The Melbourne Storm left it until the absolute final moments to secure a crucial victory, breaking a deadlock in the final two minutes to edge out the Gold Coast Titans in a 22-18 win.
With the scores level in the final minutes, it was Nick Meaney who turned into a match-winner for the Storm in front of their home crowd.
Storm players celebrate their last-gasp win. Graham Denholm
He picked the ball up from dummy half and dived for the line, spinning out of a Keano Kini tackle to ground the ball over his head at AAMI Park.
While the Storm missed the subsequent conversion, it left the Gold Coast with only seconds to concoct a miracle, a task that ultimately proved too great.
The narrow win keeps Melbourne firmly in the 2026 finals conversation as they now stay within two wins of the top eight.
With their upcoming clash against the Sydney Roosters on Friday, the Storm are within striking distance of the top eight.
“I think you always want to be in the running. This year, a few games didn’t go the way we planned, but we just got to keep putting one foot in front of the other and stay really present and not look too far ahead,” Harry Grant said to Fox League.
“Keep getting through the week we’re presented with, the team we’re presented with, the opposition we’re presented with.”
Grant also spoke about the difficulty after the State of Origin period and the absence of key players such as Maroons’ Cameron Munster, who was rested for the clash.
“It’s a pretty emotional period, the Origin period. It’s a tough period to navigate … so, the first thing you want to do is get out and play some footy, and it’s pleasing to come away with a gritty win tonight,” Grant said on Fox League.
“Not many five-eighths make as many tackles and do the work that he (Munster) does in a game, so he needs a rest every now and then.”