The Melbourne Storm will be looking to become the first side since the Brisbane Broncos in 1998 to win back-to-back competitions this year.
Can they climb the mountain or will they fall where many other defending premiers have before?
Last season
First, 20 wins, four losses, 633 points scored, 336 points conceded (premiers)
Last five seasons
Third (lost Week 2 finals), sixth (lost Week 2 finals), fourth (lost preliminary final), first (lost grand final), first (premiers)
2017 review
The Storm were simply remarkable last season, as perhaps one of the most dominant performers of all time. To lose just four games in the regular season is a remarkable effort, considering the competitiveness of the NRL, and considering the fact they were heavily disrupted during the Origin period. During the finals, the Storm blew away both Brisbane and North Queensland in the preliminary finals and grand final, winning both games by over 20 points.
While the Storm have always been a pillar of excellence, I think this team stands out in their history, given the brand of football they displayed throughout the season. The Storm have often been renowned as a grinding, regimented type of side, but this year they played an attacking brand of football with plenty of ball movement and second phase play.
Their defence was as stingy as ever, and younger players that came into the side often played at a high level. Put simply, this was the complete football team.
2018 gains
Ryan Hoffman (Warriors – 2018), Sam Kasiano (Bulldogs – 2020), Patrick Kaufusi (Cowboys – 2018), Sandor Earl (unattached – 2018), Billy Walters (Brisbane Easts – 2018), Cooper Johns (Sea Eagles – 2018), Kayleb Milne (NZ rugby – 2018),
2018 losses
Jesse Arthars (Rabbitohs), Cooper Cronk (Roosters), Slade Griffin (Knights), Tohu Harris (Warriors), Jordan McLean (Cowboys), Mark Nicholls (Rabbitohs), Robbie Rochow (Wests Tigers), Jeremy Hawkins, Nate Myles (retired), Vincent Leuluai (Rabbitohs)
The Storm have been relatively quiet in the off-season, given they won the premiership and wouldn’t have an awful lot of cap space. However, they did lose one of their Big 3, with Cooper Cronk stunningly moving to the Roosters after many thought he would retire.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Normally this would be a disaster for a big club but the Storm have a ready-made replacement in Brodie Croft. I’m not saying he’s Cooper Cronk right now; however, he could be in time, and will benefit from the Storm’s system of play, and having learnt directly under Cronk.
Ryan Hoffman returns to the club where he had so much success, and must be relived to get away from the basket case that is the Warriors. I expect him to have an impact even right at the back end of his career.
Sam Kasiano went to Melbourne to try and save a stuttering career, so it will be interesting to see if Bellamy can help turn around the career of another struggling forward. The Storm have lost some punch in their forward pack with Jordan McLean moving North to the Cowboys, and Tohu Harris going to the Warriors.
Coach – Craig Bellamy
Without doubt, Craig Bellamy is the best coach in the NRL, and has been for probably a decade now. The Storm have never missed the finals since he took over in 2003, and his resume now includes four premiership titles, if you include the two they were stripped of in 2007 and 2009, from seven grand finals.
Bellamy has a knack of great recruiting – pinching someone like Josh Addo-Carr, who was wallowing in the reserves at the Tigers, and turning him into the most exciting winger in the NRL.
Bellamy seems to have the ability to be a really intense and demanding coach, but still has that softer side that players gravitate towards.
While other hard-nosed coaches tend to burn out, Bellamy rarely ever falls out with players, or has his team looking flat, such is the outstanding culture he has driven at the Melbourne Storm.
While he has been blessed to have the likes of Slater, Smith and Cronk, we are starting to see a new spine emerge with the development of players like Cameron Munster and Brodie Croft.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Most important player – Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith is quite simply an Immortal in waiting, and still the most influential player in rugby league today.
He has won everything there is to win, and his form seems to be getting better with age. Last season Smith saved his best games for the biggest moments, having enormous games in Origin 3 and the grand finals as he cut NSW and the Cowboys to shreds with his running game.
Smith is just 50 odd games away from breaking the magical 400 game barrier, which has never been done before. I reckon he will do it, and I doubt whether that record will ever be broken again.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
2018 likely side -1. Billy Slater 2. Suliasi Vunivalu 3. Will Chambers 4. Curtis Scott 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Cameron Munster 7. Brodie Croft 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Tim Glasby 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Ryan Hoffman 13. Dale Finucane. Bench -14. Kenny Bromwich 15. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 16. Sam Kasiano 17. Christian Welch
2018 verdict – first/Premiers
If any team is capable of going back-to-back in the modern era, it’s Bellamy’s Melbourne Storm. There is just no way this side will suffer from complacency or a premiership hangover.
I think, in fact, the motivation to prove it possible to go back-to-back will be something that spurs them on, since no team has done it since the Broncos back in 1997-98. I think they have the two best wingers in the game in Vunivalu and Addo-Carr, and the guys will have a feast playing outside this back line once again.
Billy Slater looks as good as ever, for mine, at age 35, and I see no reason he can’t have another huge season, given he missed two full seasons between 2015 and 2016.
While their forward pack are not the biggest in the competition, Felise Kaufusi is perhaps the most improved player in the NRL, and a very dangerous back rower inside the opposition red zone.
We all know what we are going to get from Cameron Smith, but the bottom line is Croft, who is going to prove to be an outstanding player in the NRL as early as this season.
Melbourne look like the complete football side, and they were so far ahead of the pack last season that I just don’t see sides bridging the gap enough to get over them this season.
Eddie’s Ladder
First: Melbourne Storm
Second: Sydney Roosters
Third: Cronulla Sutherland Sharks
Fourth: St George Illawarra Dragons
Fifth: Canberra Raiders
Sixth: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Seventh: Brisbane Broncos
Eighth: Penrith Panthers
Ninth: Parramatta Eels
Tenth: North Queensland Cowboys
11th: Newcastle Knights
12th: South Sydney Rabbitohs
13th: Gold Coast Titans
14th: Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
15th: Wests Tigers
16th: New Zealand Warriors
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