All good things must come to an end.
I’ve seen enough to think we are rapidly moving into the final act of the Craig Bellamy dynasty. In fact I reckon his depleted Storm will struggle to win half their remaining games.
With his stable of immortals in waiting merely a fond memory, Bellamy now finds himself in the real world of coaching, where 50 per cent isn’t a bad return.
The brilliance of Cameron Munster might mean they do slightly better than that, but they’re a long way from the Cameron Smith-led team that could quietly turn up each week, have a chat with the ref, wrestle a few people and disappear with the two points.
This year many were lulled by Melbourne’s mid-season success. They ran through the weaker teams, winning six in a row, with Xavier Coates and Ryan Papenhuyzen contributing an astonishing 18 tries.
However, their absence, along with that of plenty of their friends, makes the rest of this season look grim. They have a very tough road to the finals, and finishing in the top four will be a tricky assignment. Then the unthinkable might happen, and the Storm might be straight out the back door.
How difficult is their run home? Well, I reckon it’s nearly all uphill and into an almighty wind. You can pencil in two points at AAMI against the good old Gold Coast, but after that their only other home game is against a desperate Roosters. That looks like a toss of the coin at best at the moment.
The Storm’s away games all look challenging, with the possible exception of their trip to Mt Smart, although in the final days of the empire nothing can be taken for granted. There is danger lurking in all of their remaining trips north, having to face Rabbitohs, Panthers, Broncos and Eels.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
So my crystal ball has them managing three, maybe four wins. Although they’ll be in the top half of the table, they won’t be in the top half of the eight. Therefore they might be in for a one-week finals series.
So where did it all go wrong? Usually the wheels on the Storm’s bus go round and round for 26 rounds, but this year they started to wobble right back in Round 1 with Christian Welch’s knee injury.
Others will point to the loss before the season of three of their most effective players, namely Josh Fox, Nicho Hynes and Dale Finucane.
However, the rot started when Brandon Smith, Munster and Nelson Asofa-Solomona started sporting their ‘look-at-me’ haircuts. My mind immediately flashed back to the 1975 grand final Graeme Langlands white boots fiasco.
Could you imagine Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater in anything but short back and sides? The Storm used to be all about putting the team first. They were single-minded, well-oiled and almost mechanical. But now a few of them seem to be more about jokes and buffoonery. The current lack of respect for the coach is quite clear. Cameron Smith has commented a few times in recent years that Bellamy seems to have softened and the young players are no longer scared of him.
I’m glad they’re all getting on so well, but that lack of discipline might be resulting in outbursts like the one that Brandon Smith recently directed at a referee.
When Bellamy first coaxed the Storm out of their teacup his trademark was fire and brimstone. Many reports suggest he might now be a bit more pipe and slippers.
Rugby league is a professional game, but the only true premierships are the friends we make along the way. Bellamy might be letting his hair down, trying to be one of the cool kids, but it really is time he started looking at the company he keeps.
He also might want to get the old whip out and give it a crack.
David Roderick
Roar Rookie
He scored the last try for Norths in the 1980 Grand Final.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
David, I believe your article is scheduled for the round 21 clash with Gold Coast, if the boys are behind at half time. The Mary Konstantopoulos piece is being held back for the Broncos game in round 23.
David Roderick
Roar Rookie
Timing is very important coming into the semis. Should Craig read this article to the players this week, or wait until half-time in the Grand Final?
David Roderick
Roar Rookie
Sometimes the Emperor is wearing clothes and sometimes he isn't. I don't think it hurts to ask the question. My views are probably a little old fashioned but when I see Mr Cheese laughing about Bellamy's blow-ups I think his comments show a greater lack of respect than anything I've written. I predict the Storm will finish fifth, and will then be a 50:50 proposition in the first week of the semis, regardless of who they play. What do you predict?
Stormy
Roar Rookie
Sadly, I agree, David. Team culture starts (& finishes) at the top. There has been a real, noticeable change since Dave left. There seems to be a mates atmosphere there now. As a long time member, I'm not happy with the direction we are taking. Could be there is a reason, other than money, that we have & lost, & are soon to lose, the nucleus of our team.
David Roderick
Roar Rookie
Hi Stormy, I'm no expert but it looks like standards are slipping. A quick search on Dave Donaghy reveals he has a BA from UQ. He must be laughing now at all the people who told him that degree would be useless.
Stormy
Roar Rookie
I disagree about it being all about our coach, David. I think it's not just chance that since Dave D left & joined the Broncos, as CEO, that the have prospered & we have become more lax. I have sensed a subtle change throughout the club. Have felt uncomfortable, about our direction, for a while now. There has been a shift to commerce & away from football & ordinary fans, I believe.
David Roderick
Roar Rookie
Glad we agree Tim. You'd be surprised how many people have trouble connecting the dots.
Albo
Roar Rookie
My point is , they are not the same team of the Cam Smith run era. And they have already lost twice the number of matches they lost for all of the 2021 season , with more likely losses before the season is over. They are just not as good as the Storm teams of the previous decade when Smith managed the games, IMHO.
Muzz
Guest
It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out for the Storm this season. Someone should play them back into a level of form before the finals. Their attacking shapes rely heavily on a quality ball playing fullback. Slater and now Paps. Nick Meaney still looks timid and out of place.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Look at all these Roar writers death-riding the Storm all of a sudden. No doubt this will fire up some of the Storm players very well. Keep-em coming.
Redcap
Roar Guru
He takes on many forms. :shocked:
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
Boy! Right off a champion at your own peril. The first choice spine have played about 4 games together. Fullback has missed a big chunk of time. They have been without their first choice prop all season Their first and second choice wingers for well more than half a season. One of their 2 first choice centres for well more than half a season. With all of that happening, to blame their form on what you called was "the current lack of respect for the coach is quite clear", is quite a stretch. I think that statement shows a greater lack of respect for Bellamy considering what he has achieved.
matth
Roar Guru
I didn’t know Peter Dutton had played for the Storm?
Dionysus
Guest
.... and your point is ? In the regular season last the storm lost 3 matches. 3 matches out of 24 is a winning percentage of 87.5% not 50:50 as this article implies. Who they lost too is completely irrelevant as for as this point is concerned.
Davooo
Guest
The club are hard on the hunt for a fill in fullback before the transfer window shuts. If they can pull that off, coupled with the return of Coates, and will warbrick being a possibility, it'll tighten up their back line considerably. Coats, olam, meany and warbrick looks a lot better than irramea, 'leaky' seve, olam and ?? Whoever they can find to stick out there this week Tepai moeroa is due back also, along with Tom eisenhuth, which wouldn't hurt in terms of bolstering the pack a bit. As for motivation, if the chance to play for a premiership isn't enough motivation, you've got no business being out there
Redcap
Roar Guru
Interesting article - thanks David. Not only have Melbourne lost a lot of experience and controlling influences recently, the game's also changed. While they still try, they can't lie all over the ruck as they used to without consequence. Teams can play quicker against them, and their edge defence - never a strength - has become more exposed. The fast, vertical attacking style, led by Grant and Papenhuyzen, is great to watch but involves a lot of high-risk passing. When it goes wrong, it goes very wrong. This version of Melbourne is so much more interesting to watch than the team of tedious robots led by Lord Voldemort, but I suspect Bellamy's going to have to reinvent their style in the offseason. He'll probably succeed too.
David Roderick
Roar Rookie
I do hope you are right. I hope the change in his demeanour is a cunning ruse, simply the calm before the proverbial. You can't question his skill, knowledge or experience. But I think his cattle and his motivation are up for debate. No question that if they win this year then it will be an extraordinary feat of coaching.
Davooo
Guest
Different generations of players requires a different approach. Should the team have forbade them from going to the discotheque or heading to the local dance hall for a heady evening of dancing the charston and doing the lindy hop? :laughing: Hell, for half the players these days a booze ban isn't even a threat... they'd be more impacted by a no tiktok or vegan latte order I'm exaggerating of course, but you get my point. No sense treating players like you would cam Smith, because put simply, they aren't.
Albo
Roar Rookie
But last year (2021) the Storm were beaten twice by both Penrith & Parramatta. When had that ever happened before ? The writing was on the wall last year when a rested Storm could not beat a battered Panthers in the Prelim Final. In a Cameron Smith playing year, that would not have happened. This season their quality spine has not been enough to get them by. Their "support cast" is not as good as previous seasons where the likes of Finucane, Hynes & JAC added plenty to the outcomes. I will be surprised if the Storm can turn around its recent average form to hang onto a spot in the Top 4.