Melbourne Storm’s Jersey Flegg side has been narrowly defeated by the South Sydney Rabbitohs 21-14 at Comely Banks Reserve on Saturday.
While Storm managed to score twice in the second half to set up the exciting finish, the Rabbitohs would ultimately secure the result with a Joseph Nohra field goal in the 66th minute.
Unfortunately, it would be the Rabbitohs who would open the scoring, registering their first points through centre Josiah Karapani in the 5th minute before Storm hit back with a four-pointer of their own just a few moments later.
Putting on a shift to their right, AJ Gudgeon fired a cutout pass to debutant Oscar Amosa on the wing who sliced his way through to nab his first Storm try in the 9th minute.
Karapani would cross again for the Rabbitohs in the 25th minute before Liam Le Blanc extended the Rabbitohs lead in the 31st minute, giving them a 14-6 lead at halftime.
Rabbitohs continued their try-scoring run in the second half, hooker Romano Cook splitting the markers before offloading to Joseph Nohra who burst through to score in the 44th minute.
Storm’s second try would almost be a carbon copy of the first, Gudgeon once again finding Amosa with a cutout pass and the winger sliding over in the corner in the 48th minute.
The offloads began to flow for Storm as the Rabbitohs defence began to tire, with the second phase footy causing all sorts of headaches for visitors.
It would eventually pay dividends, two consecutive offloads unlocking the defence and allowing Angus Hinchey to barge over to bring Storm right back into the contest.
Unfortunately for Storm, that would be where the joy ended, the Rabbitohs icing the game with five minutes left thanks to a Joseph Nohra field goal.
Storm will return to Comely Banks Reserve once again next Saturday where they will face the Newcastle Knights.
