Grant’s hat-trick leads Storm to qualifying final win over Sharks

The Storm have dominated the second half to beat the Sharks and seal yet another home preliminary final in two weeks time.

The Storm will either play Manly, Sydney Roosters or Canterbury Bulldogs but, either way, today’s win has been a resounding one and it didn’t look like it would go this way at half-time.

The Sharks will have a semi-final in Sydney next week against either North Queensland or Newcastle.

Harry Grant finished with a hat-trick after slipping over for his third try in the final minutes, Ryan Papenhuyzen finished it off with a 35m drop goal.

Why? Because he could.

Cameron Munster celebrates a try.Credit: Getty Images

That’s all I have for you tonight everyone. Thanks so much for joining us and please keep visiting our sport pages for more NRL finals coverage tonight and in the days to come.

Have a lovely evening and bye for now.

AAMI Park: Hold up, Nathan. Jahrome Hughes might have something to say about being the best halfback in the game.

Less than 24 hours after Nathan Cleary produced a superstar return for the Panthers, Hughes was at his lethal best as the Melbourne Storm blew away Cronulla 37-10.

Jahrome Hughes (right) celebrates a Storm try with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

The Storm are 80 minutes away from another grand final. And Hughes was excellent as he called the shots and appeared to get better the longer the game went in front of a week-one AAMI Park record crowd of 26,326 fans.

The impressive attendance was boosted by the fact there was no AFL match in town.

How many of them might be tempted to return in future years while Hughes is in the prime of his career.

Hughes will win the Dally M Medal – and deserves to be right in the conversation with Cleary when it comes to the premier No.7 in rugby league right now.

Click here to read the story.

A proud Storm coach Craig Bellamy has praised his side for its poise after conceding a try right on half-time against the Sharks today.

Bellamy admitted he felt “deflated” after the try but was surprised his side was so focused when he spoke to them at the break.

Harry Grant and his teammates celebrate a try.Credit: Getty Images

The Storm would go on to dominate the second half in a 37-10 win which booked a home preliminary final in two weeks time.

“It wasn’t an easy game tonight,” Bellamy said.

“It was a little deflating. I had to perk myself up a bit before speaking to them but they didn’t seem too concerned about it and I thought against the wind in the second half, we just dominated possession and the points came.

“Our guys did a great job. It was one of the highest ball-in-play games we have played in this year. There wasn’t a lot of breaks and rest but our guys did a great job.

“We can be really happy about today but it only takes us a little further in the competition.”

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon says he is disappointed in his side’s inability to stop the Storm in the second half.

Fitzgibbon still has faith his side can bounce back in next week’s semi-final but they have to get the fine details of their defence right.

Royce Hunt of the Sharks is tackled.Credit: Getty Images

“We were close enough at half-time that I thought we might make a contest of it,” Fitzgibbon said.

“Then we come straight out and, off the bat, give a penalty on the fifth tackle and I’m not sure we got back off our try line again.”

The Storm have dominated the second half to beat the Sharks and seal yet another home preliminary final in two weeks time.

The Storm will either play Manly, Sydney Roosters or Canterbury Bulldogs but, either way, today’s win has been a resounding one and it didn’t look like it would go this way at half-time.

The Sharks will have a semi-final in Sydney next week against either North Queensland or Newcastle.

Harry Grant finished with a hat-trick after slipping over for his third try in the final minutes, Ryan Papenhuyzen finished it off with a 35m drop goal.

Why? Because he could.

Cameron Munster celebrates a try.Credit: Getty Images

Storm winger Xavier Coates is only just back from a hamstring injury and they haven’t taken any risks now the game is safe.

Coates has run off to plenty of congratulations from his teammates.

He will get two more weeks to get his hamstrings even stronger.

Eliesa Katoa has played a blinder in this second half winning back possessions and tackling fiercely, now he has pulled in a high ball and thrown a lovely inside pass to Grant who scored yet again close to the posts.

The Storm are on their way to a home preliminary final.

Eliesa Katoa of the Storm.Credit: Getty Images

Even Craig Bellamy, briefly, cheered for that try before returning to his game face.

Storm 30, Sharks 10 with seven minutes to go.

The Sharks have been stuck in their defensive end in the second half and now they are trying to get something going as we reach the last 10 minutes of the match.

They have a heap of work to do and the clock keeps ticking down.

Storm 24, Sharks 10 with nine minutes to go.

The Storm are flying home now with Jahrome Hughes adding another highlight to his career-best season spotting the winger out of place and drifting a kick over the defence.

All Warbrick had to do was sprint, jump and catch but he showed his class in getting the ball down just before going over the touch line.

Quality kick, quality finish from two elite players.

That is Hughes’ 26th try-assist this season according to Nine.

Storm 24, Sharks 10 with 16 minutes to play.