Melbourne Storm beat St George Ilawarra Dragons as Eliesa Katoa stars
Storm ahead Eliesa Katoa snared two tries and laid a game-deciding, bone-rattling hit on Dragons skipper Ben Hunt because the Storm survived a scare to win 38-28 on Saturday night time.
A St George Illawarra win was nonetheless potential because the hosts, trailing 30-28 in Wollongong, labored their means up the sector with two minutes left on the clock, however Katoa floored Hunt with a thumping hit and Melbourne scored on the again of it.
Hunt coughed up the ball and Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes swooped, pouncing on the footy and racing away to attain.
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Melbourne then bolstered its for and towards with a penalty aim, closing out victory after slumping to an 18-4 deficit over the primary 25 minutes of the competition.
“That is a strive in your defence,” rugby league guru Phil Gould mentioned of the Katoa hit on the 9 broadcast.
“Overlook the 2 tries that he scored,” added former Jillaroo Allana Ferguson on the 9 protection.
“Katoa with that sort out simply received his staff the sport. There isn’t any getting back from this now for the Dragons.”
Katoa produced a colossal sport, combining his two tries and big hit with 28 tackles and six sort out breaks.
The previous Warrior muscled over from shut vary for his first attempt to was the beneficiary of an aesthetic Hughes chip for his second four-pointer.
Dragons second-rower Billy Burns additionally scored a double, whereas Storm winger Will Warbrick crossed for a first-half hat-trick.
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Probably the most-impressive strive of the night time was scored by Melbourne flyer Xavier Coates, who surprised the house aspect with a spectacular solo effort late within the first half.
The Queensland State of Origin consultant burst by means of the St George Illawarra defence in Melbourne’s half of the sector, swerved previous Dragons fullback Tyrell Sloan and held off Hunt to attain in the appropriate nook.
The Storm will end the spherical positioned fourth on the ladder after leapfroffing the Sharks, who downed the Cowboys in North Queensland on Thursday night time.
