Much has been said over the years of what makes the Melbourne Storm such a successful club for over a decade.
It’s not just the premierships they have won that make them such a success – it’s also the statistics regarding winning percentages, points scored, and finals appearances that complete the picture for continuing success over a long period of time.
I guess most people already know that because is there for everyone to see, just as everyone can see that behind that success is their coach, Craig Bellamy.
But there are other things that help Bellamy to maintain the success on the field.
First, there are the people behind-the-scenes working in unison doing all the things that Bellamy can’t do, like scouting, recruiting, relocating players and their families, supporting the players and coaching staff and many other things people don’t see.
They are the engineers that keep the well-oiled Melbourne Storm machine working like a Swiss watch, they never get the credit they deserve from the public but I’m sure they do get credit from Bellamy and the players.
Another thing they have is their vision to see well beyond what people at other clubs do. Most clubs can only see and prepare for next season, Storm can see and prepare three-to-five years ahead.
To illustrate this point, look at some of the current crop of players of this record-breaking Storm side: Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Nicho Hynes, Justin Olam, Josh Addo-Carr, Harry Grant, Brandon Smith, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and players currently at other clubs like Scott Drinkwater and Curtis Scott to name a couple.
While everyone was marvelling at the Storm of five years ago with the big tree of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and all the great players that were at the Storm, they were quietly identifying, recruiting and developing this current crop of players and while the rest of the competition is preparing next year’s roster, the Storm are already working on a succession plan and preparing the 2023-2025 players you haven’t heard of yet.
Next is their ability to recruit discarded or unwanted players by other clubs, identifying their strengths and weaknesses and instead of trying to change the way they play, find a way of incorporating their strengths into the team while helping them to minimise or eradicate their weaknesses.
After all, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but you can perfect the tricks they have.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Other traits that players are taught in the Storm system are resilience, adaptability and readiness. As last year’s NRL season showed, it’s very hard to prepare for sudden change.
COVID-19 was something no one could prepare for; all you could do was adapt and change to deal with extremely difficult circumstances and no team in the NRL adapted better than the Melbourne Storm.
This is partly due to the fact that the Storm from their inception have been fighting against the odds, being in a foreign market to the sport, not only competing against the already stablished sporting codes there but also the resentment of already established NRL clubs north of the Victorian border.
Despite all that, the Storm have not only being able to survive but have become arguably the most successful NRL team in the last decade.
Lastly and most importantly I think is family. If you look at the players, coaching and administrative staff, they all look like a big family.
When you look at the way Bellamy interacts with his players away from the footy field, you realise how much fun they seem to be having, playing pranks on their coach to have a laugh like when Cheese filled Bellamy’s bag with rocks.
Things like that would be unthinkable at other clubs but the Storm have shown this year that when you are having fun, you are more likely to have success on the footy field and that I think is the secret to Storm’s success.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, Roarers.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Hi TSL. Yes I’m a Saints fan since 1963 but my first live game was the 1964 Grand Final. I got to meet some of the players of that game at their New Years Eve celebration at my grandfather’s factory, The St.George Fibrous Plaster Works on Railway Parade, Kogarah. The 1975 Roosters were a great team but I feel they are overrated when I hear someone use the 38-0 score as evidence. Saints had beaten them twice that year, 11-3 in round 2 and 8-5 in the major semi final but they got thrashed 41-7 in round 17. Langlands was a passenger due to the painkiller but it was because his nerves weren’t in the usual place due to the injuries he suffered since he started with Saints in 1963. He was desperate for another grand final win and as captain coach he decided to play. He made things worse by taking the line kicks even though he was unable to kick. Do you remember him taking a penalty kick that rolled a few feet so the ref put down a scrum? Easts were hot favourites but Saints were still in it at half time with the score at 5-0. The real blow came at half time when the managers and his team mates couldn’t convince him to put on the reserve grade fullback. The other players gave up according to Henry Tatana. They thought there was no point in putting in an effort when their captain was out there helping the opposition. The second half was horrible with Easts scoring seven tries. The worst St.George loss I saw was in the 1976 major preliminary semi final against Parramatta where they were blown away in the first 10-15 minutes with the score at 18-0. They ended up losing 31-6.
TA
Guest
Storm were successful before Bellamy came along but he has been ahead of the curve since he got there. Things like wrestle coaches, holding down, crushers, chicken wings and the list goes on and now ball stealing which for me at least as soon as I see it in game I turn off the TV. Can you imagine a player turns up for training and coach says ` ok boys today we are working on stealing the ball` what a joke.
The Sports Lover
Roar Rookie
I’m interested in your opinion that the 1975 Roosters are overrated. I’ve always had the Easts team of 1975 as one of the best club teams I’ve ever seen. My view is that it just wasn’t their win/loss record but also the aura that Gibson and his team held over the competition. I would have loved to see that team play the Storm with Smith, Cronk and Slater included. The Roosters won the mid week competition, they won the Premiership and they won 22 of their 25 matches. I’m a Saints fan (since 1964) and I attended the Grand Final. Saints held their own until half time and then the floodgates opened. As a Saints fan, it was horrible to watch. It’s true that Langlands was a passenger due to a misdirected needle in his left leg but in my view, even if he’d been fully fit, I doubt the result would have changed.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
St.George were unbeaten and in 1975 St.George beat them twice That should be "Easts were not unbeaten and in 1975, St.George beat them twice."
matth
Roar Guru
I’m sorry, could you elaborate on your points? I found them a bit brief
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
The Storm are the most successful club in NRL history starting from 1998 and your article gives a good analysis of the great club. One of their great feats is the winning run of 18 games that is being compared to the Eastern Suburbs record 19 wins in 1975 and it is understandable that the merits of that team would be part of the discussion. It was on that thread that I put in my three bobs worth pointing out that St.George's unbeaten year in 1959 was better than Easts of 1975. I am always in for a discussion on pertinent League matters. Did you see my discussion with Zonecadet on that matter? Thanks for a good article and giving me a chance to join in.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
10. you can’t compare the amateur game League was back then with today’s. It was a semi professional game back then. Players were paid but their main income came from jobs during the week. Rugby Union was the game for amateurs who could afford to live if they were injured. Look up how Rugby League in Australia started thanks to the efforts of Victor Trumper and J.J.Giltinan who helped Alec Burdon who was injured and couldn't work.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
7. I’m guessing they didn’t travel interstate or contend with a pandemic or see one of the game’s greatest players retire. No the NSWRL did include may Queenslanders who came to play in the Sydney competition. That is why we have State of Origin. Grame Langlands was such a player but he played with an injury which meant he was a passenger like no other inthe history of the game. 8. As for the 1975 Roosters, they went back-to-back, how can they not be considered a great team? We are discussing a team of one year. St.George went back-to-back too. 9. Doesn’t matter how many times the Dragons beat them, they didn’t beat them in the GF. Yes it does. St.George were unbeaten and in 1975 St.George beat them twice and could have beaten them in the grand final without a full back who couldn't use one leg but still took kicks for the line. Plenty of commentators like Greg Alexander say things like "Easts were great because they won 38 nil" but they ignore the facts that don't fit in with their praise.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
4. As for the 1959 St.George team, you can’t compare the amateur game League was back then with today’s. Melbourne's winning streak is being compared to the Easts 18 wins in a row so I thought it would be better to compare it to St.George's unbeaten team which included every game of the year with one draw. Easts lost two early games to Cronulla and St.George and a major semi final loss to St.George. Before the grand final Graeme Langlands received a pain killing injection in his leg but it hit a nerve that wasn't supposed to be there and he could only walk. Do you remember him taking a penalty kick that went a few feet causing a scrum feed to Easts? The Saints team mates as well as the team managers tried to persuade him to play the 2nd grade full back but he wouldn't listen so the rest of the team gave up causing the 2nd half walkover. 5. The St.George team was stacked in an era you could get away with it. So were Easts of 1975. 6. And they only won 18 regular season games, which I know was all there was. Yes but they won them all but for one draw and won the grand final easily and the opposition full back wasn't a passenger as Langlands was.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
3. You really think they set up an 80 minute game to have that ruling at the end ? Not the ruling at the end but as I said above the game only had to be close and the 2nd half was completely different to the previous seven halves. I have been through this before but rarely get arguments against but you are welcome to try.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
1. Seriously, 1999 was with official help. The grand final referee had been chosen by the CEO from the days of Arthurson and Quayle. The referees are not an independent body. 2. To sell the game in Melbourne the second largest city in Australia. Rugby League is a small international game restricted to NSW & Qld, Yorkshire & Lancashire, NZ (Mainly Auckland) and a small part of France. Melbourne like St.George-Illawarra were a super club, made up from the former Super League teams of Perth, Adelaide and Hunter Mariners. Last century and before Melbourne was the home of AF with very little RL news. The Storm was RL's attempt to break into that big market. The AFL grand final the day before was a rare boring blowout and the NRL wanted a close grand final to sell the game in Melbourne. The two super teams had met three times before with StG-Ill winning all games easily with a total score of 62-26. The half time score was 14-2 and it looked like another easy win for the Dragons. The second half was completely different with Melbourne making a comeback but the main difference was St.G-Ill were told to get off quickly and penalised whereas Melbourne were allowed to hold them down longer. That was the momentum shift that helped make it an exciting grand final for everyone as well as the target Victorian viewers.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
No problem.
The Mexican
Roar Rookie
Ok Sorry I misunderstood the context of your comments, my apologies
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
I have have responded to someone else making that claim not you. If I wanted to respond to you I would. If you are going to jump in , at least read the comments that make up the conversation.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
When you join a discussion its a good idea to read the whole thread instead of jumping in. Andyfnq said the Storm were the most successful SPORTING franchise in the country and dared anyone to come up with a better one. I came up with Perth Wildcats. The confusion is not with me.
The Mexican
Roar Rookie
Jimmy, I clearly said in the article" arguably the most successful NRL club in the last decade" I never said they were the most successful sporting club in Australia, I specifically referred to Rugby league, I think you are trying to find a reason to hate the Storm, comparing them to basketball teams or any other sport is not what the article is about
The Mexican
Roar Rookie
Last time I checked there's no Perth Wildcats in the NRL, the article is about Rugby League not basketball. I think you are a bit confused there mate.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Glad we agree.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Give me an unlimited salary cap. I then win 10 premierships in a row. Am I then allowed to make the same claims? We won 10 GFs in a row on the playing field against opposition trying to stop us. What relevance does that have.? The salary cap did not make one tackle or score one try . No but every player paid for with the slush funded did. 8ts rrelevant. What about ............! Is always a bs argument. It's irrelevant. I don't get the need you guys have to make your club ' the most successful sporting organisation in the Universe' . It's not . It's not even the most successful in Australia. Are you the most successful NRL club in the last 20 years . Sure.
Opposed Session
Roar Rookie
Not that it was elite level but I was involved in a team that had a history making season. Longest winning streak, least amount of losses in a season, most points in a season and a host of individual records. Yet we got beat in the preliminary final. So while it’s in the record books, I can tell you those involved care very little cause although we were the best side in history……. We weren’t even the best side that year!