At 14-0 up with 12 minutes left to play against a side that he held a 17-0 home record against since entering the coaches box in 2003, Storm mastermind Craig Bellamy could be forgiven for putting his cue in the rack.
Still, as has always been the case, the steward with the well-earned moniker of 'Bellyache' was still going ballistic.
While first-half tries to Xavier Coates, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Cameron Munster were sure to have had Bellamy's trademark yaups at a minimum in the sheds, a trifecta of Rabbitohs' three-pointers in the dying embers of his 500th appearance in the hot seat had the 61-year-old as warm under the collar.
Although the routinely oiled, yet understaffed, purple machine was able to stop the rot and grind out an 18th straight victory of Souths on southern soil, Munster professed that had the Storm's streak had been snapped, the waterworks would have been on the way.
"If we lost it, I don't know If I would've left the field to be honest," Munster told Wide World of Sportsย after the final hooter.
"I would've been crying. He's [Bellamy] done so much for this club and a lot for me as well."
The Queenslander went on to pay praise to his fullback with the frosted mullet for icing the Round 2 nailbiter.
ICE IN HIS VEINS ๐ฅถ#NRLStormSouths pic.twitter.com/Ty1BJQHp5z
— NRL (@NRL) March 17, 2022
"I'm so thankful that 'Paps' [Papenhuyzen] was clutch enough to get that one-point," Munster added.
"It was a really exciting game of footy, but hopefully we don't do that again."
Although Melbourne has extended their 2022 record to 2-0 with home fixtures against Parramatta and Canterbury on the horizon, Munster's apprehension is well assured.
Speaking as the dust began to settle on the Thursday night, golden-point classic, Eels legend and Fox Leagueย pundit Nathan Hindmarsh claimed that the Storm's squad were in for a quintessential Bellamy tongue-lashing.
โI wouldnโt want to be a Melbourne Storm player going into those sheds tonight,โ the 330-gamer stated.
โTo not put them away at 14-0, theyโre going to cop a hiding.โ
Despite Bellamy's ability to embrace his milestones celebrations during the week, not even the two points are likely to save his charges on the training track this week.
And irrespective of Melbourne's extra two days of preparation over Brad Arthur's side, one imagines that they won't be spent with their feet on the coffee table.
If you're travelling down Swan Street during the week, keep an eye out for a squad clad in purple being put in their paces before next Saturday evening's kick-off at AAMI Park.
