2023 Melbourne Storm season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
NRL Rank | 3rd | |||
Play-off result | Lost Preliminary final | |||
2023 record | Wins: 16; draws: 0; losses: 8 | |||
Points scored | For: 627; against: 459 | |||
Team information | ||||
CEO | Justin Rodski | |||
Coach | Craig Bellamy | |||
Captain |
| |||
Stadium | AAMI Park – 30,050 (9 games) Marvel Stadium – 53,343 (2 games) Suncorp Stadium – 52,500 (1 game) | |||
Avg. attendance | 18,264 [a] | |||
High attendance | 26,829 (Round 18) [b] | |||
Top scorers | ||||
Tries | Will Warbrick (17) | |||
Goals | Nick Meaney (91) | |||
Points | Nick Meaney (222) | |||
|
The 2023 Melbourne Storm season was the 26th in the club's history, competing in the 2023 NRL season. The team was coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching the club for his 21st consecutive season. Melbourne Storm were captained by Christian Welch who was captain for the second consecutive season. [1]
Melbourne qualified for their 13th consecutive finals series, but were eliminated via a preliminary final loss against the Penrith Panthers. [2]
Round | Player | Milestone |
---|---|---|
Round 1 | Bronson Garlick | NRL debut |
William Warbrick | NRL debut | |
Eliesa Katoa | Storm debut | |
Xavier Coates | 50th game | |
Round 2 | Kane Bradley | Storm debut |
Round 3 | Jonah Pezet | NRL debut |
Tariq Sims | Storm debut | |
Round 4 | Eliesa Katoa | 50th game |
Round 15 | Nick Meaney | 100th game |
Round 20 | Justin Olam | 100th game |
Reimis Smith | ||
Tom Eisenhuth | 50th game | |
Round 27 | Sualauvi Fa'alogo | NRL debut |
Jack Howarth | ||
Joe Chan | Storm debut | |
Source: [65]
Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Mel. | Opp. | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 February | Trial | Sydney Roosters | GMHBA Stadium, Geelong | Lost | 24 | 32 | T Wishart, W Warbrick, S Fa'alogo, G Anderson | J Pezet 3/3, T Wishart 1/1 | [66] | |
19 February | Trial | New Zealand Warriors | Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch | Won | 24 | 6 | E Katoa, W Warbrick, N Asofa-Solomona, X Coates | N Meaney 2/2, J Pezet 2/2 | [67] [13] |
Source: [68]
Date | Rd | Opponent | H/A | Venue | Result | Mel. | Opp. | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 March | 1 | Parramatta Eels | Away | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | Won ( g.p. ) | 16 | 12 | N Meaney, Y Tonumaipea, H Grant | N Meaney 2/2 | C Munster 0/1, N Meaney 0/1 | [69] |
11 March | 2 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Lost | 12 | 26 | N Asofa-Solomona, J Hughes | N Meaney 2/2 | [70] | |
18 March | 3 [i] | Gold Coast Titans | Away | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast | Lost | 34 | 38 | N Meaney (2), J Pezet, T Sims, J Hughes, X Coates | N Meaney 5/6 | [71] | |
24 March | 4 | Wests Tigers | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 24 | 12 | W Warbrick, N Meaney, J Olam, C Munster | N Meaney 4/6 | [72] | |
31 March | 5 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Away | Accor Stadium, Sydney | Won | 18 | 10 | J King, W Warbrick, C Munster | N Meaney 3/3 | [73] | |
6 April | 6 | Sydney Roosters | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 28 | 8 | X Coates (3), N Meaney, C Munster | N Meaney 3/5, C Munster 1/1 | [74] | |
14 April | 7 | Manly Sea Eagles | Away | 4 Pines Park, Sydney | Lost | 8 | 18 | W Warbrick | J Pezet 2/2, C Munster 0/1 | [75] | |
25 April | 8 [ii] | New Zealand Warriors | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 30 | 22 | N Meaney (2), J Olam, C Munster, H Grant | N Meaney 5/5 | [76] | |
30 April | 9 | Bye | |||||||||
6 May | 10 [iii] | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Home | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost | 12 | 28 | R Smith, B Garlick | N Meaney 2/2 | [77] | |
11 May | 11 | Brisbane Broncos | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 24 | 16 | W Warbrick (2), C Munster, J Olam | N Meaney 4/6 | [78] | |
20 May | 12 [iv] | Dolphins | Away | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Won | 24 | 16 | W Warbrick, C Munster, E Katoa, R Smith | N Meaney 4/4 | [79] | |
27 May | 13 | Bye | |||||||||
4 June | 14 | North Queensland Cowboys | Away | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Lost | 20 | 45 | X Coates, J Olam, N Meaney | N Meaney 4/4 | [80] | |
11 June | 15 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 54 | 10 | H Grant (2), X Coates (2), T Kamikamica, W Warbrick, J King, R Smith, J Hughes | N Meaney 9/10 | [81] | |
17 June | 16 | Wests Tigers | Away | Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney | Won | 28 | 6 | W Warbrick (4), T Wishart, K Bradley | N Meaney 2/6 | [82] | |
24 June | 17 | Manly Sea Eagles | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 24 | 6 | X Coates (2), J Hughes, J Pezet, N Asofa-Solomona | N Meaney 2/4, J Pezet 0/1 | [83] | |
30 June | 18 | Penrith Panthers | Home | Marvel Stadium, Melbourne | Lost | 16 | 34 | H Grant, N Asofa-Solomona | N Meaney 4/4 | [84] | |
7 July | 19 | Bye | |||||||||
15 July | 20 | Sydney Roosters | Away | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | Won | 30 | 16 | X Coates (3), J Hughes, H Grant | N Meaney 5/5 | [85] | |
22 July | 21 | Newcastle Knights | Away | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | Lost | 18 | 26 | N Meaney, T Loiero, J Olam | N Meaney 3/3 | [86] | |
28 July | 22 | Parramatta Eels | Home | Marvel Stadium, Melbourne | Won | 46 | 18 | H Grant (2), J Hughes, E Katoa, J King, M Seve, C Munster, W Warbrick | N Meaney 7/8 | [87] | |
4 August | 23 | Penrith Panthers | Away | BlueBet Stadium, Sydney | Lost | 6 | 20 | Y Tonumaipea | N Meaney 1/2 | [88] | |
13 August | 24 | Canberra Raiders | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 48 | 2 | C Welch, M Seve, R Smith, E Katoa, T Loeiro, H Grant, C Munster, N Meaney, Y Tonumaipea | N Meaney 6/8, Y Tonumaipea 0/1 | [89] | |
19 August | 25 | St George Illawarra Dragons | Away | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | Won | 38 | 28 | W Warbrick (3), E Katoa (2), X Coates, J Hughes | N Meaney 5/8 | C Munster 0/1 | [90] |
26 August | 26 | Gold Coast Titans | Home | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 37 | 16 | X Coates (3), W Warbrick, C Welch, E Katoa | N Meaney 6/7 | C Munster 1/1 | [91] |
31 August | 27 | Brisbane Broncos | Away | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Won | 32 | 22 | G Anderson (2), S Fa'alogo (2), R Papenhuyzen, R Smith | R Papenhuyzen 4/6 | [92] |
Source: [93]
Brisbane Broncos | 26 – 0 | Melbourne Storm |
---|---|---|
Tries:4 Staggs 8' Walsh 51' Riki 54' Cobbo 74' Goals:5 Reynolds 9', pen 39', 52', 55', 75'(5/5) Field goals:0 Reynolds (0/1) | 1st: 8–0 2nd: 18–0 Report |
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 50,017 Referee: Grant Atkins Bunker: Chris Butler Touch judges: Drew Oultram, Michael Wise |
Melbourne Storm | 18 – 13 | Sydney Roosters |
---|---|---|
Tries:3 Wishart 8' Seve 26' Warbrick 79' Goals:3 Meaney pen 17', pen 58', 80'(3/5) Field goals:0 Wishart (0/1) | 1st: 10–6 2nd: 8–7 Report | Tries:2 B Smith 34' Collins 66' Goals:2 Walker 35', 68'(2/2) Field goals:1 Walker 72'1 pt (1/1) |
AAMI Park, Melbourne Attendance: 19,534 Referee: Ashley Klein Bunker: Chris Butler Touch judges: Drew Oultram, Chris Sutton |
Penrith Panthers | 38 – 4 | Melbourne Storm |
---|---|---|
Tries:6 To'o 4', 21', 70' Turuva 28' Cleary 54' Edwards 56' Goals:7 Cleary pen 17', 23', 30', 55', 57', 71', pen 75' | 1st: 18–4 2nd: 20–0 Report | Tries:1 Olam 11' Goals:0 Meaney (0/1) |
Accor Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 35,578 Referee: Adam Gee Bunker: Grant Atkins Touch judges: Chris Sutton, Dave Munro |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Penrith Panthers (P) | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 645 | 312 | +333 | 42 |
2 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 639 | 425 | +214 | 42 |
3 | Melbourne Storm | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 627 | 459 | +168 | 38 |
4 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 572 | 448 | +124 | 38 |
5 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 626 | 451 | +175 | 35 |
6 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 619 | 497 | +122 | 34 |
7 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 472 | 496 | −24 | 32 |
8 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 486 | 623 | −137 | 32 |
9 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 564 | 505 | +59 | 30 |
10 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 587 | 574 | +13 | 30 |
11 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 546 | 542 | +4 | 30 |
12 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 545 | 539 | +6 | 29 |
13 | Dolphins | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 520 | 631 | −111 | 24 |
14 | Gold Coast Titans | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 527 | 653 | −126 | 24 |
15 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 438 | 769 | −331 | 20 |
16 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 3 | 474 | 673 | −199 | 16 |
17 | Wests Tigers | 24 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 385 | 675 | −290 | 14 |
Reference: [101]
List current as of 29 August 2023 [102] [103] [104] [105]
Source: [106]
Losses | Gains
|
This table lists all players who have played a representative match in 2023. [e]
Player | State of Origin 1 | State of Origin 2 | State of Origin 3 | Test matches 2023 Pacific Rugby League Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nelson Asofa-Solomona [114] | — | — | — | New Zealand |
Xavier Coates [115] | — | Queensland | Queensland | — |
Sualauvi Fa'alogo [116] | — | — | — | Samoa |
Harry Grant [117] [113] [115] [118] | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | Australia |
Jahrome Hughes [114] | — | — | — | New Zealand |
Tui Kamikamica [119] | — | — | — | Fiji (c) |
Eliesa Katoa [120] | — | — | — | Tonga |
Cameron Munster [113] [115] [118] | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | Australia |
Justin Olam [121] | — | — | — | Papua New Guinea |
Marion Seve | — | — | — | Samoa |
Young Tonumaipea [116] | — | — | — | Samoa |
Additionally, Joe Chan, Jack Howarth and Will Warbrick were selected by the New Zealand "A" team for a match against Tonga in October. [122]
This table contains playing statistics for all Melbourne Storm players to have played in the 2023 NRL season.
Name | Appearances | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grant Anderson | 4 [f] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Nelson Asofa-Solomona | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Kane Bradley | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Joe Chan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Xavier Coates | 21 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
Tom Eisenhuth | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sualauvi Fa'alogo | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Bronson Garlick | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Harry Grant | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
Jordan Grant | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jack Howarth | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jahrome Hughes | 22 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
George Jennings | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tui Kamikamica | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Eliesa Katoa | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
Josh King | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Chris Lewis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trent Loiero | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Alec MacDonald | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Nick Meaney | 25 | 10 | 91 | 0 | 222 |
Tepai Moeroa | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cameron Munster | 22 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 35 |
Jayden Nikorima | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Justin Olam | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
Ryan Papenhuyzen | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
Aaron Pene | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jonah Pezet | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
Marion Seve | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Tariq Sims | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Reimis Smith | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Young Tonumaipea | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
William Warbrick | 25 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 68 |
Christian Welch | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Tyran Wishart | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
34 players used | — | 113 | 98 | 0/1 | 649 |
Most points in a game: 18
Most tries in a game: 4
Highest score in a winning game: 54 points
Lowest score in a winning game: 16 points
Greatest winning margin: 46 points
Greatest number of games won consecutively: 4
Highest score in a losing game: 34 points
Lowest score in a losing game: 0 points
Greatest losing margin: 34 points
Greatest number of games lost consecutively: 2
In December 2020, Melbourne Storm announced a five-year sponsorship and apparel partnership agreement with British sportswear company, Castore. They will continue produce supporter wear and jerseys for season 2023.
Home
Revealed in December 2022, the 2023 home jersey sees the return of the colour purple as the primary colour. [125] The design is similar to that worn in 2021–22 with front and back panels featuring a purple V pattern repeating all the way down the jersey, headed by a large purple V across the chest. Among the special features Castore has incorporated in the jersey are bright yellow lightning bolt design on the sides and the inclusion of a Big V logo on the inner collar as a continuation of the Our Home, Victoria acknowledgment which began during the 2020 season to honor Storm's home state. There is a small mark on the back of the jersey to recognise the club's 25th anniversary.
Away
The away jersey, worn when the home jersey creates a clash with the opposition, is also new design for 2023. The white jersey features a single purple centre stripe down the front of the jersey with purple trimming; it will be worn with white shorts (for the first time since 2014), and white socks with purple cuffs.
Heritage
In the club's first home game, Melbourne wore a replica design based on the club's first home jersey from 1998. The player's versions of the jersey had information about their counterpart from the 1998 first home game against North Sydney. [126] The design was later worn in round 22 against the Parramatta Eels when Melbourne celebrated the club's 25th anniversary.
ANZAC Day
Melbourne wore a specially designed jersey for the annual ANZAC Day match against the Warriors in round 8 at AAMI Park. The jersey was a variation of the home jersey which featured a chevron of red poppies across the chest, together with the ANZAC Appeal logo above the club logo.
Indigenous
Designed by Shanai Kellett, the great granddaughter of Sir Douglas Nicholls, the jersey uses the white away jersey as a base with artwork entitled Resilience that "highlights the footprints that each player takes on their journey throughout the club, teaching you to be humble, resilient, have respect and the importance of kin." The jersey was worn in two matches, against the Dolphins in round 12 during the NRL's Indigenous Round, and against the Sharks at AAMI Park in round 15. [127]
In October 2022, Melbourne formalised a new partnership with NRL Victoria to rebrand the Victoria Thunderbolts Under-19 S. G. Ball Cup and Under-21 Jersey Flegg Cup teams to play under the Melbourne Storm brand. Both teams had been playing as the Thunderbolts since 2018, following the end of the NRL Under-20s competition. Melbourne Storm General Manager Football, Frank Ponissi saying "while the Thunderbolts have been a good development program for our local elite players, we want to build a system that delivers a stronger connection with Storm and provides the incentive for local players to one day play for Storm at AAMI Park. Not only will the SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams play under our name, but players will wear Storm colours, train in Storm kit and have access to our coaches and staff throughout the year to help in their training and development." [128]
Melbourne had previously entered a team in the S. G. Ball Cup from 2009 to 2014.
On 6 December 2022, the club announced the first members of the relaunched Storm Academy, with players who will form the basis of the club's rebranded Jersey Flegg Cup team. The players were as follows: [129]
Mark Russell was appointed coach of the Melbourne Storm Jersey Flegg Cup squad, coming to the club after coaching the Sydney Roosters S.G. Ball squad in 2021 and 2022. Working with Storm Academy coach Matt Duffie, the squad was made up of a number of players from Victoria and elsewhere. [130]
After a mixed start to the season, a six-match winning streak from round 9 through round 16 put the team in contention to make the competitions finals. However, a final minute loss to the Canberra Raiders in the last match of the season played at AAMI Park, saw the team drop to sixth on the ladder to miss the finals. [131]
2023 Jersey Flegg Cup | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
6 | Melbourne Storm | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 462 | 474 | −12 | 30 |
Under coach Jason Warr, Melbourne struggled during the S.G. Ball Cup season, winning just one match against the Wests Tigers in round 8 [132] to finish with the wooden spoon. Home matches were played at Comely Banks Recreation Reserve, the home of NRL Victoria team Pakenham Eels. Captain Josiah Ekkehard-Neli, and Storm Academy player Suliasi Prescott were two of the team's better players across the season.
Trophy Cabinet
Melbourne Storm Awards NightHeld at Q Events Melbourne on Tuesday, 3 October. [133]
| Dally M Awards NightHeld at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney on Wednesday, 27 September.
Rugby League Players' Association Awards
Additional awards
|
The 2007 Melbourne Storm season was the 10th in the club's history. They competed for NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, finishing the season in 1st place to claim the minor premiership before going on to reach the 2007 NRL grand final, their third. In the grand final the Storm defeated the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles to claim their second premiership. However two years after the event Melbourne were stripped of their 2007 titles after being found guilty of long-term salary cap breaches.
The 2005 Melbourne Storm season was the 8th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2005 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season 6th out of 15 teams and making the finals. The season began with two big wins over the Knights and Dragons, each by more than 30 points. The form line followed a similar path to the previous season though as the team struggled to string consecutive wins together and hovered around the lower part of the eight for much of the season before ultimately finishing sixth once again. Future star Greg Inglis made his debut in Round 6. Storm finished the season with the second best defence in the competition and again went to Suncorp Stadium in Week One of the finals, producing the same result to defeat the Broncos. However for the third straight season the side was unable to progress past the semi-final stage, losing to the Cowboys. At the end of the season, Storm legends Robbie Kearns and Matt Geyer were inducted as inaugural life members of the Club.
The 2008 Melbourne Storm season was the 11th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2008 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season as minor premiers before reaching the grand final in which they were beaten by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40–0, the largest margin in grand final history. The minor premiership won by the Storm in 2008 was later stripped by the NRL in 2010 when it was revealed the club had been in breach of salary cap rules.
The 2009 Melbourne Storm season was the 12th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2009 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season 4th out of 16 teams. They then progressed to their fourth consecutive grand final, this time to be played against the Parramatta Eels and won, claiming their second premiership in three seasons, a title later stripped in 2010 after being found guilty of salary cap breaches.
The 2010 Melbourne Storm season was the 13th in the club's history and competed in the NRL's 2010 Telstra Premiership. After winning the first four games of the season, Storm's season would hit a significant challenge after Round 6 when the NRL penalised the club for salary cap breaches with the team unable to play for points for the remainder of the season. These revelations also saw them stripped of the 2007 and 2009 Premierships and the 2006, 2007 and 2008 minor premiership titles.
The 2011 Melbourne Storm season was the 14th in the club's history. They competed in the 2011 NRL season and finished the regular season in first place, winning the J.J. Giltinan Shield for taking out the minor premiership.
The 2012 Melbourne Storm season was the club's 15th NRL season. Coached by Craig Bellamy and captained by Cameron Smith, they competed in and won the NRL's 2012 Telstra Premiership. The first nine weeks of the season were very successful, with the club winning all games for what was at the time their best start to a season. From round 10 to round 21 they won only three games and lost seven, including a five-game losing streak between rounds 16 and 21, their second worst ever. From round 22 onward they recovered their winning form and finished the regular season with five straight wins, finishing in second place. The Storm then went on to defeat South Sydney and Manly in the finals series before going on to face minor premiers, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the 2012 NRL Grand Final, winning 14–4 to claim the Premiership.
The 2002 Melbourne Storm season was the 5th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2002 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season in 10th place making it their lowest finishing position until 2010, when it was sentenced to finish that season last due to gross salary cap breaches. As of 2022, it is also the most recent time that the Storm missed the finals due to not winning enough games. It was Mark Murray's final season as coach of the club.
The 2014 Melbourne Storm season was the 17th in the club's history. They competed in the 2014 NRL season and were coached by Craig Bellamy and captained by Cameron Smith. In 2014 the Storm struggled to achieve consistent success, however won enough games late in the season to qualify for the NRL finals in 6th place. The club finished outside the top four for the first time since 2005. It was a roller coaster campaign that kicked off with consecutive one-point wins, courtesy of field goals from Smith and Cooper Cronk. Five of the club's wins during season came at a combined 17 points. Injuries to Cronk and Billy Slater (shoulder) during the Origin period saw the Storm lose four of six games during that stretch, as they were left clinging to eighth spot on the NRL ladder. The team managed to steady the ship by winning six of their last eight regular season games to finish sixth.
The 2015 Melbourne Storm season is the 18th in the club's history. They competed in the 2015 NRL season and were coached by Craig Bellamy, who was coach for the 13th consecutive season and captained by Cameron Smith, sole captain for the 8th consecutive season. He played his 300th NRL Game in Round 19 becoming only the 24th player in history to do so.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL) and New Zealand at international level.
The 2016 Melbourne Storm season was the 19th in the club's history, they competed in the 2016 NRL season and were coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching for his 14th consecutive season during which he coached his 350th Game. Melbourne Storm were also captained in 2016 by Cameron Smith, who was the sole captain for the team since 2008 making this his 9th consecutive season. In the pre-season the Storm competed in the 2016 Auckland Nines tournament, reaching the semi-finals.
The 2017 Melbourne Storm season was the 20th in the club's history. They competed in the 2017 NRL season and at the end of the Regular season had finished in 1st place earning them their third legitimate minor premiership. The team was coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching the club for his 15th consecutive season. Melbourne Storm were also captained by Cameron Smith, who has been the sole captain for the team since 2008—making this his 10th consecutive season. Cameron Smith broke a number of league, club and personal records throughout the 2017 season including the NRL games record for the most games played, league record for the most wins as a captain, a personal best for the most points in a game and also scored his 2000th career point and 1000th career goal, the first time any player has achieved this.
The 2018 Melbourne Storm season was the 21st in the club's history. They competed in the 2018 NRL season and did so as the reigning Premiers and Minor Premiers. The team was coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching the club for his 16th consecutive season. Melbourne Storm was also captained by Cameron Smith, who has been the sole captain for the team since 2008 — making it his 11th consecutive season. In 2018, the club celebrated its 20th anniversary, which was launched on 30 October 2017 with the announcement that a new logo would feature for the duration of the 20 year celebrations including on a newly designed jersey.
The 2019 Melbourne Storm season was the 22nd in the club's history, competing in the 2019 NRL season. The team was coached by Craig Bellamy, who coached the club for his 17th consecutive season. Melbourne Storm were captained by Cameron Smith, who had been the sole captain for the team since 2008. On 13 July 2019 Smith became the first NRL player to play 400 NRL games. On 31 August 2019 the Storm defeated the Manly Sea Eagles to win their fourth J. J. Giltinan Shield as the minor premiers.
The 2021 Melbourne Storm season was the 24th in the club's history competing in the 2021 NRL season. The team is coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching the club for his 19th consecutive season. On 19 February 2021, the Melbourne Storm announced that Jesse Bromwich and Dale Finucane succeeded Cameron Smith, as co-captains of the club.
The Michael Moore Trophy is a rugby league trophy usually contested biannually during the National Rugby League season, in matches between the Melbourne Storm and the New Zealand Warriors. The Michael Moore Trophy was introduced in 2000 following the death of Melbourne Storm's inaugural football manager, Michael Moore, on 6 February 2000 in Auckland, New Zealand.
The 2022 Melbourne Storm season was the 25th in the club's history, competing in the 2022 NRL season. The team was coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching the club for his 20th consecutive season and for the second straight season, Melbourne had co-captains with Jesse Bromwich, and Christian Welch sharing the duties, following the departure of Dale Finucane.
The 2024 Melbourne Storm season was the 27th in the club's history, competing in the 2024 NRL season. The team was coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching the club for a 22nd consecutive season. Melbourne Storm appointed a new captain for the season, as Harry Grant replaced Christian Welch.
This week 16 Melbourne Storm players and new recruits embarked on the infamous I Don't Quit camp. After three days of non-stop effort, Tyran Wishart was officially awarded the 'Iron Bar' award as the best man on camp.