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Two important try-saving efforts from Melbourne within the ultimate levels of its 18-10 win over South Sydney staved off any prospects of a fightback from the Rabbitohs on Friday evening.
The guests have been clinging to a lead at Accor Stadium late within the piece and managed to hold on because of particular person performs from Nick Meaney after which Harry Grant.
Talking post-match, coach Craig Bellamy praised his facet’s defence on the sting.
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“It has been some time since we have seen pretty much as good a defensive effort [as we did] for 80 minutes tonight,” Bellamy mentioned.
“It was great. It is one thing we have at all times prided ourselves on on the Storm, we need to be an excellent defensive facet at the beginning.
“With respect, this yr we’ve not been that. Tonight there have been lots of determined efforts on the market.”
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After Campbell Graham scored to scale back the margin to eight factors, Alex Johnston virtually pulled off a vital play.
Nevertheless, whereas hurtling towards the tryline on the left wing within the 74th minute, Johnston was wrapped up by Meaney, forcing the ball free and Johnston’s face to hit the turf.
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The winger was helped to his ft, revealing a beaten-up face. He was judged a class one concussion, which means he will likely be stood down for 11 days.
“That is an enormous play, Nick Meaney,” Cameron Smith mentioned on 9’s protection.
“Nice fullback sort out.”
Fellow Melbourne nice Billy Slater added, “He needed to work actually exhausting to get throughout there, too, Nick Meaney”..
“I spoke about competing to get again into the sport for the Bunnies. Properly, that is simply competing to maintain the Bunnies away, Nick Meaney. He is saved the sport for his group there.”
Moments later, Grant got here to the rescue as Izaac Thompson regarded sure to attain.
As Thompson sprinted in direction of an open tryline, benefiting from a tip-on, Grant lunged at his legs.
Whereas it was evident that Thompson had managed to floor the ball on the left edge, referee Todd Smith despatched the choice upstairs the place it was revealed that Grant had pushed the winger’s ft exterior the sphere of play.
“As soon as once more the Storm scramble,” Andrew Johns mentioned on 9.
“With the sport on the road, the additional effort to get there simply in case.”
Talking afterwards, Grant was pleased with his group’s efforts when beneath risk.
“They’re the little effort areas… that this membership was constructed on,” he mentioned.
“For us to be turning up in stress moments is basically pleasing. We let a couple of alternatives slip, so on the flip facet we needed to flip up in dee, but it surely’s pleasing that we did.”
Storm ahead Christian Welch was pleased with the 2 late performs.
“It was fairly ugly but it surely was fairly gritty,” Welch advised 9.
“We had some actually good defensive efforts [with] Nick Meaney after which Harry Grant arising in that final line of defence. It is a huge factor we have been engaged on, however I assumed our defence was actually good there.”
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