Roosters' incredible deception steals stunning win over Storm
Latrell Mitchell has broken Melbourne hearts with a golden point field-goal to secure a 21-20 win for the Sydney Roosters over the Storm in their NRL grand final rematch on Good Friday.
In the second minute of extra time all eyes were on Roosters halfback Cooper Cronk, who was playing in his first game back at AAMI Park since his 2017 departure from the Storm.
But the premiers turned to Mitchell, who slotted over the match-winner from 40m out to end Melbourne's unbeaten start to the season.
Rookie forward Sitili Tupouniua set up the play with a big run through the middle, before Victor Radley sent the ball wide to Mitchell for his field goal after Cooper Cronk was used as a decoy.
“They reckon I’m option two,” Mitchell told Channel Nine after the game.
His field goal ended an epic comeback for the Storm, who trailed 20-0 after 32 minutes and were down 20-8 at half-time.
Squaring off for the first time since last year's title decider, the home side failed to keep pace with the champions.
But they roared back to life in the second half to take the game into extra time.
The ill-feeling between the two teams came to a head in the 68th minute when the game exploded in a melee although no players were sin-binned by referee Ashley Klein.
The Roosters' cause wasn't helped losing star playmaker Luke Keary in the 60th minute when he clashed heads with Storm fullback Jahrome Hughes and was assisted from the field.
The visitors had already lost powerhouse prop Siosiua Taukeiaho to a back injury in the warm-up.
The first half was all Roosters with Mitchell the main dangerman, scoring one try and setting up another as he ran 44m, fending off his Curtis Scott and then winger Suliasi Vunivalu before offloading to James Tedesco.
Ex-Storm champion Cronk was greeted by boos from the 17,000-strong crowd and came in for some special attention from his former teammates.
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While the Roosters ran in three first-half tries, the Storm didn't get on the scoreboard until the 38th minute with winger Josh Addo-Carr breaking the drought, while Brodie Croft kicked a penalty after the half-time hooter for a 12-point deficit.
Melbourne's fightback started when skipper Cameron Smith darted out of dummy half and found Tui Kamikamica who crashed over the line.
With their tails up Scott then made amends for blowing a first half try when he failed to ground the ball over the line when he also charged from dummy-half to score, with the conversion by Croft locking the game up at 20-20.
Croft had two wayward attempts at a field goal to break the deadlock before Mitchell made no mistake in the first crack.
with AAP
