NRL 2024: Dragons win 18-16 over Storm to end 16-game losing streak in Melbourne
The minor premiership race has taken a turn on the eve of the finals, as the Dragons produced a stunning upset over the ladder leading Storm to end a 16-game losing streak in Melbourne.
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St George Illawarra Dragons have defied history in a major upset over top-of-the-ladder Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
It was a win that was 9100 days and 25 seasons in the making as the Dragons toppled the Storm 18-16 in front of a shell shocked 18,103 predominantly purple clad crowd.
After 16 straight losses in three different Victorian venues, the Dragons got to sing their song for the first time in Melbourne since 1999.
You could say they were partying like it was 1999 after a standout two-try performance from Dragons forward Jaydn Su’A guided the visitors to a rare win down south.
Not only was it a significant win in a historical sense for the Dragons, it was huge for their 2024 season as it catapulted them into the top eight.
The Dragons improved to 10-9, while the Storm has some work to do to secure the minor premiership with the defending champion Penrith Panthers breathing down their neck.
It was a dirty night for the Storm, who saw forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona placed on report.
Captain Harry Grant tried his utmost to get the Storm over the line with a tryscoring double, but it was to no avail as his team’s seven-game winning streak came to an end in a spectacular way.
It was a fast and furious start, but the Storm has a knack of making you pay for your errors.
With the Dragons threatening 10 metres out from the line, Hame Sele made an error in the play-the-ball and from the next set, the Storm broke the deadlock.
Grant caught the Dragons defenders flat footed and found halfback Jahrome Hughes, who exploded past Dragons forwards Jacob Liddle and Luciano Leilua to play the one-two to Grant who crossed for the game’s first try.
It could have dispiriting for the Dragons, but they immediately threatened the Storm line with a three-on-one chance to score, but Will Warbrick made a crucial tackle.
Eventually the Dragons found their way through when captain Ben Hunt produced a delightful grubber kick for Jaydn Su’A to score unopposed.
The Dragons continued to press with Tyrell Sloan, who had been dropped to reserve grade last week and only earned a reprieve due to Mat Feagea’s concussion, sparking the visitors with a try from inside his own half.
Sloan put a filthy fake kick move on Papenhuyzen, which wrong-footed the Storm fullback and ran in to give the Dragons a 12-6 lead.
The Storm hit back before the break through none other than Grant Anderson, who has scored four consecutive games, when he was played in by a spot-on grubber from Cameron Munster.
The Dragons thought they had the dream start to the second half when Sloan found a gaping hole to score, but it was too good to be true as the bunker found that Leilua had impeded Storm’s Trent Loiero.
It was not merely a Dragons daydream though, shortly after Hunt whizzed past Shawn Blore and assisted on a Su’A double to make it 18-10.
Hunt was critical of his own game in the hammering against Penrith a week earlier, but he put on a show in Melbourne.
Grant took it upon himself to get the Storm back in it, scampering from dummy half for his second try of the game, trimming the deficit to two, but it was a bridge too far.
BREATHING FIRE
Dragons fullback Tyrell Sloan came out like a man with a point to prove to his coach Shane Flanagan.
Sloan was scintillating for the Dragons, scoring a try from inside his own half and running for 153 metres, but it was his dependability at the back that impressed.
Flanagan challenged him to be more attentive to his defensive responsibilities and he answered with a strong game at the back.
Su’A was superb with 162 run metres, while Tom Eisenhuth dominated in defence against his old side with 47 tackles.
ON THIN ICE
Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona was inserted into the starting line-up in place of the injured Tui Kamikamica (groin) and was hellbent on bringing much-needed physicality against a big Dragons pack.
The 28-year-old prop’s impact was significant, but he did walk a fine line between what physicality referee Grant Atkins deemed fair or crude and found himself on report for a high tackle.
Atkins was heard saying, ‘You are skating on thin ice” to Asofa-Solomona late in the first and even Grant told him to cool down.
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Originally published as NRL 2024: Dragons win 18-16 over Storm to end 16-game losing streak in Melbourne
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