Melbourne have surged back from an early 16-0 deficit against the Raiders, but it was one moment from fullback Sua Fa’alogo that had Phil Gould stunned.

With captain and hooker Harry Grant starting on the bench after playing State of Origin on Wednesday night, the visitors raced to a dominant lead at AAMI Park but were ran down and outclassed in the crucial moments in the 42-20 result.

Harry Grant was enormous off the bench. Getty

Canberra winger Savelio Tamale crossed first for the Raiders in what Gould admitted was a “concerning” start for the Storm.

Owen Pattie extended the lead when he finished off a nice team try, before Xavier Savage snatched an intercept and ran 90 metres to score.

However, the injection of Grant turned the game on its head and before too long, the Storm were heading into the break locked at 20-20 with the Green Machine.

“Have you seen a player completely transform a game quite like we’ve seen here? He’s on another planet,” Mat Thompson said on Nine.

While all the plaudits were going the way of Grant, the first-half comeback was highlighted by a freakish and bizarre moment from Fa’alogo.

After a pass hit the deck with Melbourne on the attack, the fleet-footed No.1 opted to kick the ball while in stride before even laying a hand on it, forcing Canberra to quickly scramble and bat the ball into touch before the home side could score.

“That’s breathtaking and they had to tap it into the grandstand to save it … that is quick thinking,” Thompson said on commentary.

Gould had a different reaction, drawing laughs from the commentary box.

“If I tried to do that, I’d throw my hip out and be incapacitated for a week,” he said.

The quick thinking from Fa’alogo resulted in points for the Storm, with the repeat set in good-ball territory allowing Cameron Munster to crash over.

Playing in his milestone 250th game, the five-eighth had his fingerprints all over Melbourne’s attack and helped get them back in the contest.

Former teammate Cameron Smith believes he could keep playing beyond his current contract with the NRL powerhouse.

“He loves the big occasions, we know that,” Smith said.

Cameron Munster celebrates a try. Getty

“He’s signed on for another season at the Storm, surely he goes on past that.”

After his first-half heroics, Grant battled through the second half with a lower back issue after a heavy collision.

Will Warbrick – who scored two tries in the opening half – completed his hat-trick with a brilliant aerial play to put Melbourne ahead for the first time before Moses Leo, Fa’alogo and Trent Toelau sealed the deal with tries in the final 13 minutes.