MELBOURNE - Melbourne will have no presence in the NRL finals but they're doing their best to decide who will after knocking over South Sydney 18-16 to damage their playoff hopes.
Two tries by Souths winger Nathan Merritt, the last in the 72nd minute, set up a thrilling finale at AAMI Park as the visitors tried to claw their way into the lead but it ultimately came to a heart-breaking end for the Rabbitohs.
The Storm, anchored to the bottom of the table after they were stripped of all competition points when their salary cap cheating was exposed, continue to play like a team with a point to prove.
And with five members of the starting side leaving at season end, including superstar centre Greg Inglis who announced midweek he would join Brisbane, the side is determined to send those players off on a winning note.
The win by the home side meant the Rabbitohs remain in ninth on the ladder, and on the same points as the 11th-placed Raiders.
Souths started well enough and earned first points when Luke Capewell crossed in the sixth minute.
It was a bittersweet moment for the young five-eighth, as before kickoff the ground observed a minute's silence in honour of his grandfather David Capewell, who died last week.
However as the rain started to fall, so did Souths' hopes of pulling of their second victory in 10 matches against Melbourne.
Both teams were guilty of plenty of errors in the greasy conditions but Souths paid the price for some lazy defence.
First five-eighth Brett Finch drew some defenders and got a ball away to Cooper Cronk who found Billy Slater on the charge, with Cameron Smith adding the extras for a 6-4 lead after 13 minutes.
Reserve hooker Ryan Hinchcliffe then got the first of his only career double, when he burrowed over from dummy half, and the Storm took a 12-4 halftime lead to the sheds.
Hinchcliffe's second two minutes into the second stanza looked to have put a nail in the Bunnies' coffin however they started to mount a fightback.
Merritt crossed first at 65 minutes after a sweeping backline move and was then rewarded a benefit of the doubt try seven minutes later - his 100th for the red and green - as Slater attempted to hold him up over the line.
Chris Sandow added the extras but in the dying minutes Souths were unable to find the extra points they needed.
MELBOURNE 18 (R Hinchcliffe 2 B Slater tries C Smith 3 goals) bt SOUTH SYDNEY 16 (N Merritt 2 L Capewell tries C Sandow 2 goals) at AAMI Park. Referee: Chris James, Steve Lyons. Crowd: 9,172.
- AAP
League: Melbourne scupper Souths' playoff hopes
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