NRL 2022: Ray Stone try seals golden-point win for Parramatta Eels against Melbourne Storm
Eels backrower Ray Stone emerged as the hero for Parramatta in a remarkable golden-point victory against Melbourne Storm, but his match-winning try could come at a cost.
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Two of the most remarkable bounces in the career of Ray Stone secured Parramatta a stunning golden-point win over Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park, but there was a sting in the tail for the hardworking backrower.
A rebound off the post as Mitchell Moses attempted a field-goal in golden point landed in the lap of Stone who was charging towards it and he scored a try, his second in a stunning final 10 minutes, to secure the 28-24 win.
But his match-winning try came at a cost, with the backrower sent for scans after suffering what could be a serious knee injury.
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The 24-year-old, who went from the villain in his team’s round 2 loss to Cronulla to hero in Melbourne, looked to be in pain after seizing on a rebound off the goalposts to score the winning try. He walked from the field but club officials confirmed post-match he would be sent for scans.
Eels coach Brad Arthur, who was unsure of the extent of Stone’s injury, said he was a player his teammates knew they could rely on to turn up when it mattered.
That included knowing to stay onside for the last kick from Moses which ensured the final try got the green light.
“It’s always good when a little bit of luck goes to one of our players that you can rely on,” Arthur said. “Stoney is one of those guys, he works hard, he is sometimes in and out of the team but he never complains, he just gets on with his job.
“He made sure he was onside ... it was a good bit of footy awareness from him, so pleasing for Stoney.
“We didn’t expect anything different. We knew it was going to come down to the wire. It’s very hard to come down to Melbourne and take two points off them.”
Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson said Stone was loved by all his teammates for his willingness to do anything for the Eels and had his fingers crossed the injury was not too serious.
“Stone Dog, he loves those at training and he came off in the game,” he said. “He competes in everything, he can play full back to prop to coach and hopefully his knee is not too bad.’’
Despite coming away with victory in Melbourne, the third in a row for the Eels against the Storm, Arthur said his men were making things hard on themselves with close finishes in each of the opening three games.
“I was a little bit disappointed with five minutes to go that we lacked professionalism,” he said. “We were up by six, we were down attacking the try line, we needed to ice that game ... but to the boys credit it’s character-building performances like this.”
Gutherson agreed they needed to get better at icing games having lost by just two points to Cronulla in Round 2.
“We made it harder on ourselves ... we almost let it slip again,” he said. “We had it in the bag last week as well and it came down to a penalty and a couple of missed tackles and this week was almost the same.”
LUCKY BREAK
Stone scored his first try after juggling a high bomb from Moses, which rebounded off the head of Storm hardman Nelson Asofa Solomona to give his team a 24-18 lead.
It looked like sealing the game before Melbourne, who would not be denied, levelled the score 24-all with just four minutes left on the clock after Ryan Papenhuyzen finished off a mid-field break from Brandon Smith.
A second dropped bomb from Parra winger Waqa Blake, playing out of position as both teams went in with makeshift backlines, then handed Storm the first chance at a penalty goal inside the final two minutes.
But Papenhuyzen’s attempt was charged down, Parra marched up the field and a two-point attempt from Moses sailed wide, sending the game to extra time.
Storm lost [possession in the opening set of extra time and Eels captain Clint Gutherson, who was enormous all night for his team, carried the ball to half-way, before the Moses kick which hit the upright, eluded Melbourne’s Jerohme Hughes and ended up in Stone’s hands.
“Geez we make it hard on ourselves, last week dumb stuff lost us the game,” Moses told Fox League after the win.
“We were lucky to get away with it, Stoney came up with two big plays to win us the game,
“We prides ourselves on out effort and he (Stone) leads it, he does all the extras, he’s the fittest guy in the squad and he turns up for the biggest play.”
It was Parramatta’s third straight win over Melbourne, with the tables turned on the Storm who won in golden-point against South Sydney in Round 2.
CRUSHING MOMENT
A swinging arm from Melbourne enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona on Eels forward Makahesi Makatoa in the second-half could come under scrutiny despite going unpunished during the match by referee Ashley Klein.
The paid had exchanges words after consecutive dropped balls, first by Makatoa, and they didn’t miss each other in ongoing collisions.
But it was the late effort of Asofa-Solomona in a tackle on Makatoa which looked like the Storm big man had connected with the back of his opponent’s head, which could be looked at.
BIG MAN INCOMING
The backline crisis at Parramatta that forced Blake to move on to the wing set up a moment which would have sent shudders through the Melbourne fans sitting in the eastern corner of AAMI Park.
Blake was already flying as he latched on to a brilliant pass from Brown and then accelerated as his 100kg frame charges towards Melbourne fullback Papenhuyzen who has bulked up to be all of 82kgs.
The collision came and the result was only going to go one way with Blake scoring, but without doing too much damage to the man he ran right over the top of.
NEXT MAN UP
After Covid wiped out a hattrick of hookers the Storm backline also needed a pre-game re-shuffle after Xavier Coates was ruled out with hamstring tightness.
The former Brisbane Bronco was electric in his opening home game against South Sydney in round 2 and was replaced by Nick Meaney.
He may have cut a less imposing figure in the air but didn’t look out of place finishing off a movement to score his team’s second try, and his fist for Melbourne, and finished with a double.
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