Eliesa Katoa is free to play in Melbourne's qualifying final after the forward escaped with a fine for a hit on Brisbane fullback Tristan Sailor.
Katoa was sent to the sin bin and put on report for the shot midway through the second half of their 50-12 thrashing of the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.
But it was deemed a grade one offence by the NRL match review committee with the try-scoring back-rower fined $1800 on Friday, in a major boost for the Storm's premiership campaign.
The independent doctor ruled Sailor did not need to go off for an HIA, suggesting he was not hit high with any force.
Coach Craig Bellamy said post-match he was surprised Katoa had been sent to the sin bin.
"From where I was sitting I didn't think it was too bad and I was surprised that he went to the bin," he said.
Bellamy also had good news about first-choice fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, who suffered bone bruising to his leg in last week's loss to North Queensland.
Papenhuyzen is on track to play in the first week of the finals after his replacement Sua Fa'alogo strained a hamstring against Brisbane.
"At a pinch Paps could have played this week but we didn't want to take that risk," Bellamy said.
"We didn't want him to pull up sore and not train all next week leading into the finals, so we thought that was the best way to go.
"The medical staff seem to think Paps will be fine for next week."
Bellamy said Fa'alogo felt "a pop" in his hamstring, with scans since confirming he will miss at least the first two weeks of the finals.
The pocket rocket had two try assists in a dynamic 57-minute display. The Storm would likely hope he can be a dangerous bench option later in the finals if fit.
"He is a great runner of the footy and like lightning," Bellamy said.
"The more games we can get him the more he is going to learn about the game and the better player he will be."
Melbourne have had injuries like all clubs this season, including missing star No.6 Cameron Munster for 10 weeks in the middle of the year with a groin problem, but still managed 19 wins to finish top of the table.
"The guys that have come in have done such a good job, like Wishy (Tyran Wishart), Grant Anderson and Jack Howarth," Bellamy said.
"They have really performed. Sometimes you put a player in and he is not ready for first grade but these guys after a week or two have grabbed the opportunity, run with it and made a success of it."
Bellamy has won three premierships as Storm coach and is in a strong position to challenge for a fourth.
"You would love to win a grand final," he said.
"They are hard to win and hard to get to. You have to do a lot of things right. Hopefully we can play our best footy in the next month."
The win over the Broncos was his 400th in charge of Melbourne.
"It is a nice milestone but I sit up in the box," he said.
"I have some sort of influence during the week I suppose but it is the players that have gone out and done all the hard work."
The Storm will host a qualifying final next week against the fourth-placed team.
