Penrith champion Nathan Cleary is furious with a decision that denied him a match-winning field goal in the epic clash between the Panthers and the Melbourne Storm on Thursday night.

At the 78th minute of the intense battle at CommBank Stadium in Sydney, the NRL superstar scored a field goal which would have iced the game with a 19-18 victory, but a penalty was handed to the Storm with Moses Leota adjudged to have been a blocker for Harry Grant’s charge-down attempt.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Storm sink Penrith in golden point thriller.

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However, the Storm skipper was accused by fans of “milking the penalty” and believe Grant deviated to make contact with Leota with “no intent” of getting to Cleary.

High-profile ref Ashley Klein and the Bunker stood firm on the decision but Cleary was filthy post-match.

“If it was in the field of play and you run a block shape, it wouldn’t be an obstruction, because they ruled that out,” Cleary said.

“If you’re defending a three-man, you play for the obstruction, then they don’t want that in the game. But for some reason, it’s different for a field goal.

“I thought the blocking rule was brought in so people wouldn’t stand next to the play, next to the play-the-ball. Moses wasn’t in that position.

“I don’t believe that everyone can get behind me on that field goal and then, essentially, Harry played for it because he knew he was going to get the penalty. But I don’t think Moses moved at all either, so that was pretty frustrating.”

Klein said: “You can’t take up a position as a blocker.

“I’ve got a penalty for a blocker, I believe Moses has taken up a position near the ball, which affected Harry Grant’s run.”

NRL great and former Storm star Cooper Cronk also believed the right call was made.

“I agree with Ashley Klein, the rule is you cannot stand in front of someone taking a field goal,” Cronk said.

“Moses Leota was standing there, but it is a rule that you can’t stand there.”

But caller Andrew Voss said: “I don’t like it.

“He hasn’t done a whole lot and Grant has played for the penalty.”

Fans also raged on social media.

“Milked it for sure. Dirty,” one fan said

And another: “He stood there. Disgraceful decision. Blight on the sport. Penrith robbed.”

And another: “The front on angle clearly shows that Grant milked it like a deadset cheat and the bunker fell for it. PVL keeps saying rugby league is the best game in the world but these decisions make a laughing stock of the game.”

And another: “That is a joke of a call..”

Adding salt in the wound, the Storm then pinched the game with Grant doing a Harry Houdini to get his side home 22-18 in golden point.

Grant deceived the Penrith defence, who were waiting for a Cameron Munster field goal, to dash 10 metres from dummy half untouched to score the match-winner.

“Harry’s too smart both ends. That’s pretty much it,” said Panthers coach Ivan Cleary after the game.

Meanwhile, Grant deferred the credit for his winning play, instead singling out a Trent Loiero charge-down on the Cleary field-goal attempt late in regular time.

“Throughout the game our team turned up and really had some selfless acts that kept us in the game and put us in those positions,” Grant said.

“I think Penrith dominated field position throughout the game and I think Trent’s charge-down, that’s the match-winner for me.

“I think we all know the amount of work that Trent got through throughout the game, but we all know how good of a kicker Nathan is. We all know how good he is with his field goals.

“So I think for him to put himself in the position and make that play, that’s what kept us in the game.”

Munster started at fullback in the absence of Ryan Papenhuyzen, and the Storm struggled for cohesiveness in attack in the first half, weathering a wealth of early territory and possession for the defending premiers.

The courageous five-tries-to-three victory for the Storm, in one of the most important games of the season, has thrown down the gauntlet to their premiership rivals.

Penrith came out firing in the opening exchanges and a 10th straight win beckoned, going into the break up 12-4, before Xavier Coates opened the scoring in the second half with an intercept try to turn the tide Melbourne’s way.

The Storm scored again through Joe Chan and Marion Seve, interspersed by a Scott Sorensen four-pointer, but neither team could break the deadlock in the final 16-minute arm-wrestle.

Both sides had chances to score as regular time wound down, Cleary having two field goals denied in the final minutes.

Then it was on to golden point, and Grant’s moment of deception delivered Melbourne a memorable win.

- With AAP