Latrell Mitchell’s golden point field goal wins Good Friday classic against the Storm

It certainly lived up to its billing. The 2018 grand final replay had everything, including an exciting finale when Latrell Mitchell potted a golden point field goal to seal victory for the Roosters.

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Latrell Mitchell doesn’t like being compared to Greg Inglis.

But, geez, the young fella is making it hard.

In a Good Friday clash that had everything bar an, ahem, Melbourne resurrection, rising Roosters superstar Mitchell scored a try, set one up and then booted a 40m golden point field goal to win his side the grand final replay.

“I’ve just turned around I knew it straight away,” Mitchell said.

“I just wanted to rub it in, to be honest. I’ve been copping an ear bashing all night, but that’s just passion, I’m a passionate player and it shows.

“It’s not easy to come up against Melbourne Storm…they’re at the top of the table for a reason.”

Mitchell was the matchwinner. AAP Image/Hamish Blair.

Only days after GI farewelled the game, his new age doppelganger produced a couple of efforts that were fairly, err, Inglisesque.

And undoubtedly the best of them was a long run down the left touch line that, starting with a feigned pass, then saw him take off -- fending off Curtis Scott on the run, then Suliasi Vunivalu before popping a pass inside for James Tedesco. Try.

Yet while the Roosters got home, the bigger question becomes: What is going on with the head of Luke Keary?

It was a remarkable capper to the game of the season. Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images.

Understanding that while Mitchell is the undeniable headline, the result was marred by Keary being forced from the field with 20 minutes to play, having banged bonces with Melbourne fullback Jahrome Hughes.

Which is a worry.

Not only for the defending premier Roosters, but NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler -- who was working the sidelines for Channel 9 on Good Friday clash that had comebacks, stinks,

Cameron Smith brilliance, Cooper Cronk boos, Dale Finucane bell ringers, and Mitchell making the type of plays that make it impossible not to mention Inglis.

“It was uncomfortable and beautiful all in one,” said Roosters coach Trent Robinson, and he had the right of it.

KEARY SHOW

For the longest time in this one, it seemed like another episode of The Keary Show.

Not so much a case of if the Ipswich native would make his Blues debut this year, but alongside who.

Despite erring on the very first play of the game -- fumbling the Storm kick off backwards -- Keary quickly got back to his outstanding best -- orchestrated one try, kicking for another, cleaning up at the back and generally prove more dangerous than drunk woodchopping in thongs.

Mitchell scored a classy first half try. Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images.

But then, thwack.

A year ago, Keary had some real head issues after breaking his jaw in pre-season training.

Suffered concussion too, with Australia.

And while the playmaker didn’t look in too much grief as he left AAMI Park in this one, when it comes to the melon who really knows?

SMITH CRISP

Cameron Smith had his fingerprints all over this one.

While they may not have won the game, the Melbourne No.9 was strong as he orchestrated tries, probed around the ruck and did everything possible to get his side within a bee’s appendage of the unlikeliest of comebacks.

Trailing 20-0 a couple of minutes from the break, Melbourne seemed gone.

And fair enough.

Smith was magnificent in the second half. Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images.

Only three times in Storm history had the purple people eaters trailed by more, and won.

But then three minutes from the break, winger Josh Addo-Carr crossed out wide. Then after oranges, Melbourne scored a double within six minutes.

BOOING SANTA

Storm fans booed Cooper Cronk.

Can you believe it?

For so long cradled by Melburnians like he were, say, a triple venti soy no foam latte, the returning No.7 was in this one continually jeered while playing first game back at AAMI Park without a Storm jersey.

Worse for Cronk, the Melbourne pack doubled down, whacking their old teammate hard on a couple of occasions after he kicked.

This was the best game of the season thus far. Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images.

ROOSTER BOOSTERS

How much better are the Roosters going to get?

Apart from travelling to Melbourne, where they enjoy less success than the chubby kid at Blue Light Discos, the Roosters were also without five regular starters Jake Friend, Joseph Manu, Isaac Liu, Brett Morris and Siosiua Taukeiaho.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS 21 (L Mitchell J Tedesco J Waerea-Hargreaves tries L Mitchell 4 goals L Mitchell field goal) bt MELBOURNE 20 (J Addo-Carr T Kamikamica C Scott tries B Croft 4 goals) in extra time at AAMI Park. Referee: Grant Atkins, Ashley Klein. Crowd: 17,036