FULL TIME - An absolute thriller and the Raiders tried so hard but have fell short in the end, 14-12 to the Storm tonight. Wrap to come. Storm vs Sharks in the GF! Thanks for joining us.
Melbourne Storm 14-12
Wighton takes it out. Drop out. Storm 10 out. 1 left.
Melbourne Storm 14-12
BIG CALL! Forward pass against Austin.
Melbourne Storm 14-12
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS: Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
SEZER! 14-12!
Melbourne Storm 14-12
TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS: Scored by Elliot Whitehead. Kick to come.
The last tackle broke down but they spread it and with a 3 on 2 Whitehead is over in the corner.
Melbourne Storm 14-10
TRY!
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Rapana is through but tackled.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Green kicks it out 5 from the line. Raiders need 2 tries in 6 minutes.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
CERTAIN TRY HAS GONE BEGGING IN THE CORNER.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
HE HAS BOMBED IT!
Melbourne Storm 14-6
LEE!
Melbourne Storm 14-6
OH DEAR! Chambers drops it! Canberra get their chance.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
9 left now. Melbourne get the ball 10 from their line.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Wighton on.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Blair is over! Obstruction called! Welch took out Whitehead! MASSIVE! Canberra penalty.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Penalties heavily in Melbourne's favour.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Penalty Melbourne, Leilua down with a hamstring.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Massive tackle Austin on Blair!
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Wighton is a couple of minutes away.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Croker cleans up a dangerous Melbourne bomb.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Storm 30 out. Going for the kill.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MELBOURNE STORM: Penalty goal attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Easy. 14-6.
Melbourne Storm 14-6
Dumb penalty by Hodgson and Melbourne will shoot to go in front by 8.
Melbourne Storm 12-6
Great set Melbourne. Smith forces a drop out.
Melbourne Storm 12-6
UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM: Conversion attempt by Cameron Smith unsuccessful.
Missed!
Melbourne Storm 12-6
BIG KICK TO COME.
Melbourne Storm 12-6
TRY MELBOURNE STORM: Scored by Cheyse Blair. Kick to come.
Too simple with the overlap for the home side and that could be the game.
Melbourne Storm 12-6
BUNKER - Blair is over but the linesman wants to check! Tempers flaring.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
SIN BIN: Jack Wighton is sent to the sin bin.
Wighton has been massive in defence for Canberra. Big blow.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
SIN BIN WIGHTON
Melbourne Storm 8-6
MASSIVE bomb, Munster leaves it, gives it to Koroibete who sprints away is tackled. Wighton holds him down AND IS SENT OFF!
Melbourne Storm 8-6
SMITH. AWFUL PASS FROM DUMMY HALF. Whitehead has it.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Penalty to Melbourne again. They won't go for goal.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Lee almost intercepts it but drops it!
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Penalty to Melbourne. The next try is crucial.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Tapine going off now, Baptiste on.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Sezer slices through to Lee who drops it. Was looking threatening.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Munster takes the bomb comfortably.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Leilua with a good run and gives it to Rapana. 40 out.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
No penalty though. Knock on Melbourne now otherwise Welch had gone through.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Crusher on Hodgson by McLean.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Good run by McLean. Green kicks it out 5 from the Canberra line.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Austin bursts through, Canberra 10 out on the last, Koroibete beats Lee to the bomb.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Canberra survive! Massive defence from them.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Big set,
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Storm 30 out.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Croker bats it dead. Nice control there by Smith.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Sezer kicks for Lee who drops it just.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Austin short to Whitehead, Canberra 10 out.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Play on, nothing wrong with that one. But they get a penalty off the next play.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
He was falling though.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Austin staying down, he caught one high collecting a kick.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Great take on the run by Koroibete as Canberra threatened.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
That was off a Sezer chip off the first set.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Vunivalu almost drops the kick! Storm working it out.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
We're back in a moment.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
HALF TIME - Canberra are certainly testing the Storm with their attack but Melbourne are leading and handling it well but a big second half to come. Storm 8-6.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Great defence and Canberra have held them out before a bit of razzle dazzle.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
1 minute left. A try would be massive.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Munster takes the bomb and Melbourne have now gotten a penalty for a shoulder charge from Tapine on Vunivalu, tempers flaring.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Austin kicks and Green takes it spectacularly.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
Melbourne now 10 out and looking dangerous but Cronk has been tackled on the last. Chambers penalised with Croker firing up.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
And a penalty to the Storm with momentum shifting. Canberra can't concede another.
Melbourne Storm 8-6
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM: Conversion attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Melbourne now have the lead!
Melbourne Storm 8-6
TRY MELBOURNE STORM: Scored by Cooper Cronk. Kick to come.
Cronk slices through off a Smith pass and Papalii almost holds him up somehow but he is over!
6 all
Munster 10 out, runs around to Glasby a hole opens up and he just misses it.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Koroibete wrecks Rapana as he turns around to take a kick and he is forced in goal. Whack!
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Papalii drops it!
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Smith kicks long and dead. Momentum with Canberra.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Big play with Canberra looming 10 out.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Munster steals the ball off Sezer one on one. Could see that coming!
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Green man handles Whitehead and gives away a penalty.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
A knock on by Harris will be ruled. Raiders to the 20.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Bunker just checking it.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Munster meanwhile, his hand is bleeding badly.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Amazing defence Wighton to stop a certain try.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Now Cronk kicks, Harris with some silky skills and kicks it for himself and almost scores!
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Chambers is through to Munster who is incredibly close!
Canberra Raiders 6-2
Sezer looks to kick but it's more a long grubber. Munster picks it up with relative ease.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS: Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Croker won't be kicking tonight after picking up that injury but Sezer nails it from the sideline.
Canberra Raiders 6-2
TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS: Scored by Jordan Rapana. Kick to come.
TRY TIME! Leilua to Rapana who extends out to score in the corner! A just reward for not taking the 2.
Canberra Raiders 4-2
Storm defence looking strong.
Melbourne Storm 2-0
Canberra will keep the work going, no shot for 2 here. Nice to see!
Melbourne Storm 2-0
Leilua offloads to Rapana who nearly races through... Melbourne now pinned or being offside 10 out.
Melbourne Storm 2-0
Papalii... now 10 out.
Melbourne Storm 2-0
Harris is penalised for a pull on Soliola's arm. Raiders 40 out.
Melbourne Storm 2-0
Great work by Canberra, Whitehead with a good run, Leilua threatens out wide but Austin's grubber is easily handled by Vunivalu.
Melbourne Storm 2-0
Cronk kicks it out 10 from the line, a nice controlled one.
Melbourne Storm 2-0
SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MELBOURNE STORM: Penalty goal attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Opening points, no surprise it's a penalty goal and Melbourne lead 2-0.
Melbourne Storm 2-0
Finucane milks the penalty and Smith will kick for 2. (Yawn)
0 all
Green forces the drop out as Rapana cleans up a dangerous grubber.
0 all
Storm start the set 20 out.
0 all
Sezer grubbers, Cronk picks it up, runs 50 and gets the penalty too.
0 all
Now 10 out!
0 all
Now Canberra get the penalty.
0 all
Play on, Croker's up but not 100%
0 all
Croker gets his leg caught and is down.
0 all
Cronk slices through, looks good but he drops it whilst trying to ground it!
0 all
Vunivalu gets the penalty again. Paulo also is again the one penalised. Melbourne now on their 40 and Proctor hits it up.
0 all
Flat ball for Boyd on the last who is tackled.
0 all
Rain falling as Leilua bounces off attempted tackles 20 out.
0 all
Rapana watches the ball go dead. Very close...
0 all
Johns with the commentator's curse... credits the players for their work tonight in slippery conditions and Wighton kicks it out on the full.
0 all
They go short and Chambers kicks it dead... Raiders 7 tackle set.
0 all
Now 10 out as Proctor looms.
0 all
2nd effort from him. Melbourne on halfway.
0 all
Vunivalu earns the penalty. Paulo pinned.
0 all
Change over after Vunivalu attempts to grab a bomb.
0 all
Munster takes a driving kick by Austin.
0 all
Wighton takes a Cronk bomb.
Bromwich tackled on halfway.
Melbourne receive!
KICK OFF! Here we go!
Just a minute's silence for Ron Massey.
Players are making their way out.
Almost game time here.
May be a bit out there but I am expecting a clinic from Melbourne tonight. They will be well rested, prepared and mentally up for this one. As much as I would love to see Canberra make it and provide something unique in the GF I'm tipping a Storm win tonight 38-16.
The key match up tonight could be between in form hookers and Dally M competitors Cameron Smith and Josh Hodgson. Whoever can get their big forward pack on the front foot will go a long way to securing this one.
No interruptions for either side, they are both 1-17 as they shoot for a Grand Final berth, the Raiders first since 1994.
Good evening and welcome to tonight's clash between the Storm and the Raiders, with 1st place coming up against 2nd in what should be an interesting affair.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Matt Cecchin, Alan Shortall
Touch Judges: Michael Wise, Jeff Younis
Video Referee: Bernard Sutton, Ben Galea, Ashley Klein
MELBOURNE STORM (14)
Tries: Cooper Cronk, Cheyse Blair
Field Goals:
Conversions: Cameron Smith (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Cameron Smith (2/2)
CANBERRA RAIDERS (12)
Tries: Jordan Rapana, Elliot Whitehead
Field Goals:
Conversions: Aidan Sezer (2/2)
Penalty Goals: