When the full-time whistle blew last Saturday Night, many people felt as though they had witnessed the impossible. The Storm, following on from a dominating 20-win season, had fallen to the Raiders in the Qualifying Final. Their path to their fourth straight Grand Final became tougher and more perplexing.
Except, it really hasn't.
The Storm are heads and shoulders above every other side in the NRL other than the Roosters. Craig Bellamy and Cameron Smith have built a never-say-die attitude which has served the club over the last 13 years, and will continue to serve them for the next three weeks.
They start their unlikely sudden death campaign on Saturday against the Parramatta Eels. Fresh off a 58-0 demolition of the Brisbane Broncos, Parramatta should have all the momentum on their side, and should be pushing to cause a major upset in the finals.
Except the Storm have taught us one thing over the last 13 years - they never lose back to back games. Earlier this season, the Storm beat the Eels 64-10. While I don't predict a scoreline that lopsided, Melbourne should record a handy victory.
Next up is a trip to Sydney for a Grand Final rematch against the Roosters. I would like to highlight how rare it is that the team that won the Qualifying Final (Sydney) has a tougher run to the GF than the team that lost (South Sydney).
Opinion has been split on this match all season. Some say the Storm are out for revenge and will get it. Others say that the Roosters, a side which has only gotten stronger, will take it again. The two matches these teams have played show it really is anyone's game.
But I would go with the Storm on this one. I feel as though they will just get over the line. Expect the boot of Cameron Smith to come in handy here, either through some conversions from the sideline or a field goal to seal the game.
Then it's Grand Final day. They will either play Canberra or Souths. The Bunnies could be a cakewalk. Canberra would be the only team that can challenge them, just like Saturday night.
But they can beat Canberra. They've lost twice now, that's two chances to gauge their opponents. Canberra are not as skilled as Melbourne, but Ricky Stuart has built a squad that can perfectly counter the Storm's tactics.
The Grand Final winner will be whoever wins a battle of attrition. And I believe that will be Melbourne.