LeagueNews.co | Nick Loken
The Melbourne Storm's Jersey Flegg campaign has come to a heartbreaking end after suffering a 20-16 defeat to the Canberra Raiders on Saturday afternoon.
The team needed a win or draw to secure their place in the finals, but despite a remarkable comeback from 16-0 down at halftime, their chances were dashed by a last-minute try from Canberra.
After a disappointing first half, the Storm came out firing in the second half.
They brought themselves back from the brink with tries from Deontae Perese, Jayden Weir, and Mitch Jennings.
The home crowd rallied around the team, and with the scores tied at 16-16, it looked like they would hold on for a hard-fought draw at home.
However, in the final minutes, Canberra had a full set attacking the Storm's line.
Jerry Musu's desperation resulted in a charge down of Mitch Henderson's field goal attempt, denying Canberra the lead.
But Canberra secured possession from the charge down and scored the decisive try as the clock ticked into the final minute.
Kane Rushton got to Henderson's grubber first, preventing it from going into the dead ball line.
Although they fell just short of making the finals, the Storm's 2023 campaign still had plenty of highlights.
They went on a six-game unbeaten run earlier in the season, which included hard-fought wins over the Sharks and Bulldogs.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the finals, the team can take pride in their achievements throughout the season.