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The Melbourne Storm’s ongoing presence in the finals over the past two decades puts El Nino or any other long-term weather pattern to shame for longevity.
Apart from a self-inflicted blip on the radar in 2010 when their salary cap rorting was uncovered and they were forced to play for no premiership points, they’ve been part of the playoff furniture in every season of Craig Bellamy’s two-decade stint as coach.
They will probably be there again next year but for the first time in a long, long time, there are genuine questions over Melbourne being legitimate title contenders next year.
Their first-round finals exit via last Saturday’s 28-20 home loss to Canberra equals the worst result during Bellamy’s tenure apart from the sanctions season 12 years ago.
It’s remarkable that any club in a salary-capped professional sports league can make it through to at least the second round of the playoffs in 17 years out of 20. Asterisk time, it must also be noted that they were later found to be rorting that cap in four of those seasons.
Cameron Munster, Brandon Smith and Nelson Asofa-Solomona are dejected after the NRL Elimination Final loss to Canberra. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Still, the Bellamy formula for success, which has yielded three premierships in the past 10 years, cannot be questioned.
What can be viewed with less certainty are their chances of competing for the 2023 title.
And before this case is presented any further, for all the rabid Storm fans who think this is a conspiracy against their club, yes, my eyes are painted on, of course this is part of the northern media’s grand plan to bring the club undone and you’re right, there is an inherent bias against your team and your team alone by anyone not wearing purple.
Looking at their roster for next year and it’s undeniably a playoff contender. Sprinkle in the Bellamy magic touch and the Storm could very well challenge for a top-four berth.
Felise Kaufusi. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The spine of Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant is up there with the best in the NRL although Munster’s ongoing contract negotiations will be an unwelcome distraction until his 2024 whereabouts are finally locked in.
Storm legend Cameron Smith on Monday conceded it looks a fait accompli that Munster would be heading elsewhere with all signs pointing to Redcliffe where the Dolphins are swimming in cash for a marquee recruit.
“If I’m brutally honest, if he was going to commit to the Melbourne Storm and sign on and extend his contract, he would’ve done so by now,” Smith said on his SEN radio show. “That’s my gut feeling.
“He’s been at the club since he was 16 years of age and we’ve heard (Munster’s manager) Braith Anasta come out and say the Melbourne Storm offer is in the area where it should be, so what’s holding him back? I’d love him to stay but I feel like he will be going to the Dolphins.”
Justin Olam, Nick Meaney, Xavier Coates give the Storm finishing touches out wide and Christian Welch’s return from a torn Achilles gives their pack another rampaging big body alongside Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Tui Kamikamica.
Dragons veteran Tariq Sims and Warriors second-rower Eliesa Katoa will also bolster their forwards but the rest of their depth is not what it once was.
As we saw this year when Welch, Reimis Smith, Papenhuyzen and George Jennings had their season cut short by injury, the Storm had to call up players from the Queensland Cup or give rookies a run.
It’s perfectly understandable but they haven’t been able to fully replenish their playing stocks from the annual departure of top-line talent over the past few years.
Brandon Smith. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Names like Josh Addo-Carr, Suliasi Vunivalu, Dale Finucane, Nicho Hynes and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui were further body blows for a club which managed to keep fighting for title belts even when the departures of Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith should have knocked them to the canvas.
And now they are saying farewell to a combined 788 NRL games, 56 Tests and 14 Origins worth of talent this off-season with Felise Kaufusi, Jesse and Kenny Bromwich and Brandon Smith on the move.
The star quartet also have eight premiership rings between them.
Smith is taking up a lucrative offer with the Roosters with the other three headed to the Dolphins.
1 Ryan Papenhuyzen
2 Nick Meaney
3 Reimis Smith
4 Justin Olam
5 Xavier Coates
6 Cameron Munster
7 Jahrome Hughes
8 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
9 Harry Grant
10 Christian Welch
11 Tariq Sims
12 Eliesa Katoa
13 Josh King
14 Tyran Wishart
15 Trent Loeiro
16 Tui Kamikamica
17 Tepai Moeroa
Others under contract: George Jennings, Jack Howarth, Marion Seve, Grant Anderson, Jordan Grant, Dean Ieremia, Jayden Nikorima, Jonah Pezet and Will Warbrick.
Wayne Bennett’s expansion team will have an adverse effect, as tends to happen when expansion occurs, on no team more than the Storm.
Melbourne have functioned as Queensland’s unofficial fourth team for most of their existence but the Dolphins’ arrival is another competitor for both established NRL talent and the next Munster, Kaufusi or Grant coming down the Sunshine State pipeline.
Bellamy has earned the right to renew his tenure at the Storm on a year to year basis and has only committed for next season as he wages his annual battle with the temptation of making a transition to the Gold Coast, the retiree hot spot, not the Titans.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Slater, after an uber impressive coaching debut steering Queensland to an upset win in this year’s State of Origin series, should be viewed as his natural successor at the Storm.
If he proves his first-up Origin was no fluke next year, he will become the next Craig Fitzgibbon/Cameron Ciraldo if he isn’t already, the coach in waiting who will be inundated with offers from cashed-up CEOs looking for the next Bellamy.
The Storm could even face the possibility of thinking the unthinkable, not tapping Bellamy on the shoulder, but telling him it’s time to make that transition into an overseeing coaching director role with Slater assuming the reins.
It’s unwise to predict the demise of the Storm but the long-term forecast is as uncertain as it’s ever been heading into next season.