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This year has presented a new age for the NRL. The new induction of rules has changed the game once again.
We are seeing a faster speed of the ruck and dangerous throws are becoming a thing of the past.
We have seen many controversial calls when the half-time siren has sounded and teams have been scoring on the back of them. The debate of the obstruction rule has come to light once again, with calls for consistency being pleaded by the fans, players and coaches. And to top it off, wrong calls by the referees have seen teams snatch victory in the dying moments of the game.
One topic that has been interesting to follow is the Melbourne Storm. This year has been one of their worst years since becoming one of the dominant teams in the NRL. The induction of the new rules has changed how the game is played and has disrupted the Storm’s defence and attack.
Their defence has come under question with the amount of points being conceded each game. A total of 175 points in seven games has been scored against them. That’s the second worst record in the league!
The Storm are currently sitting ninth, with four wins and three losses. They are also losing to teams that in the past they have had no problem defeating. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the Melbourne Storm are going to miss out on the finals.
I hope I am wrong, but if they do they will just squeeze into eighth or seventh place in the end. With the team losing their “Big Three” come Origin time, the Storm tend to not go so well without them.
If the Storm do make the finals it won’t be pretty, but I will stick with my statement before and say that they will not make the eight come September. But who knows, they might sign Benji Marshall and climb right back up the ladder.
Since the departure of Gareth Widdop, the Storm have struggled in certain parts of the game where he would shine. They definitely need a good five-eighth, though perhaps Craig Bellamy will transform young Ben Hampton into the next superstar.
But if the Storm don’t fix their defence and adapt to the new way the game is played before Origin, they might just end up outside the eight come September.
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