Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy believes a lack of composure cost his side dearly during the final stages of their narrow qualifying final loss to the Raiders on Saturday night.
The Storm looked headed for yet another preliminary final when they led Canberra 10-6 with under five minutes remaining, but Englishman John Bateman bobbed up in the final stages to deny Bellamy's side.
It was the second time this season that the Raiders have scored late to stun the Storm in Melbourne and Bellamy bemoaned the ability of his side to close out the contest on both occasions.
"I am really disappointed," Bellamy said after the loss.
"A few things didn’t go our way and we didn’t make a few things go our way.
"There hasn’t been much between the two teams but they have had a bit more composure than us at the end of the games.
"We have held the lead both times and blown it."
Match: Storm v Raiders
Finals Week 1 -
home Team
Storm
1st Position
away Team
Raiders
4th Position
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
The Storm had their chances to kill off the Raiders during a frantic second half at AAMI Park and could have even pinched it late if a questionable decision from the touch judge against winger Suliasi Vunivalu hadn't gone against them in the final minute.
Bellamy refused to get drawn into the Vunivalu ruling, but did suggest the stop-start tempo of the game didn't favour his side.
"It felt like a game of AFL how long it took to play," Bellamy said.
"There was only three tries scored in the entire game so it was a pretty dour game.
Bellamy: We're not going to make wholesale changes
"There wasn’t too much between the sides."
The Storm now have to back up next week against the winner of Sunday's clash between the Eels and the Broncos and a victory there will pit them against the Roosters in a rematch of last year’s premiership decider.
It’s not the path that Bellamy had planned for his side this season, but the Storm coach is confident his charges can rebound and regain their best form quickly.
"We are not going to make wholesale change," Bellamy said with an eye on next week’s match.
"This side basically won the minor premiership and we led up until the last three minutes.
"There is nothing there that we can't make a little bit better and that’s all we need to do."
