The decline of the Melbourne Storm dynasty has been falsely predicted for years, but is this a mountain too big for even the master Craig Bellamy to overcome before he hangs up the boots?
Bellamy is expected to retire after the 2023 season and move into an off-field role with the club and if Cameron Munster leaves as predicted, the Storm might find it hard to recover quickly.
Even before that the Storm’s ability to compete for the title next season has been hit by the departures of four of their starting pack in Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi and Brandon Smith.
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All four are representative players and will leave a massive hole in terms of experience and driving standards both on and off the field at the club, even accounting for Smith’s colourful past.
Storm legend Cooper Cronk has seen and heard it all before about Melbourne’s demise and was adamant his former side will remain competitive.
Speaking on NRL360, Cronk reminded the doomsayers the Storm bounced back from the loss of two of the greatest players ever in Billy Slater and Cameron Smith while humbly leaving himself off the list.
“This is considerably more significant this year,” Paul Kent said of the Storm’s departures on NRL 360.
“A little bit more significant than losing Slater or Smith?” Cronk answered.
“Well they were only one at a time,” Kent replied
“Clearly the players are not better than them, but they lost four of their pack. They have lost both Bromwich’s. They have lost Kaufusi and they have lost Brandon Smith.
“Four out of six is a big hole.”
Cronk, however, believes the Storm have made some shrewd recruiting moves to cover for the depatures and hinted at more signings to come.
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“Their starting forward pack next year I am guessing will be Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Harry Grant, Christian Welch to come back in. Tariq Sims and Eliesa Katoa from the Warriors which I think is a good buy and Josh King,” he said.
“So it still stacks up. And I think they will be busy in the off-season and they will pick up a couple of players, but I think they will still be there.”
Sims is only signed for one year — and will be motivated to prove the Dragons were wrong to let him go — his best days are behind him in rugby league and he certainly is not a player the Storm can build their pack around for years to come.
Katoa failed to live up to his potential at the Warriors and while Bellamy would back himself to get the best out of him, he is still an unknown and unproven quantity.
King is a solid player, but he has been used mainly on the bench in 2022, with Smith preferred as a starter at lock in the crunch games.
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Asofa-Solomona showed real promise as an edge forward this season, but Bromwich’s departure may force him to return to the front row.
Tui Kamikamica is another option in the front row after finishing the season as a starter, which could allow Bellamy to persist with Asofa-Solomona in the back row.
The elephant in the room, however, is Cameron Munster.
No disrespect to Nick Meaney, who did a serviceable job at five-eighth when Munster was moved to fullback, but he is more of a No.1 or winger and not someone you can build the side around as a playmaker.
Munster showed he might be an even better fullback than he is a five-eighth and he might be needed in both positions if Ryan Papenhuyzen’s poor run with injuries persists.
Jahrome Hughes is a hell of a player, but he and Harry Grant can’t do it all on their own if Papenhuyzen and Munster are not in the team.
That is why the Storm are desperate to know Munster’s plans because if he doesn’t re-sign then they need to fill his considerable shoes and at least $1 million in their salary cap.
The players the Storm have committed long-term and can build the team around are Grant (2026 PO), Hughes (2026), Xavier Coates (2026), Christian Welch (2026 PO), Justin Olam (2026) and Papenhuyzen (2025).
Jack Howarth is signed until (2027), but the 19-year-old centre is yet to prove himself at NRL level, despite all the big wraps on him. Joe Chan (2025) is also unproven.
That is just eight players of the Storm’s top 30 signed beyond 2024, which is likely to be the first year of the post-Bellamy era.
If Munster is gone as well, that will be a huge ask for whoever replaces Bellamy at the helm.
Players signed until 2024 include centres Marion Seve and Reimis Smith and Katoa.
The rest of the players in the squad are signed only until the end of 2023 including, Grant Anderson, Asofa-Solomona, Jordan Grant, Dean Ieremia, George Jennings, Kamikamica, King, Trent Loiero, Meaney, Tepai Moeroa, Jayden Nikorima, Jonah Pezet, Sims, Will Warbrick, Tyran Wishart and Munster.
That is 16 players, which is over half their squad who could conceivably follow Bellamy out the door as it stands.
Obviously the Storm won’t lose them all and many will be re-signed, but it points to the massive uncertainty surrounding their list heading into Bellamy’s final year in charge.
Three more players in Tom Eisenhuth, Cooper Johns and Chris Lewis are unsigned beyond 2022 and David Nofoaluma is set to rejoin the Tigers.
So that is a whopping 20 players whose future beyond 2023 is not guaranteed with the Storm. That is an unenviable task for an incoming coach.
But the massive elephant in the room is Munster. He was in the form of his career this year for the Storm and they still couldn’t get the job done. How will they go without him?
The only positive Munster leaving would have is freeing up $1 million in cap space to improve their roster, but they will likely need a near like for like replacement to compete for titles again.
The question remains who of the off-contract players will recommit to the club long-term and who will follow the four representative forwards and potentially Bellamy and Munster out the door and who they can get to replace them?
Of the off-contract players in 2022 there are still some options for the storm to bolster their pack.
Marty Taupau, Andrew Fifita and Wade Graham could be short-term options for 2023, while Angus Crichton would be a massive pick-up in the unlikely event he leaves the Roosters.
A reunion with former forward Joe Stimson could also be a potential option after he struggled to cement a spot during his stint at the Bulldogs.
In 2024 out of favour Eels star Nathan Brown and Knights forward David Klemmer as well as Raiders star Joseph Tapine would be massive pick-ups.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah Nanai and David Fifita lead the second row off-contract class of 2024.
Replacing Munster will prove much more difficult in 2024, but Dylan Brown, Mitchell Moses and Cody Walker all become available in the unlikely event they do not re-sign with their current clubs.
Adam Doeueihi is an intriguing option, but he is nowhere near the calibre of Munster. Ben Hunt could cover both the halves and hooker, but is coming towards the end of his career. Meanwhile Luke Brooks looks set to remain with the Tigers or move to the Knights.
If Munster leaves the model of four big spine players and building a team around them will be broken unless the Storm can snare a suitable replacement.
If they don’t they will still be competitive, but it is hard to see them challenging for premierships as frequently as they have for the last two decades under Bellamy.
This time the often falsely predicted demise of the Storm dynasty could be for real.
2022 OFF-CONTRACT NRL PLAYERS
FULLBACK
Steven Marsters, Will Smith
WING
Kane Bradley, Christian Crichton, Tuipulotu Katoa, Josh Mansour, Corey Oates, Jaxson Paulo, Junior Ratuva, Young Tonumaipea
CENTRE
Daejarn Asi, Mawene Hiroti, Delouise Hoeter, Reece Hoffman, William Kei, Esan Marsters, Tautau Moga, Brayden Musgrove, Solomone Naiduki, Tommy Talau
FIVE-EIGHTH
Hayze Perham, Jaeman Salmon, Billy Walters
HALFBACK
Phoenix Crossland, Kurt Falls, Cooper Johns, Albert Kelly, Jock Madden, Brandon Wakeham, Sam Williams
PROP
Morgan Boyle, Herman Ese’ese, Poasa Faamausili, Andrew Fifita, Ryan James, Matthew Lodge, Dunamis Lui, Jordan McLean, Franklin Pele, Emry Pere, James Tamou, Martin Taupau
SECOND ROW
Angus Crichton, Andrew Davey, Matt Doorey, Tom Eisenhuth, Jackson Ford, Jack Gosiewski, Wade Graham, Chris Lewis, Jack Murchie, Kevin Proctor, Joe Stimson, Jackson Topine
LOCK
Matthew Eisenhuth, Pride Petterson-Robati
2023 OFF-CONTRACT NRL PLAYERS
FULLBACK
Corey Allan, Jesse Arthars, Adam Doueihi, Trai Fuller, Bailey Hodgson, Albert Hopoate, William Kennedy, Daine Laurie, Moses Mbye, Nick Meaney, Latrell Mitchell, Sean Russell, Blake Taaffe, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Siteni Taukamo, Kaeo Weekes
WING
Braidon Burns, Herbie Farnworth, Jojo Fifita, Reuben Garrick, Dean Ieremia, George Jennings, Sione Katoa, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Edward Kosi, Greg Marzhew, Laitia Moceidreke, Jayden Okunbor, Jordan Pereira, Ethan Quai-Ward, Jordan Rapana, Jason Saab, Taniela Sadrugu, Maika Sivo, Charlie Staines, Corey Thompson, Brian To’o, Setu Tu, Daniel Tupou, Will Warbrick
CENTRE
Paul Alamoti, Grant Anderson, Jake Averillo, Zane Bijorac, Waqa Blake, Jed Cartwright, Stephen Crichton, Brendan Elliot, Oliver Gildart, Morgan Harper, Patrick Herbert, Peta Hiku, Hymel Hunt, Matt Ikuvalu, Thomas Jenkins, Brian Kelly, Marcelo Montoya, Tesi Niu, Brad Parker, Will Penisini, Adam Pompey, Jesse Ramien, Billy Smith, Harley Smith-Shields, Jenson Taumoepeau, Valynce Te Whare, Enari Tuala, Dominic Young
FIVE-EIGHTH
Dylan Brown, Matt Frawley, Ben Hampton, Jackson Hastings, Adam Keighran, Kurt Mann, Cameron Munster, Paul Turner, Cody Walker
HALFBACK
Jakob Arthur, Bailey Biondi-Odo, Luke Brooks, Jake Clifford, Adam Clune, Kyle Flanagan, Dean Hawkins, Ben Hunt, Cody Hunter, Drew Hutchison, Shaun Johnson, Lachlan Miller, Cory Paix, Jonah Pezet, Brad Schneider, Braydon Trindall, Sam Walker, Tyran Wishart
PROP
Bunty Afoa, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Renouf Atoni, Eddie Blacker, Ethan Bullemor, George Burgess, Thomas Burgess, JJ Collins, Thomas Flegler, Jordan Grant, Wiremu Greig, Emre Guler, David Hollis, Royce Hunt, Corey Jensen, Tui Kamikamica, Josh Kerr, Josh King, David Klemmer, Liam Knight, Blake Lawrie, Spencer Leniu, Tepai Moeroa, Chris Patolo, Aaron Pene, Ava Seumanufagai, Tukimihia Simpkins, Toafofoa Sipley, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Luke Thompson, Alec Tuitavake, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Aaron Woods
HOOKER
Jayden Berrell, Damien Cook, Joshua Cook, Lachlan Croker, Jake Granville, Siliva Havili, Kobe Hetherington, Jacob Liddle, Soni Luke, Andrew McCullough, Jayden Nikorima, Chris Randall, Mitch Rein, Reece Robson
SECOND ROW
Fletcher Baker, Shawn Blore, Billy Burns, Egan Butcher, Bryce Cartwright, Michael Chee-Kam, Ben Condon, Mitchell Dunn, David Fifita, Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Brendan Frei, Tyson Frizell, Tyrell Fuimaono, Jacob Host, Josh Jackson, Jack Johns, Brodie Jones, Shaun Lane, Trent Loiero, Liam Martin, Sam McIntyre, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Jeremiah Nanai, Keenan Palasia, Riley Price, Alex Seyfarth, Tariq Sims, Bayley Sironen, Chris Smith, Scott Sorensen, Siosifa Talakai, Ben Trbojevic, Joseph Vuna, Corey Waddell, Teig Wilton
LOCK
Nathan Brown, Tyrone Peachey, Victor Radley, Hame Sele, Joseph Tapine, Mason Teague, Jazz Tevaga, Connor Watson
STORM SQUAD
2022 squad: Nelson Asofa-Solomona (2023), Jesse Bromwich (2022), Kenny Bromwich (2022, PO 2023), Xavier Coates (2026), Thomas Eisenhuth (2022), Harry Grant (2025), Jordan Grant (2023), Jack Howarth (2022), Jahrome Hughes (2026), Dean Ieremia (2023), George Jennings (2023), Cooper Johns (2022), Tui Kamikamica (2023), Felise Kaufusi (2022), Chris Lewis (2022), Trent Loeiro (2023), Isaac Lumelume (2022), Nick Meaney (2023), Tepai Moeroa (2023) Cameron Munster (2023), Jayden Nikorima (2023), Justin Olam (2026), Ryan Papenhuyzen (2025), Jonah Pezet (2023), Brandon Smith (2022), Reimis Smith (2022), Will Warbrick (2023), Christian Welch (2025), Tyran Wishart (2023), David Nofoaluma* (2022)
Development players: Bronson Garlick (2022), Cole Geyer (2023), Marion Seve (upgraded for 2023), Grant Anderson (upgraded for 2023)
2023 losses: Jesse Bromwich (Dolphins), Kenny Bromwich (Dolphins), Felise Kaufusi (Dolphins), Brandon Smith (Roosters), David Nofoaluma (Tigers)
2023 gains: Tariq Sims (Dragons), Eli Katoa (Warriors)
