Parramatta has given itself a big shot at ending the NRL’s longest premiership drought after beating Melbourne 22-14 to claim the last spot in the top four.

In a high-stakes, winner-takes-all battle for fourth spot, the Eels pulled out 65 minutes of finals-like defence before conceding three late tries on Thursday night.

It was enough to wrap up the coveted top-four finish, leapfrogging Melbourne which finishes fifth, its lowest finish since 2014.

Parramatta’s win sets up a qualifying final against minor premiers Penrith at BlueBet Stadium next weekend, with the victor to advance straight to a preliminary final.

That top 4️⃣ feeling… 😎#NRL #9WWOS pic.twitter.com/Jo1rjO4QaS

— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) September 1, 2022

Penrith will still enter as favourites as the defending premiers and regarded as the competition’s best team, but has twice fallen to the Eels already this season.

Without a premiership since 1986, Parramatta has regularly stumbled in September in recent years with a 2-6 record in the finals in the past decade.

But after its end to the 2022 regular season, the 23,578 long-suffering Eels fans at CommBank Stadium finally had reason to believe.

Brad Arthur’s men look a different team to the one that has fallen in the second week of the finals in five of the past six years.

They defended stoically, three times forcing Storm over the sideline as it peppered the tryline and only conceded points late.

Fourth place = LOCKED in! 🔒#NRLEelsStorm #NRL pic.twitter.com/3DraJUtdUC

— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) September 1, 2022

Halfback Mitch Moses even pulled off one of the hits of the night on Kenny Bromwich, leaving the second-rower concussed and forcing an error as Storm went on the attack in the second half.

The Eels pack have responded after being dominated by South Sydney last month, with Reagan Campbell-Gillard playing the first half unchanged and he and Junior Paulo topping 160 metres each.

Five-eighth Dylan Brown also looks in good touch, bouncing through giants Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Tui Kamikamica to score the Eels’ first before Will Penisini also bagged a four-pointer.

But the try of the night was reserved for Maika Sivo, as the Fijian powerhouse ran onto a superb long ball from Clint Gutherson and ran 40 metres to score.

Storm was uncharacteristically poor.

It made errors at all the wrong times, with the absence of halfback Jahrome Hughes felt heavily.

At one stage down 20-0, Harry Grant, Nick Meaney and David Nofoaluma each crossed in the final 15 minutes to make it three tries apiece.

But two missed conversions from Cameron Munster – including one from next to the posts late – ended any chance of a grandstand finish.

CommBank Stadium is SIVO'S HOUSE! 🏟️🏠

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— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) September 1, 2022

Under-fire forward Asofa-Solomona also earned the ire of officials again, put on report for a late shot on Moses after previously copping five fines this year.

The result leaves Melbourne out of the top four for just the second time since 2006, with one of those seasons coming in its salary-cap penalised year of 2010.

A do-or-die clash awaits Storm against Canberra or Brisbane in Melbourne next week, but Storm will then have to spend the following three weeks on the road if it is to win the competition.

-AAP