The Melbourne Storm have come from behind to claim a 30-22 win over a gallant New Zealand Warriors at AAMI Park.
It continues the Storm’s Anzac Day dominance over the Warriors, extending its record another year as the Warriors haven’t tasted victory on the day since 2014.
Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
The Storm have now won the past 14 matches against the Warriors and seven straight on Anzac Day.
The Warriors were hit hard by injury, finishing the match with no players on the bench.
New Zealand hit the ground running and led 18-6 after 21 minutes before the Storm hit back through a Cameron Munster try.
A Dylan Walker sin bin for a head slam appeared to change the momentum but the Warriors were the next to score despite being a man down when Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored in the corner.
The Storm did score at the end of the 10 minute advantage to keep it close but what would ultimately be the matchwinning 56th minute try for Nick Meaney gave the Storm the lead for the first time in the match.
Fans were baffled as referee Grant Atkins awarded the try despite plenty of question marks over Reimis Smith’s involvement.
A kick over the top from Jahrome Hughes fell just short of the line but it appeared as though Smith had touched the ball while attempting a catch in front of two Warriors stars.
Fox Sports commentators Dan Ginnane and Michael Ennis didn’t see a touch.
Ennis said it was “close”, while Ginnane argued “we haven’t seen anything definitive”.
But referee Atkins told Meaney to attempt the conversion, much to the chagrin of Warriors coach Andrew Webster, who, put his hand to his head.
“He can’t believe it Andrew Webster,” Ennis said.
However, fans were in utter disbelief, believing they could see a “clear knock on”.
New Zealand’s version of SEN tweeted: “There is an obvious knock on by the Storm, an Nick Meaney swoops on the loose ball to score his second of the game.”
Sky Sports’ Tim Evans posted: “How the heck was that try not sent for closer scrutiny??”
Newshub NZ’s Andrew Gourdie commented: “Funny how the camera angle that best showed the knock on from Smith that led to that try wasn’t shown during the Bunker analysis.”
Fellow Newshub sports reporter James Regan added: “Upto bunker honestly. Absolute joke.”
Radio personality Marc Peard wrote: “If that had been the Warriors scoring … It would have gone to the bunker … And been called a knock on.”
Asked about the incident after the match, Webster didn’t really want to be drawn on the issue and said “I wish it wasn’t a try”.
“Those are the moments we’ve got to be in charge of,” he added.
“Two players collide, there’s a ball on the ground, and we’re not there to clean it up, they are.
“That’s us saying to ourselves ‘let’s not make excuses’.
“Players are coming to me in there saying ‘things may not have gone our way at times but we’ve got to own that bit’. So why weren’t we on the loose ball, and why were we colliding in the air. Then you take it out of the referees hands.
“And I’m not critical of the decision, I don’t know.”
But the try was awarded and the Storm put the game to bed in the 76th minute when Harry Grant wrestled his way to the ground.
Post-match, Parker said it would be hard to take for the Warriors.
“I thought in the second half, they got the real prickly end of the pineapple in terms to some of the calls,” Parker said.
“From the video evidence we saw, I thought there was a touch from Reimis Smith, there obviously wasn’t or it was adjudicated that way. There was a potential hip drop on Dylan Walker.
“But at the end of the day, it comes down to having troops and they just didn’t have any troops on the park.”
