By Simon Brunsdon, Zachary Gates
Sebastian Kris thought nothing of it, but it was still his header that set up the Raiders’ match-sealing try and stunned the Storm in Saturday’s knockout final.
In perhaps the most surprising try assist of the season, an accidental Kris “hawk” fell into the path of Jordan Rapana late in the Raiders’ final against the Storm.
All Rapana had to do was run across open pasture, pick up the ball and aim down.
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“That was probably the only thing that went out of our way tonight,” winning coach Ricky Stuart said after the game.
”It was a tough night. We didn’t get any good balls.
Sebastian Kris headed the ball forward leading to a Raiders try. (new)
“There were some calls there that were tough, we didn’t get any 50-50s, and you need those. The way the players hung in there tonight makes me really proud to be their coach.
“We had a stroke of luck in this header.”
It was an uphill affair at AAMI Park with both sides looking the likely winner at various stages of the contest.
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The Raiders were underdogs before kick-off, having only qualified for the finals thanks to a late-season capitulation by the Broncos, but they struck first on Saturday when Matthew Timoko handed Cameron Munster the opener goal
NRL Highlights: Storm v Raiders – Finals Week 1
Melbourne took the lead when Nelson Asofa-Solomona stormed the tryline in the 57th minute.
A converted try in the 67th minute put the Raiders ahead and set up a thrilling finish.
There were less than five minutes left on the clock when a misplaced pass from Jack Wighton bounced off Kris’s head and the ball was flicked on by Rapana.
Jamal Fogarty’s conversion gave them an eight-point lead and eventually Melbourne couldn’t overcome Canberra.
It ended a run of seven consecutive preliminary finals for the Storm and coach Craig Bellamy.
The only injury concern for Canberra is Adam Elliott, who limped off the field.
Joe Tapine was reported by a senior contact and will review the match review committee report on Sunday to find out his fate.
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