NRL: Warriors nail Grand Final spot

Manu Vatuvei of the Warriors is tackled. Photo / Getty Images

NZ Warriors 20
Melbourne Storm 12

The NZ Warriors have advanced to the NRL Grand Final with a 20-12 victory over the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park.

The visitors lead by two points at the break and superbly defended their tryline in the second 40 minutes to achieve the club's second-ever Grand Final appearance.

Both sides were kept scoreless in the second half until the 77th minute when Lewis Brown went over in the corner to score.

Five-eighth James Maloney nailed the sideline conversion and secured the semi final victory.

Earlier Maloney had kicked a 40th minute penalty to send the Warriors into the locker rooms in Melbourne ahead 14-12 at the break.

Sika Manu opened the scoring for the Storm in the fifth minute, before the Warriors answered back through Bill Tupou seven minutes later.

Maloney followed his winger over the chalk for a four-pointer of his own in the 18th minute and nailed the conversion giving the Warriors a 12-6 lead.

However with five minutes remaining on the clock in the first stanza Melbourne's Beau Champion made a break and ran 60 metres to level the scores.

Melbourne hoped to cap a miracle season - coming after last year's salary cap saga - with a premiership but the Warriors ended that fairy-tale.

They will now face Manly in the grand final in Sydney next Sunday, their second trip to the NRL decider after their loss to the Sydney Roosters in 2002.

The fearless Warriors were unlucky not to win by an even greater margin, dominating the minor premiers for the bulk of the match in front of 28,580 screaming fans.

They broke through for the try to seal the win with just three minutes remaining, when halfback Shaun Johnson raced across field, throwing repeated dummies before finding centre Brown who touched down.

Brown looked to have scored eight minutes earlier but the try was disallowed due to an earlier knock-on.

Despite the Warriors' impressive win-loss record against the Storm, including a victory in Melbourne this season, Bellamy dismissed talk prior to the game of the Warriors having the wood on his side.

But from the opening whistle the visitors showed no fear of the minor premiers and could have led by more than 14-12 at halftime.

Both teams looked worthy of a grand final berth in a thrilling second 40 minutes but the Storm couldn't penetrate the visitors' rock solid defence; their usual attacking weapons like Billy Slater held in close check by the Warriors.

WARRIORS 20 (L Brown J Maloney B Tupou tries J Maloney 4 goals) bt MELBOURNE 12 (B Champion S Manu tries C Smith 2 goals) at AAMI Park. Referee: Tony Archer, Matt Cecchin. Crowd: 28,580.

- HERALD ONLINE /AAP