The Dragons do not have the strongest roster,but they have plenty of blokes prepared to have a dig,which Flanagan loves – and which was on full display at Kogarah. Egan,a 20-year-old back-rower from Gerringong who grew up loving the Dragons,was solid in his first outing,with one barnstorming run leading to a vital penalty.

The scores were level just after the hour when Val Holmes slotted a penalty goal.

Melbourne,whose attack truly looked clunky without the injured Jahrome Hughes,thought they hit the lead with a try to Eli Katoa. Katoa leapt for a Munster kick,but the bunker ruled he had knocked the ball forward into the arm of Kyle Flanagan.

Coach Craig Bellamy,who was joined in the box by NSW Origin coach Laurie Daley,only had the one look at the try,but said,“I had a bit of a different opinion”.

The Storm were well down on their own lofty standards,with Bellamy suggesting they struggled on the road the first time this season,especially after enjoying the bye in round one,then the comfort of hosting two games at home.

Harry Grant appeared to pick up an ankle injury midway through the second half,but soldiered on.

The Dragons head to Parramatta next Saturday afternoon where former favourite son Zac Lomax awaits. Lomax made a low-key cameo at Kogarah for the early game to cheer good friends Cody Ramsey and Blake Lawrie in the NSW Cup.

The Storm travel to Brookvale next Sunday for what should be an epic against one of the competition’s few September certainties,provided they improve drastically on what they produced against the Red V.

Clint Gutherson blew a captain’s challenge in the second minute,and the Storm spent what felt like an eternity parked down the southern end of the ground.

Val Holmes scored the opening try,only for the Storm to hit back immediately via Ryan Papenhuyzen who ran on to a lovely ball from Katoa who had been put into space by Tyran Wishart.

Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round,plus the latest footy news,results and analysis.Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.