Melbourne snapped Penrith’s nine-game winning streak as Harry Grant scored a cheeky try in golden point to guide his side to a 22-18 victory.
The Storm were already without Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes for the blockbuster clash.
And Craig Bellamy elected to make some spinal surgery with Cameron Munster switched to fullback and Jonah Pezet promoted off the bench to start in the halves as his side entered into the contest firmly as underdogs.
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Harry Grant tips his cap to the officials after starring in Storm win
The late decision from the coach was a surprising one that caught many by surprise.
Yet the biggest surprise was to come in the match as Melbourne’s captain conjured some magic out of dummy-half to land the knockout blow.
After the scores were locked at 18-all in regulation time, Nathan Cleary won the toss and opted to receive the ball.
However, Dylan Edwards dropped the pill on the halfway line to hand the visitors the advantage.
Cameron Munster had seen his field goal attempt charged down earlier in the contest and lined up out the back, ready for another shot.
But the crafty hooker had other ideas as a sleight of hand at the ruck left Penrith’s defence eyeing up Munster, while Grant scurried through the front door to touch down under the posts.
"I had lunch with Roy Masters and he said, 'Where are you playing?' I said CommBank," Grant recalled.
"He said, 'Ah, that’s where you were pretty sneaky and scored a try during golden point against Parramatta.'
"So, I guess he put it into my head," he laughed.
It was the second major play Grant had produced in a short space of time after denying Penrith the win in regulation time.
The first instance was actually on the other side of the ball, though, when he rushed out of marker to charge down a Cleary field goal.
Moses Leota was stationed just off the ruck and the Melbourne skipper came into contact with him and threw himself to the ground, drawing a penalty from referee Ashley Klein.
Cleary immediately challenged the call, but the Bunker supported the on-field decision, which left the coach and his son frustrated.
"Harry is too smart at both ends," Ivan Cleary deadpanned.
"If that was in the field of play and you run a block shape, it wouldn’t be ruled an obstruction," the halfback argued.
"Particularly if you’re defending at three-man and play for the obstruction because they don’t want that in the game. But, for some reason, it’s different with a field goal."
"The blocking rule was brought in so the players wouldn’t stand next to the play-the-ball. Moses wasn’t in that position," Nathan Cleary added.
"Essentially, Harry played for it because he knew he was going to get the penalty.
"It happened straight off a linebreak and that’s what makes it harder. Moses was there to take the next run. I’m not sure what he’s meant to do and I know that’s a common cliche.
"Do we expect him to get all the way behind the ball and then we’ve got no one to run on the play?
"It’s a split-second thing of where I’m calling to take the field goal and Moses is there to take the run. It’s pretty frustrating."
However, Grant stressed that he simply played by the rules of the game before going on to claim the match-winner with a piece of quick-thinking.
"I think anyone in the game has seen that it has been policed numerous times and that’s the rules within the game," Grant stated.
"There is probably a bit of inconsistency around it at times, or confusion. But as long as the rule is black and white, we can take that forward.
"The Penrith boys were aware of it when it happened.
"If that’s the rule, we stick to it. If we want to change it, come out during the week and change it. Hats off to the officials for policing it the same way because it would have been easy to change it."
"A lot of attention will go to that call, but it doesn’t need to," Grant added. "Attention will go towards that decision, but why does it have to?"