LIVE NRL: Storm level with Roosters after NAS binned on prelim's ...

The Melbourne Storm have beaten the Sydney Roosters 48-18 in their preliminary final clash to book their place in next week’s big dance.

In the end, the minor premiers proved too good, turning a nightmare into a dream night to book a place in their 11th grand final with a comprehensive win over the Roosters.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona was sent to the sin bin after the first hit up of the game for a high shot on Roosters prop Lindsay Collins, which resulted in the QLD star failing his HIA.

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It ignited a contest that was already poised to be ignited, especially for the presence of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, and brought the sold out home crowd into the contest early.

Boos became the soundtrack of the next few minutes as a pair of penalties allowed the Roosters to march down the field, before a third allowed them to gain a 2-0 lead over their hosts.

That third penalty, blown after Angus Crichton was taken out off the ball while chasing a Luke Keary kick, was not without controversy, with some believing Jahrome Hughes committed a penalty foul on the edge.

Trent Robinson’s side then scored the game’s first try through Daniel Tupou, capitalising on their man advantage.

However, once Asofa-Solomona returned to the field and the Roosters’ numerical advantage faded, the hosts worked their way back into the game before scoring in the 13th minute through Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Melbourne’s electrifying No.1 had his hands on their second try, attacking the Roosters’ left edge with pace, threatening to break through himself or create a chance for his outside men, as he always does.

Keary followed him and when Papenhuyzen dropped Nick Meaney underneath, the space he burst into could’ve been parted by Moses it was that wide.

Meaney found Hughes, who capped a fine individual season that has many believing he is undoubtedly this year’s Dally M Medallist, with a try - though that wouldn’t be the last we saw of the Melbourne halfback.

Some brilliant work from Xavier Coates, and Papenhuyzen, saw Melbourne go from coast to coast and prodigy Jack Howarth score his first finals try just after half an hour.

An error from Sua’ali’i, off the back of an erratic Connor Watson trying to create something from nothing, gave Melbourne one more chance to score before halftime.

They did just that through Hughes, who powered onto a Harry Grant dummy half pass as if he were a 110 kg back rower, not a halfback to extend his side’s lead to 16 at the break.

“That is Joey Johns like,” Fox League’s Andrew Voss exclaimed.

And while many in Melbourne would’ve liked their side to cruise in the second half, that didn’t exactly happen as the Roosters clawed their way back into the contest through a pair of unlikely try scorers.

First Terell May bounced his way over under the posts, before Nat Butcher cleaned up a Papenhuyzen knock on to give the Roosters a faint glimmer of hope.

A controversial try to Hughes, which completed his hat trick, deflated any Roosters second half momentum.

Melbourne’s bomb was allowed to bounce by Tedesco. It found Angus Crichton, who batted it back towards his own try line and into the arms of Eli Katoa.

One tackle later the Storm scored the simplest of tries through Hughes, though replays showed Storm bench forward Alec Macdonald knocked the ball on when Crichton batted it back.

The Storm grew during the middle segment of the second half, increasing their foothold on the game before Papenhuyzen’s second of the night extended their lead to 18, leaving the Roosters just 17 minutes to attempt and complete the largest comeback in finals history.

Not only were Robinson’s men unable to complete that comeback, they didn’t even attempt it in the final 15 minutes of the game.

Cameron Munster scored in the 65th minute and right on full time, adding the cherry on top of his side’s masterful performance, overcoming the weight of the early odds stacked against them to clinically work their way into yet another grand final.

For Keary, Manu, Sua’ali’i, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and the rest of the departing Roosters, it’s a bitter way to draw their career at the storied club to a close.

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