NRL preliminary finals AS IT HAPPENED: Storm reach another grand final as Xavier Coates seals tough win over Cronulla

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A great win for the Storm, who advance to a second-straight grand final.

Cronulla crash out of the finals once again, but they can hold their heads high.

Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes has lamented some "crucial errors" after his side bowed out of the finals in disappointing fashion.

"They are a quality opposition and we made it hard for ourselves at time," he told Nine.

"Sometimes you're not good enough and it's not your night.

"We were leading the second half 2-0 at some stage and then I dropped that ball, made a bit of a crucial error and then [gave away] a penalty and then Briton's offload.

"We just compounded errors and that cost us in the end."

Ryan Papenhuyzen speaks to Nine's Danika Mason immediately after full time.

The fullback dealt with a shoulder issue in the second half but toughed it out.

"It's a good feeling, I don't even know how to describe it," he said.

"It's pretty sore, not used to making that many tackles - it's probably a bit of carry on, I'm not gonna miss a grand final that's for sure.

Iro scores a late consolation try right on full time for the Sharks.

But it matters little as the Storm players and fans start to celebrate.

Start booking those grand final tickets, Melbourne Storm fans!

Grant takes off from dummy-half and finds himself in open space, before the ball spreads out to Coates and the winger dives over to score.

The hosts take a 12-point lead with five minutes to go.

Fonua-Blake spills it metres out from the Storm tryline.

The visitors send it upstairs for a captain's challenge and replays show Utoikamanu has his hands wrapped around the ball.

"This could go either way," Billy Slater said on Nine.

It's ruled by the Bunker that the prop did not rake at the ball and the decision stands.

Melbourne get a penalty for a trip on Katoa and immediately signal for the two points.

Meaney makes no mistake adding the simple penalty goal and the hosts lead by eight heading towards the final 10 minutes.

Kaufusi has been ruled out for the Sharks with concussion, which would also take him out of the grand final if they pull off a late comeback.

A huge captain's challenge from the Storm.

Nikora throws an offload and the ball hits the ground for Howarth to scoop it up, but on-field referee Klein rules that the centre touched it first.

Replays show that Howarth never got a touch on the ball and the Storm get it back.

Cronulla go on the attack as they try to mount a comeback.

But with nobody around him, Hynes drops it cold and lets Melbourne off the hook.

"He is not even looking at the ball, he had his eyes on the defensive line the whole time ... just a fundamental breach," Phil Gould said on Nine.

Nikora charges onto it and looks almost a certainty to crash over from close range, but Papenhuyzen gets his body in front and stops the Sharks back-rower.

"That is a brilliant tackle," Phil Gould said on Nine.

The fullback is penalised for high contact and Hynes takes a gift penalty goal.

Storm lead 16-10 heading into the final 20 minutes of the preliminary final.