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Two important try-saving efforts from Melbourne within the last levels of its 18-10 win over South Sydney staved off any prospects of a fightback from the Rabbitohs on Friday night time.
The guests had 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 aspect’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 stated.
“It was great. It is one thing we have at all times prided ourselves on on the Storm, we wish to be a great defensive aspect at first.
“With respect, this yr we’ve not been that. Tonight there have been plenty 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.
Nonetheless, whereas hurtling towards the tryline on the left wing within the 74th minute, Johnston was wrapped up by Meaney, forcing the ball unfastened and Johnston’s face to hit the turf.
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The winger was helped to his toes, revealing a beaten-up face. He was judged a class one concussion, which means he will probably be stood down for 11 days.
“That is an enormous play, Nick Meaney,” Cameron Smith stated on 9’s protection.
“Nice fullback deal with.”
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. Nicely, that is simply competing to maintain the Bunnies away, Nick Meaney. He is saved the sport for his workforce there.”
Moments later, Grant got here to the rescue as Izaac Thompson seemed sure to attain.
As Thompson sprinted in the 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 toes exterior the sphere of play.
“As soon as once more the Storm scramble,” Andrew Johns stated on 9.
“With the sport on the road, the additional effort to get there simply in case.”
Talking afterwards, Grant was pleased with his workforce’s efforts when underneath menace.
“They’re the little effort areas… that this membership was constructed on,” he stated.
“For us to be turning up in strain moments is actually pleasing. We let just a few alternatives slip, so on the flip aspect we needed to flip up in dee, however it’s pleasing that we did.”
Storm ahead Christian Welch was pleased with the 2 late performs.
“It was fairly ugly however it was fairly gritty,” Welch informed 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 believed our defence was actually good there.”
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