Dragons stun Storm to break 25-year Melbourne curse

St George Illawarra duo Ben Hunt and Jaydn Su’A have overpowered Melbourne’s awesome foursome on their long-awaited return to signal a crucial two points for the Dragons.

Playmaker Hunt set up his Queensland State of Origin teammate Su’A with two crucial tries in the Dragons’ 18-16 win at AAMI Park on Saturday night, propelling them back into the NRL top eight.

History was stacked against the Saints.

The victory was their first win in Melbourne this millennium, breaking a 16-game losing streak against the Storm on the road.

It was also just the league-leading Storm’s second loss in 13 games with Cameron Munster, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant starting in their spine.

Five-eighth Munster, in his first game back after a two-and-a-half month injury lay-off, showed why he is one of the game’s premier players in the opening set, breaking through the Dragons’ line with a dazzling 40 -meter run.

But after Hughes slipped Grant through to get the Storm off to an early lead, their star-studded spine had an off night by their lofty standards.

Against arguably the league’s best halves pairing, Hunt showed his class.

With the Storm defense sliding frantically across field in front of him, the St George Illawarra captain dropped a pinpoint grubber kick on his right boot to slip in Su’A for his first try of the night.

The powerful back-rower was back in the thickness of it soon after. He offloaded Jacob Liddle who slipped fullback Tyrell Sloan through the middle of the broken Storm defensive line.

Sloan sized up Papenhuyzen, shaped to kick, went the other way and skipped past the Melbourne fullback, who was sent spinning in the wrong direction.

Munster managed to snag a try assist just before the break.

Sliding to the left, the five-eighth shaped to pass, saw Dragons defenders Zac Lomax and Max Feagai stepping up, and dropped a little grubber kick in the space left in behind.

Winger Grant Anderson ran through to plant the ball down and send the Storm into the second half trailing by two points.

Ben Hunt once again made the Melbourne defense look silly, dummying past Shawn Blore before finding Su’A to complete his brace.

The Storm emerged back in the last 20 minutes.

Hooker Grant saw Sloan dilly-dallying back to his defensive line and burrowed through with a last-tackle dummy-half run through the gap left behind.

But the desperate Dragons defense held on to withstand the home side’s barrage and signal a famous win.