The giant-killing Wests Tigers have toppled NRL premiers Melbourne on their own turf, with Luke Brooks scoring a last-ditch try to claim a 10-8 victory.
After their opening-round defeat of premiership heavyweights the Sydney Roosters, the Tigers showed no fear against the Storm on Saturday night at AAMI Park to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
The Tigers tossed aside the script for Storm superstar Billy Slater's 300th NRL match. They rattled the home side from the opening whistle and nailed the win with Brooks' try in the 78th minute.
Coach Ivan Cleary said he was stoked by the victory.
"I thought we deserved the win," Cleary said.
"Lucky enough, the boys hung in there and got a crack at the end."
In a frantic first half, the Tigers beat Melbourne at their own game - out-defending the tightest team in the competition.
Frustrated by their inability to get across the line, the Storm's error count grew alongside their penalty count.
Like the Roosters game, it was a tryless first half and a scoreless match until Esan Marsters kicked two penalty goals in the final two minutes of the half for a 4-0 lead.
That was extended to 6-0 in the 57th minute before the Storm finally made it onto the scoreboard.
Tigers prop Ben Matulino was sin-binned for a professional foul and Melbourne took advantage of the numerical advantage to send the ball wide to winger Suliasi Vunivalu, who dived across in the corner.
It was the highlight of Vunivalu's otherwise below-par night, with the Fijian flyer guilty of a number of schoolboy errors.
Storm skipper Cameron Smith shanked the conversion and, with his team still trailing, was forced to rely on two penalties for the champions to go ahead in the 72nd minute.
It looked like Melbourne would hold on for the win but a forward pass ruined a second try and the Tigers wouldn't be denied, with Matulino making amends as he found Brooks on the charge for his match-winning try.
After the match, Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall cut short his post-game media interview to organise a guard of honour for Billy Slater.
Smith said he was disappointed with his team's basic errors - 17 for the match - that continued to stall their momentum.
He said the team lacked cohesion in attack.
"We had plenty of opportunities but we weren't good enough and that's about consistency," Smith said.
"The Tigers were very good, very resilient, and replicated what they produced against the Roosters."
Australian Associated Press
