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A Latrell Mitchell field-goal in extra time has given the Sydney Roosters a 21-20 win over Melbourne in a thrilling NRL grand final re-match.
Latrell Mitchell has broken Melbourne hearts with a golden-point field goal to secure a 21-20 win for the Sydney Roosters over the Storm in their Good Friday NRL grand final re-match.
In the second minute of extra time, all eyes were on Roosters halfback Cooper Cronk, who was playing in his first game back at AAMI Park since his 2017 departure from the Storm.
But the premiers turned to Mitchell, who slotted over the match winner from 40m out to end Melbourne's unbeaten start to the season.
It ended an epic comeback from the Storm, who trailed 20-8 at halftime as they failed to keep pace with the champions early on.
"It was uncomfortable and beautiful all in one," said Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
He couldn't say if it was his team's best performance of the season, but believed it showed tremendous character. They had lost star playmaker Luke Keary to a head knock midway through the second half and powerhouse prop Siosiua Taukeiaho to a back injury in the warm-up.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy praised his team's fightback but he was upset they had put themselves in such a position.
"To come back was a really good effort against a side like that but to put ourselves in that position was disappointing," Bellamy said.
He said rookie Sitili Tupouniua's 30m charge through the middle which gave the Roosters the match-winning field position was costly.
"We paid a huge price for that missed tackle and got what we deserved."
The first half was all Roosters with Mitchell the main man, scoring one try and setting up another as he ran 44m, fending off Curtis Scott and winger Suliasi Vunivalu before offloading to James Tedesco.
Ex-Storm champion Cronk was greeted by boos from the 17,000-strong crowd and came in for some special attention from his former teammates.
While the Roosters ran in three first-half tries, the Storm didn't get on the scoreboard until the 38th minute with winger Josh Addo-Carr breaking the drought, while Brodie Croft kicked a penalty after the halftime hooter for a 12-point deficit.
Melbourne started to rally when skipper Cameron Smith darted out of dummy-half and found Tui Kamikamica who crashed over the line.
With their tails up, Scott then made amends for blowing a first-half try when he failed to ground the ball over the line. He also charged from dummy-half to score, with the conversion by Croft locking the game up at 20-20.
Croft had two wayward attempts at a field goal to break the deadlock before Mitchell's game-breaker.
