How do you sum up a game like that? If you’re a Storm fan, how do you rationalise almost squandering a 14-point lead with 12 minutes left?
And if you’re a Souths fan, how do you come down from the incredible high of Latrell Mitchell’s field goal, only to accept defeat?
The script had been written 17 times before. The Rabbitohs travel to Victoria, and regardless of form, personnel or anything else, head home with nothing but a loss – and usually a heavy one.
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Everyone knows about the Rabbitohs’ struggles in Melbourne – never winning at either the old ‘graveyard’ or the current AAMI Park – but they may never have a better chance.
And for an hour, it felt like a forgone conclusion. Harry Grant set up one try with his boot and another with his running game in a whirlwind opening 25 minutes that had the Storm out to a 14-0 lead.
Nobody would have predicted they wouldn’t score again.
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With Latrell Mitchell back in the team there were high hopes for the Souths attack after a clunky showing in their opening loss to Brisbane – but it was evident on several occasions that Dane Gagai’s absence was perhaps bigger than many first thought.
A horror night for his replacement Jaxson Paulo at left centre came to an end prematurely, when he was swapped with right winger Taane Milne with half an hour or so to go.
Despite the dropped balls, and despite the fact that Alex Johnston feasibly could have broken Ken Irvine’s try-scoring record tonight had that famous left edge been humming, it felt for the first time ever like something was going Souths’ way in this most-lopsided of rivalries.
First, Justin Olam was sent to the sin bin after repeated warnings of intentional penalties – instead of spilling the ball again, Souths capitalised on their man advantage to score twice and level the game.
But there was plenty of magic still to come.
Latrell Mitchell’s third conversion attempt of the night sailed wide, and the ensuing kick-off trickled over the dead ball line, all but sealing the match.
The short drop-out only went about four metres, but took the friendliest of Souths bounces to reach the 10-metre line before being pounced upon by Cameron Murray, who was Herculean for the visitors.
And then, of course, the field goal. Mitchell’s hit was as sweet as they come, and a came that resembled yet another drubbing in Melbourne during a lacklustre first half was somehow, someway, going to golden point.
But just like Cinderella’s carriage turned into a pumpkin at midnight, the clock ticking past 80:00 ended the fairytale for the Bunnies.
The Storm snapped back into action. They got through one solid set off the kick-off, before Cody Walker spilled the ball on Souths’ first possession of extra time, and it was left to Ryan Papenhuyzen to evade one charging defender before coolly slotting the winner on the run, his glorious mullet flowing behind him as he did so.
Like it had been 17 times before, it was Melbourne beating Souths at home – just not in the way we might have anticipated even half an hour earlier.
It’s now a perfect 18-0 for Melbourne against the Bunnies at home, but that’s the third decided by a single point. Perhaps one day, the tide will finally turn.
But it won’t be today.
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