Australia test center Greg Inglis scored a second-half try and kicked a clinching field goal with two minutes left to lead the Melbourne Storm to a 23-16 win over the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League grand final Sunday.
Melbourne was appearing in its fourth straight grand final _ it won the title in 2007 _ while Parramatta was attempting to become the first team to win the league championship after qualifying from eighth place in the playoffs.
The Storm, which joined the league in 1998, won its first premiership the following year and now has three in its 11-year history.
A year after an embarrassing 40-0 defeat to Manly, the Storm prevailed before 82,538 fans at the former Olympic stadium.
"That's unbelievable _ it was an exciting time the first time we won but it's a real sense of achievement this time," Melbourne captain Cameron Smith said.
"We worked so hard to get there this year and we played an outstanding opponent in Parramatta. We were on the ropes there at the end but the boys showed what a tough side we are and we came through it."
Melbourne's Billy Slater, named the most valuable player in the match and winner of the Clive Churchill Medal, dashed over for his seventh try of the finals series to make it 22-6 at the 55-minute mark.
The win was sealed by a 25-meter field goal by Inglis after a controversial penalty from referee Tony Archer, who ruled the Eels had stripped Slater of the ball in a tackle.
Prop Fuifui Moimoi was the best Parramatta player, playing strongly on defense and breaking four tacklers to score in the 72nd minute to narrow the gap to six points.
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Scores:
Melbourne 23 (Ryan Hoffman, Adam Blair, Greg Inglis, Billy Slater tries; Cameron Smith 3 goals, Inglis field goal), Parramatta 16 (Eric Grothe, Joel Reddy, Fuifui Moimoi tries; Luke Burt 2 goals). HT: 10-0.
