Melbourne hooker Harry Grant revealed it was a game-day catch up with a legendary former coach that inspired his game-winning play against Penrith on Thursday night.
The Storm skipper was the hero when he scored a try in extra time to end what was an NRL thriller at CommBank Stadium in western Sydney.
With Melbourne lining up as if Cameron Munster was going to attempt a field goal, all the Panthers defenders rushed off the line to charge at the five-eighth waiting in back field.
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But Grant dummied and then ran right through the ruck to score the winner under the posts.
Post game, he revealed to journalists where he got the idea from.
Harry Grant bamboozles the Penrith defence to win the game. Nine
“I had lunch with Roy Masters, and he said ‘where are you playing?’ and I said CommBank,” Grant explained.
“And he said ‘oh that’s where you were pretty sneaky and scored a try in golden point against Parramatta’.
“So I guess he put it in my head.”
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Grant scored an eerily similar try in round one of the 2023 season to beat the Eels in extra time.
Masters once coached Western Suburbs and then St George, and is close with Storm coach Craig Bellamy.
In one of the best matches of the season so far, it was Grant who stepped up with the game on the line to give the Storm a hard-fought 22-18 win.
The hosts opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Isaiah Papali’i burrowed his way over from dummy-half after 10 minutes of play.
“That’s a big effort – he had Nathan Cleary screaming for the ball but he decided to just go himself,” Cameron Smith said on Nine.
Brian To’o looked destined to extend Penrith’s lead, but was stopped by Marion Seve just short of the line in a try-saving tackle that was ruled high by referee Ashley Klein.
Marion Seve collects Brian To’o with a high tackle Nine
An extended period of strong field position didn’t result in points for the reigning premiers and down the other end, Xavier Coates leaped above to score a trademark try.
Replays would then show the Storm winger lost the ball in the air before scoring and it looked set to be overturned upon video review.
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“There’s a bobble – it hits Dylan Edwards’ and goes back, this will be a no try,” Andrew Johns said on commentary.
However, to the surprise of the commentators and crowd, Bunker official Chris Butler ruled that Coates managed to regain possession before it touched Edwards.
Xavier Coates and Dylan Edwards contest the ball Nine
Before the break, the Panthers opted to run the ball on last tackle then Izack Tago chipped it back in-field and Nathan Cleary ended up sliding over the line to score.
“That’s such a clever play,” Smith said.
Melbourne’s woes continued heading towards half time when young halfback Jonah Pezet was spotted limping and grabbing at a potential groin injury.
“He’s gone,” Johns said.
Penrith claimed a gifted two points from a penalty goal, taking the 12-4 lead.
Early in the second stanza, Liam Martin landed awkwardly on his shoulder and looked to be in some discomfort and would soon leave the field.
A dramatic moment saw Cleary almost nail a pinpoint 40/20 kick, but the bouncing ball was cut off by Munster, who produced an incredible piece of skill filling in at fullback.
The game was turned on its head when a poor pass from Blaize Talagi landed in the hands of Coates, who raced away for a long-range intercept try.
Casey McLean chased from the other side of the field, but it wasn’t enough to stop the lethal Melbourne flyer who continued his fantastic season.
The visitors took the lead with 23 minutes to go and it was Coates involved once again, this time jumping above Tago and batting it backwards to Joe Chan.
Just as it looked like the Storm were gaining control of the contest, Scott Sorensen got through some sloppy defence and put Penrith right back on top.
“That was pretty soft … they were back-tracking on their own line,” Johns said.
The see-sawing clash continued when Nick Meaney split the defence open and from the next play, Seve dived over in the corner as his protective goggles flew off.
Meaney failed to slot the sideline conversion as the scores stayed locked at 18-18 and it set up a remarkable grandstand finish between two elite sides.
With less than three minutes to go, Cleary nailed a field goal but referee Klein blew his whistle for a penalty against Moses Leota, who stood and blocked Grant.
“He played that well,” Smith quipped on commentary.
Cleary got two more chances in the final minute of regular time, but both attempts to nail the game-winning shot were charged down by the Storm.
As the gripping contest entered extra time, Penrith made an error that was immediately capitalised on by Munster, who dummied and got through the defence.
Moments later, Grant caught the Panthers napping and scored under the posts, capping off a nail-biting victory for the premiership heavyweights.
“I can’t believe this is a club game,” Johns said.
Last year’s runners-up pulled off the win despite missing Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes, Jack Howarth, Will Warbrick, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Sua Faalogo.
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