth 30-plus-point haul on the trot. Lock and leader Isaah Yeo missed again due to a shoulder issue, with no clear return date.
Yeo’s replacement Isaiah Papalii opened the scoring here from dummy-half, before stand-in halfback Tyran Wishart landed a beautiful kick onto the head of aerial specialist Coates for the Storm’s square-up.
Despite the heavy conditions, Penrith turned on some razzle-dazzle for their second try. Izack Tago chipped for Dylan Edwards, who found Cleary inside, and the skipper shrugged off four would-be tacklers to slide over the whitewash.
A Munster ruck infringement handed Cleary another two points before the break, giving the hosts a healthy eight-point buffer they carried deep into the second half.
But the momentum swung once Blaize Talagi squeezed a pass which Coates intercepted and carried 65 metres to the left corner.
Minutes later, Wishart produced an identical kick for Coates, who batted the ball down for try-scorer Joe Chan.
Scott Sorensen crashed over to reclaim Penrith’s lead, before Marion Seve scored to level it 18-all.
Nick Meaney sprayed that sideline conversion attempt — his third miss of the evening — to bring on the drop-goal shootout.
A blocking penalty chalked off one of Cleary’s efforts and a desperate Trent Loiero denied another, while Munster also missed.
Then in golden-point, when everyone expected a Storm sharp shooter to line up the next attempt, Grant stunned everyone with his solo try.
These sides are now involved in a pair of Friday night blockbusters in Round 25: the Panthers travel to Mudgee to tackle the table-topping Raiders in the early kick-off, before the Storm entertain the Bulldogs in Melbourne.
GAMESTAR: Melbourne captain Harry Grant led his team to a stirring victory, clinching the result in extra time.
GAMEBREAKER: Harry Houdini? Harry Potter? No, Harry Grant produced a piece of magic to clinch this golden-point thriller.
MATCHFACTS
PANTHERS
1 Dylan Edwards
2 Thomas Jenkins
3 Izack Tago
4 Casey McLean
5 Brian To’o
6 Blaize Talagi
7 Nathan Cleary
8 Moses Leota
9 Mitch Kenny
10 Lindsay Smith
11 Luke Garner
12 Liam Martin
13 Isaiah Papalii
Subs
14 Brad Schneider (not used)
15 Liam Henry
16 Matthew Eisenhuth
17 Scott Sorensen
Tries: Papalii (11), Cleary (32), Sorensen (62)
Goals: Cleary 3/4
STORM
6 Cameron Munster
2 Grant Anderson
1 Nick Meaney
4 Marion Seve
5 Xavier Coates
14 Jonah Pezet
7 Tyran Wishart
8 Stefano Utoikamanu
9 Harry Grant
10 Josh King
11 Shawn Blore
12 Eliesa Katoa
13 Trent Loiero
Subs (all used)
3 Joe Chan
15 Alec MacDonald
16 Tui Kamikamica
17 Ativalu Lisati
Tries: Coates (23, 53), Chan (58), Seve (67), Grant (82)
Goals: Meaney 1/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-4, 10-4, 12-4; 12-10, 12-14, 18-14, 18-18; 18-22
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Panthers: Nathan Cleary; Storm: Harry Grant
Penalty count: 4-3
Half-time: 12-4
Referee: Ashley Klein
Attendance: 12,869