SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 28 MELBOURNE STORM 26
TOM SMITH, Accor Stadium, Friday

CAMPBELL GRAHAM’S late winner clinched victory for South Sydney over Melbourne in a crucial clash in the race for September.

The Storm carried a slender lead into the final five minutes, when Sualauvi Faalogo toed a ball into touch. That gave Graham the chance to nab his second try off a looping Ashton Ward pass and poke the Rabbitohs’ noses in front. 

Halfback Ward and hard-running fullback Matt Dufty shone for the red and green. 

Both these clubs added their hookers to already-sizeable casualty wards, as Harry Grant limped off with a hamstring strain and Brandon Smith went down with a calf injury after scoring against his old club. 

The thrilling contest see-sawed from start to finish. After Graham and Jack Wighton struck early, the Storm took an eight-point edge into the sheds. 

The hosts re-established their advantage before Tyran Wishart and Nick Meaney went bang-bang to put Melbourne ahead with ten minutes remaining. However, Graham’s second put his side in front when it mattered. 

It’s the first time Souths have won consecutive matches against Melbourne, having thrashed the Victorian club 48-6 back in April. 

The result all but ends the Storm’s faint hopes of a play-off place and shores up the Bunnies’ grip on the top eight. 

Six days after falling in another shoot-out to the Raiders in Canberra, the Rabbitohs were forced to cover for Cameron Murray (calf), Tallis Duncan (hamstring) and David Fifita (suspension). 

The Storm’s finals hopes were left hanging by a thread by a narrow defeat to the Roosters the Friday prior, and Craig Bellamy lost strike winger Will Warbrick to an Achilles rupture. 

The visitors did regain halfback Jahrome Hughes from a brief hamstring lay-off, although halves partner Cameron Munster remained sidelined by a knee issue. 

Workmanlike prop Josh King brought up his 200th first-grade game and referee Ashley Klein broke the record for most NRL games with the whistle (444). 

After Graham got the Bunnies on the board from dummy-half, Wighton sliced through the Storm’s left-edge defence to make it two in eight minutes. 

But Faalogo released Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown for his maiden NRL try, and on the end of a Stefano Utoikamanu bust, Oryn Keeley crossed for the first time in Storm colours. 

A ruck penalty gave Wishart two points on a rough night for goal-kickers, and Faalogo’s sizzling 80-metre sprint put Melbourne in the driver’s seat. 

Momentum swung after the restart. Smith punished his old team-mates then Alex Johnston found the whitewash for the 231st time. 

After the Bunker denied Meaney and John Radel crashed over on the back of a Ward kick, Souths led by eight with less than 15 minutes left. 

The Storm soon added another twist in the tale. Wishart and Meaney both scored within three minutes to give Melbourne a narrow lead. 

But when Faalogo failed to handle a Walker kick, the Bunnies had a great look in attacking territory and Ward assisted Graham with a perfect pass. 

GAMESTAR: Winger Campbell Graham scored the first and last tries to snatch victory for South Sydney. 

GAMEBREAKER: After Sualauvi Faalogo failed to defuse a kick, Ashton Ward’s floating pass put Campbell into the right corner for the 76th-minute winner. 

MATCHFACTS

RABBITOHS
1 Matt Dufty
2 Alex Johnston
3 Latrell Siegwalt
4 Jack Wighton
5 Campbell Graham
6 Cody Walker
7 Ashton Ward
8 Tevita Tatola
9 Brandon Smith
10 Keaon Koloamatangi
12 Euan Aitken
19 John Radel
18 Bronson Garlick
Subs
13 Lachlan Hubner
14 Jayden Sullivan (not used)
15 Jye Gray (not used)
16 Liam Le Blanc
17 Jamie Humphreys
20 Thomas Fletcher

Tries: Graham (3, 76), Wighton (8), Smith (50), Johnston (56), Radel (64)
Goals: Siegwalt 1/3, Ward 1/3

STORM
1 Sualauvi Faalogo
2 Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown
3 Jack Howarth
4 Nick Meaney
5 Moses Leo
6 Tyran Wishart
7 Jahrome Hughes
8 Stefano Utoikamanu
14 Trent Toelau
10 Josh King
11 Cooper Clarke
12 Oryn Keeley
13 Trent Loiero
Subs
9 Harry Grant
15 Alec MacDonald
16 Angus Hinchey (not used)
17 Jack Hetherington
18 Stanley Huen (not used)
19 Manaia Waitere (not used)

Tries: Tuimalatu-Brown (17), Keeley (25), Faalogo (38), Wishart (67), Meaney (70)
Goals: Wishart 3/6

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0, 8-4, 8-8, 8-10, 8-16; 14-16, 18-16, 24-16, 24-22, 24-26, 28-26

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rabbitohs: Campbell Graham; Storm: Stefano Utoikamanu

Penalty count: 3-3
Half-time: 8-16
Referee: Ashley Klein
Attendance: 10,009