The Melbourne Storm showcased an outstanding finals performance in front of a home crowd at AAMI Park on Friday night, defeating the Sydney Roosters 48-18.
The Storm demonstrated their strength, delivering a series of spectacular tries and yet again proving their dominance.
As minor premiers, they have secured a spot in the NRL grand final for the first time since 2020, marking an impressive achievement for coach Craig Bellamy as he leads the club to their 11th big dance appearance.
Bellamy acknowledged that it wasn't an easy game for his side, especially after their enforcer, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, was sin-binned right off the kick-off, causing a rocky start for the team.
“Our guys showed a lot of resilience after that, with Nelson in the bin basically straight away from the kick-off,” Bellamy said.
“Obviously, it cost us a couple of points, but I'm really happy with the resilience they showed in handling that situation.”
Despite the score and the Storm's strong performance, Bellamy described the game as a roller-coaster, noting that the Roosters fought back at the start of the second half, creating uncertainty about how the match would ultimately unfold.
“I've been involved in a few games in my lifetime, but that was one of the strangest. They had that start, and then all of a sudden we were 22-6 in front, and then it was 24-18, and they were coming after us.
“A lot of games are a roller-coaster ride, but that was probably the highest and lowest I can remember, especially in a big game like that.”
Captain Harry Grant demonstrated his dedication and leadership by commending his team for their performance throughout the season that has led them to the grand final.
“Got to give our whole squad credit in that area we just get on with things that's been a real strength of ours”
“The start wasn't ideal [of the game] but were very good at getting ourselves back in the game, we learned a lot of lessons throughout the year”
The two teams the Storm could face next week in the grand final are the three-time premiers, Penrith Panthers, or the Cronulla Sharks—both of the sides have demonstrated they are ready for finals footy, making it this far in and getting into the preliminary final.
Grant commented that he is looking forward to “kicking his feet up” and watching tonight's showdown between the two sides, noting that it will be a tight competition.
“Penrith are such a classy side; they've won the last three premierships, and they're very disciplined in the way they play.
“Cronulla falls somewhere between Penrith and the Roosters in terms of style, with a big forward pack and strong outside backs. I think it's going to be a very physical and aggressive match.”
The Melbourne Storm have secured a spot in the 2024 NRL Grand Final, and tonight will be the decider to determine who they will face next week.