Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr was still buzzing after winning his first NRL finals game on Saturday night but admitted he was a nervous wreck beforehand.
The 22-year-old scored a try and set up another for Billy Slater in the second half to help his side defeat the Eels 18-16.
He had to overcome some pre-match nerves – something he says has become almost a ritual before every game.
"It was very nervous but exciting," he said.
"It was a good experience for myself. Once I just run out on the field, it goes away. I'm nervous every game I suppose. I think that's a good thing – it shows I really care about my football."
The Storm were in the unfamiliar position of trailing at half-time but managed to claw their way back shortly after the break. Addo-Carr said the team discussed it and felt composure was important.
"We spoke about it on the field," he said.
"All we needed to do was stay composed, and that's what we did. We just needed to complete our sets and that's what we did tonight."
The two-point win was also a change for the minor premiers who had racked up cricket scorelines in the past few weeks. However Addo-Carr enjoyed the lift in intensity.
"The last month we've been slapping teams, this game was a good experience for us young boys on the left edge there. Craig touched on it at the end there.
"It lived up to its expectations. I'm still pretty rattled at the moment."
The Storm now get a week to recover before they play in a preliminary final in Melbourne in a fortnight.
