LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The Melbourne Storm are nursing their wounds after yet another tough grand final defeat, but they have no one to blame but themselves for coming up short.
Lindsay Collins' mind wasn't the first to be rattled like a tambourine by Nelson Asofa-Solomona, and it certainly won't be the last.
But the Storm enforcer's bone-jarring high tackle on his Roosters rival in last weekend's preliminary final has proven to be a costly mistake - and it will cast a shadow over his career for years to come.
Melbourne showed great courage in their 14-6 loss to the Panthers in Sunday's grand final, but the truth remains that they were lacking aggression in the middle of the field without their enforcer.
With a lot of young and inexperienced players in the Storm lineup, their chances of victory relied heavily on Asofa-Solomona setting the tone and solidifying the defense.