FULLTIME - Storm 18 - Roosters 13
What an unbelievable game! The Storm take the win over the Roosters in an absolute thriller. Short kick-off, but the Storm come up with it.

That game was something special, but in the end, the Melbourne Storm are through off a last minute try to Will Warbrick after a Sam Walker field goal had put the Storm ahead.

80' - Storm 18 - Roosters 13
CONVERSION! Nick Meaney
25 seconds to go.

78' - Storm 16 - Roosters 13
TRY! Will Warbrick
Time running out but a massive moment here. The Storm swing it right on four to clear their own end, Seve makes half a break, and a second effort from Keary wins six again.

Melbourne come back to the left quickly now, and Grant is halfway in space here before Grant goes straight down! He stays down too. He was hit high by Walker. How can that be play on? He stayed down, Klein demanded he played it and the bunker don't call the penalty.

BUT DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! The Storm are going through. WILL WARBRICK! Munster stabs a kick crossfield, Warbrick takes it in the air and scores.

WOW.

77' - Storm 12 - Roosters 13
So, the Roosters back in possession, benefiting from some excellent defence right there. A strong set with the ball in hand now too as Radley and May bring it it away. We will stop play after four tackles with Kamikamica down. That will be a concussion check - got hit badly and went down like a sack of potatoes. Doubt he will play next week if the Storm win.

The visitors have a pair of plays left, Walker kicks from shy of halfway and Meaney brings it back to about 30 out from his own line.

76' - Storm 12 - Roosters 13
The Storm look for a field goal on the fifth, but Munster is rushed and forced to run. He is tackled, and on the last, Wishart has a go, but that's a shocker, and it ends up drilling Kamikamica in the back of the head.

The Roosters survive.

75' - Storm 12 - Roosters 13
The Storm muscling up big time now in defence, and they force the error. Horrendous option from the Roosters trying to go short side under pressure from Siua Wong to Paulo, and that is put down.

74' - Storm 12 - Roosters 13
The Storm now back over halfway, and a ball hits the ground. They recover, no call of six again, and the pressure continues. Loiero makes half a break now, and this might be a hip drop as the defence scramble.

Loiero down with the ankle, and the bunker will have a look at this tackle from Siua Wong. Nothing wrong with it though, because his body hit the ground, rather than the back of Loiero's legs.

Final play, 30 out, Munster bombs for the corner and the Roosters will have to bring it out of the corner. Huge set now.

73' - Storm 12 - Roosters 13
A very solid set from the Roosters after points yet again, and the Storm will have to bring this away off their own line.

71' - Storm 12 - Roosters 13
FIELD GOAL! Sam Walker
The Roosters now pushing onto the attack and Tedesco brings it down main street, 20 out. Ball back to Walker and he slots the field goal on the last to put the visitors in the lead!

70' - Storm 12 - Roosters 12
Superb defence on the last play here from the Roosters. Munster has it 40 out, dummies once to avoid Radley, but he keeps chasing, the cover defence then get there, back Munster into the corner and he tries to kick, but puts it out on the full.

Roosters with it from ten shy of halfway.

69' - Storm 12 - Roosters 12
Another big moment here! Roosters with a great set after points and a kick which sees Tedesco have Meaney tackled in goal, but the chase was offside.

68' - Storm 12 - Roosters 12
CONVERSION! Sam Walker
The Roosters lock this up with 12 to go!

66' - Storm 12 - Roosters 10
TRY! Lindsay Collins
Bang! The Roosters make a break up the left hand side. Sandon Smith with a superb bit of work to put Radley away. Quick play the ball, and it's Brandon Smith with a superb pass out to the right-hand side and he finds Collins who scores with the defence shot to bit. That's is an unbelievable pass.

65' - Storm 12 - Roosters 6
The Storm can't make much of their set after the penalty, but turn it over in a solid spot.

64' - Storm 12 - Roosters 6
Well, you have to check this. The Roosters on the attack. They threaten a couple of times in the set, then there is a grubber on the last.

We are checking everything here. Paul Momirovski taken before he got the ball by the looks of it, but we are going back to the start of the play where Harry Grant was obstructed by a decoy runner - that being Lindsay Collins. Roosters ruled to have taken an advantage, so it's a penalty for the Storm.

62' - Storm 12 - Roosters 6
Is this a big moment? The Roosters win a penalty to clear it out of their own end.

59' - Storm 12 - Roosters 6
PENALTY GOAL! Nick Meaney
Meaney just swings this back in on the right. Looked for all money like it was missing.

Six-point game. 21 to go.

57' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
Well, what has happened there? Off the scrum, Asofa-Solomona runs into a couple of defenders, throws the ball left, and Munster is taken high. Penalty Storm.

Melbourne to take the shot at 2. Meaney has not been kicking well tonight...

56' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Storm swing it to the left off the scrum and almost wind up in touch. Not much happening as they go back to the right over the next few plays. Now back to the left and Loiero beats one, but not a second. Last play, ball on the ground, Wishart eventually kicks to the corner, Radley goes back and tries to collect with a foot in goal, but drops it cold.

Melbourne scrum ten out.

55' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Roosters now struggling for metres out of their own end as the Storm muscle up in defence, but then a ball hits the ground going left. Katoa looks to run onto it, but knocks on. Already knocked on by the Roosters though so it's Melbourne scrum 25 out.

Corey Allan unable to get that pass thrown behind him, and his first mistake of the night. He has been excellent so far.

54' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
This game has been something else. The Storm with a more solid set this time, and a fresh Asofa-Solomona back on. Munster bombs down the park and the Roosters will have to bring it back off their own line.

53' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
If one thing is for sure, it's that fatigue is going to set in at the back end of this game. What a contest it has been.

Roosters inside 20 with half the set to play after this drop out, then Munster hammers Walker with a great tackle on the right. Back to the left on the next though through Keary and Allan for Pauga who is stopped 5 out. Last play, Keary kicks, Crichton bats back, the Roosters try to kep it alive and Reimis Smith eventually comes up with the loose ball.

52' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Roosters now putting the pressure on, and they force a drop out at the end of this set here with Brandon Smith running and grubbering.

51' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Roosters now trucking it out of their own end and just struggling a little more this set before Butcher comes up with an offload, May comes up with another, the ball hits the ground and Reimis Smith comes up with it, but he knocks on.

Captain's challenge on this though. Melbourne suggesting this wasn't a knock on. And it wasn't. Oh, it was. The bunker saying he has dragged this forward. And yes, the next camera angle shows his body had swung around to the point he was facing his own goalline and dragged the ball forward.

50' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
Another strong set from the Storm. Back over halfway they go, and a bomb is down to the corner where Junior Pauga brings it back.

49' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
This game is being played at break neck speed. The Roosters go virtually the length of the field and turn it over in a good spot.

48' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
Melbourne with a full set on the attack. Not much happening the first two plays, then a ball goes to ground as it looked for Meaney out the back and Momirovski lands on the ball, so the Roosters survive.

47' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Storm are able to come back onto the attack again here after a break which wound up with Tom Eisenhuth tackled by Tedesco 20 out after a superb Harry Grant run. The Storm then swing it left on the last but the ball hits the ground, off the Roosters though so a scrum for Melbourne.

45' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
Sets each way, but the Storm just getting on top here.

43' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Storm on the back of a single poor play from the Roosters are back on the attack, and inside 20 with a couple of plays to run. Nothing happening on the left, so they go right, but Warbrick runs out of room. Down to the last play then and it's Munster with time and space to grubber, but Baker comes up with a great take.

42' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Roosters appeared to have picked up where they left off, but then a poor last tackle option sees the ball hit the ground and Christian Welch take off in the other direction. He is tackle just over halfway.

41' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Storm come to halfway in the first set, fire a bomb up and after bouncing, the Roosters are able to come up with the ball.

40' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
Teams are back for the second half. Roosters to kick-off.

HALFTIME - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
That was a gripping first half in Melbourne. The Roosters looked to be well off the pace early, but wow have they come back into the cotnest. Their left side attack holds the key, and has regularly threatened a Melbourne side who had all the ascendancy early, but struggled to maintain their grip over the contest as the half wore on.

We are all set for a thrilling second 40 here.

Be sure to stick around and we will be back in ten minutes.

40' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
A mega kick from Munster to clear the Storm out of their own end. The Roosters will have less than half a minute, but only a single play with their side back onside, and they don't do anything with it, so that'll be halftime.

39' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Roosters back to halfwa on the second play, then it's an offload to Keary who grabs a few more metres. They try the right, then it's this left side again, through the hands to Pauga who grubbers back in field and Grant cleans up, tackled a metre out from the tryline. Great work from this left-hand side.

38' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Storm are now the club who desperately need halftime. Wishart has to kick from inside his own 30 here.

38' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Roosters up to halfway through Radley halfway through this set and the Roosters really shifting the momentum of this game at the moment. May with another strong run here and he has started strongly after being one of the Roosters' best last week. Last play from 30 out off a Keary run before Walker kicks high, but Meaney again. He has been so, so good at the back.

37' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
The Storm now looking to cart it away, but struggle for metres before Wishart has to kick from inside his own 30 with Tedesco and Pauga linking up on the run back.

36' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
Superb set after points here from the Roosters. Tedesco heavily involved. All the way onto the attack and the kick goes up to the corner on the last, with Meaney again strong in the air.

35' - Storm 10 - Roosters 6
CONVERSION! Sam Walker
The boos ring out for Smith, then Walker slots the conversion.

33' - Storm 10 - Roosters 4
TRY! Brandon Smith
The Roosters now on the attack. Keary out the back to Tedesco, on for Allan and he runs out of room. The Storm defending superbly here. Halfway through this set, and the tri-colours go all the way back to the right to Momirovski who has to turn back inside, he offloads and it gets back to the middle before Baker is tackled. Brandon Smith! Oh that's crafty! Jumps out of dummy half off the quick play the ball and dives over for a try against his old club.

The Roosters threw the kitchen sink at the Storm there and get the reward.

32' - Storm 10 - Roosters 0
The Roosters now looking to down the left-hand side again here as they come back onto the attack following a standard Storm set. They almost make a break, come back to the middle and it's a pinball. Six again yelled, ball hits the ground, and we will come back for the penalty.

Roosters with another full set from 10 out.

31' - Storm 10 - Roosters 0
So the Roosters with another six again and plenty of opportunity on the attack here. May out there now with a run, then Butcher almost through on the left. They come back to the right, Keary throws a woeful offload and the Storm come up with it.

30' - Storm 10 - Roosters 0
Collins takes a quick tap here and the Roosters looking to get on with it to find some points. They quickly swing it right now through Keary for Tedesco, but he is back=ed into a corner and tackled. Six again though.

30' - Storm 10 - Roosters 0
The Roosters go immediately off the scrum and Allan changes angle off the pass from Keary, but the defence recover and tackle him 20 out. Smith appears to lose it on the next, but Munster is penalised.

29' - Storm 10 - Roosters 0
The Roosters must find some points here. Tariq Sims drops the ball coming out of his own end.

28' - Storm 10 - Roosters 0
CONVERSION MISSED
Meaney forgot his kicking boots tonight.

26' - Storm 10 - Roosters 0
TRY STORM! Marion Seve
The Storm back over halfway on the second play on the back of the non call, followed by the penalty. Tariq Sims out there now too as he follows a run from Welch, then Grant goes from dummy half and is stopped 15 out. Right go the Storm with Katoa then offloading to Wishart who offloads to Grant, he swings it to Marion Seve and he is over!

Well, good attack from the Storm. Great stuff from Grant, but that's terrible officiating from Ashley Klein to allow Melbourne onto the attack. Misses the fairly obvious knock on, then awards a soft penalty, and the weight of position gets the Roosters here.

25' - Storm 6 - Roosters 0
So, already 25 minutes into this one and a real physical arm wrestle is breaking out here, but the Roosters give away another penalty.

Replays will indicate Harry Grant dropped that ball out of the challenge. Ashley Klein was in a great position to adjudicate that too. Could be very costly for the Roosters.

24' - Storm 6 - Roosters 0
The Roosters with a real chance to attack this time. The forwards working them into range, and they are 20 out on the fourth as Radley goes up main street with a dummy. Tedesco now to the right-hand side, beats one, beats two, then Olam makes a great tackle. Walker kicks crossfield on the last, it's batted back by the Roosters into the path of Harry Grant and he makes a wonderful diving catch.

23' - Storm 6 - Roosters 0
Christian Welch now coming into the game for the first time for the Storm as well and he takes a good charge here. The Storm just rolling here, and slowly getting on top of the grind. Back over halfway they go, and commentator's curse, before Josh King drops this cold. That's his second one for the night.

23' - Storm 6 - Roosters 0
The Roosters working it away through their outside backs, then it's Siua Wong up to halfway on the fourth play. Radley now out the back to Keary, then Tedesco and on for Allan but Warbrick jams in with a great tackle. The Roosters are certainly looking like a candidate for points on this left-hand side.

22' - Storm 6 - Roosters 0
The Storm get back to halfway in this set with Harry Grant now on the park as well and taking the penultimate run of the set before a bomb goes down and Tedesco brings it back.

21' - Storm 6 - Roosters 0
A strong set for the Roosters, but they are really struggling for momentum here. Turn this over in a reasonable spot, but need a strong defensive set.

20' - Storm 6 - Roosters 0
The Storm now bringing it away but struggling for metres after points. Wishart has to kick from inside his own 30 down to Tedesco who brings it back into a strong kick chase.

18' - Storm 6 - Roosters 0
PENALTY GOAL! Nick Meaney
Meaney slots this over.

17' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
The Storm back over halfway on the third play here, then Asofa-Solomona with a good offload, but Katoa can't go much further. Two plays left from 40 out, but the Roosters' discipline costing them here in a big way. Six again, then Radley stops a dangerous looking Wishart with a high shot - that's his second of the night too.

Melbourne to take the shot at 2.

16' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
The Roosters now need to muscle up. They did it to the Sharks plenty of times last week, and need to keep the Storm pinned in their own end here. A strong job too with the Storm only clearing their 20 on the fourth, but then they give away the penalty. Great run from Warbrick there to get Melbourne some momentum and then the penaly to boot.

15' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
The Roosters kick this set off on halfway and desperately need to get some control here. Things very stunted on the left here for the Roosters but they are inside 30, then Butcher has a run but goes nowhere and he is very slow back to his feet. Great tackle from Kamikamica. Final play, 20 out, Walker kicks for the corner and Meaney does a great job in the air again.

14' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
And the Storm now give away a penalty. Roosters can finally get out of their own end.

13' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
Melbourne back over halfway on what would have been the second through Olam, but the ball is stripped away so we reset the tackle count. King has Melbourne 30 out on play 1, then it's Katoa looking dangerous on the right. Munster then almost through off a dummy on the left, before Kamikamica goes up main street. Melbourne five metres out and Wishart almost through again, but Tedesco tackles him this time. Last play, Munster kicks for the corner, the ball goes through everyone and Reimis Smith, if he didn't get a touch in the air, has scored.

Ashley Klein sends it upstairs as a no try though, and yes, Smith has touched this in the challenge. No try.

12' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
The Roosters now battling to clear their own end again, and they have spent most of this game at the wrong end of the park. Only out of the 20 on the fifth through Butcher, and Walker again has to kick from deep in his own territory with Smith to bring it back this time.

11' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
Wishart again! He throws another dummy and pokes his nose through on the first play, only shut down by desperately scrambling defence. Don't forget, Melbourne have Harry Grant to come off the bench here, so this is looking very average for the tri-colours. Melbourne meanwhile pushing onto the attack and they are 20 out for the last play with Wishart bombing crossfield. A challenge in the air is now ruled a knock on Roosters.

Captain's challenge. This has come off the head of Loiero, then the head of Paulo. No knock on, Momirovski picks it up and the Roosters will win this challenge.

10' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
This is sloppy from Radley. A loose high shot on the first play back from points and the Storm can march down the field with a penalty.

9' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
CONVERSION MISSED
Meaney miles off with that shot.

8' - Storm 4 - Roosters 0
TRY! Tyran Wishart
So then, Melbourne right on the attack here. They spend a few plays looking left, with Loiero and Garlick both stopped at close range before Wishart! Oh what a moment this is! The recalled utility, forced to fill in for Jahrome Hughes at the last minute! He looked to go right, sold the Roosters' defence up the river with a dummy and runs straight through a gap between Keary and Smith to score.

7' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
The Storm with a couple of plays up the middle and then they pick up a penalty 35 out. Intriguing call here - they are going for a try.

6' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
What an excellent defensive set this is from the Storm. The Roosters have to kick from just outside their 20 through Walker and Meaney with a great return is back over halfway.

5' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
The Storm with a strong raid down the left-hand side and it puts them into a decent position at the end of this set, but Munster's kick is a touch too long, with Pauga taking it a metre inside the field of play. Warbrick just couldn't get there.

4' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
The Roosters now with the first real attacking chance of the game, but the Storm get away with it as Butcher puts it down. King makes up for his error, forcing one for the Roosters with a great rushing effort on Butcher.

3' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
And a bad moment here for the Storm. Josh King drops it coming out of trouble.

3' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
The Storm forwards really fired up here, but the Roosters are finding early success down this left-hand side with Keary taking on the line and finding Pauga who is tackled just 30 metres out. Kick to the sky from Keary, but Meaney does a strong job under pressure here.

2' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
The Melbourne backs will now try to bring it away from their own end, Olam involved with his first run in first-grade in a number of weeks. Asofa-Solomona has the first run for the forwards, then Garlick goes from dummy half to take the Storm past halfway. Last play, Munster goes for the sky and Paulo does a strong job in the air.

1' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
Away we go in Melbourne! Lindsay Collins brings it back and almost gets carted back to his own goal line by a fired up Storm defensive line. A statement early from Melbourne, then Tedesco bends the line with a strong run down the left-hand side to bring the Roosters to within 15 of halfway. Radley gets the Roosters going forward and Walker provides the kick down to Meaney to complete the first set.

0' - Storm 0 - Roosters 0
Storm to kick-off here.

7:50pm
We will pause for a minute's silence prior to kick-off for John McDonald who passed away this week.

7:49pm
Teams on their way out here this evening.

7:45pm
Five minutes from kick-off in Melbourne!

7:25pm
A reminder we will also carry live coverage of tomorrow's second semi-final, coming to us from Auckland with the New Zealand Warriors to tackle the Newcastle Knights. That comes at the earlier time of 4:05pm (AEST), allowing for a 6:05pm kick-off local time in Auckland.

7:20pm
If you're looking for a bit of pre-game reading, be sure to check out my full match preview and prediction.

7:15pm
It's a warmish evening for Melbourne standards - 18 degrees and barely a breath of wind as we approach kick-off.

7:10pm
A difficult game to tip this one. Really has a feel of "who knows". Could well come down to which replacements shine, and which forward pack dominates.

7:05pm
The teams are in, and as confirmed last night, Jahrome Hughes is out. Tyran Wishart starts at halfback, with Alec Macdonald also out after being named on Tuesday. They are sidelined along with Ryan Papenhuyzen and Xavier Coates, while Young Tonumaipea has been dropped. Reimis Smith and Justin Olam are the new faces in the back line, while Harry Grant and Christian Welch have both been benched with Bronson Garlick and Nelson Asofa-Solomona to start.

The Roosters, meanwhile, are without Joseph Manu, Joseph Suaalii and Billy Smith, who join Daniel Tupou on the sidelines. Junior Pauga, Paul Momirovski, Corey Allan and Jaxson Paulo are the new faces in the backline, with the only late change being Fletcher Baker to once again come off the bench, switching with Egan Butcher who starts at prop.

The full team lists can be found in this match centre.

7pm
Hello, Good Evening and Welcome to Zero Tackle's live coverage of Week 2 of the NRL finals! It's semi-final time, and we kick things off in Melbourne this evening with the walking wounded, and a case of last man standing as the Melbourne Storm tackle the Sydney Roosters. Scott Pryde here to take you through all the action.

Ladder Position

Previous 5 Games

Storm

DATE	OPP	RESULT
8/9/23	Broncos	L 26 - 0
31/8/23	Broncos	W 22 - 32
26/8/23	Titans	W 37 - 16
19/8/23	Dragons	W 28 - 38
13/8/23	Raiders	W 48 - 2

Roosters

DATE	OPP	RESULT
9/9/23	Sharks	W 12 - 13
1/9/23	Rabbitohs	W 12 - 26
26/8/23	Wests Tigers	W 32 - 8
18/8/23	Eels	W 12 - 34
12/8/23	Dolphins	W 30 - 14