2016 Melbourne Storm season

Last updated

2016 Melbourne Storm season
NRL Rank1st (Minor Premier)
Play-off resultRunner-up
2016 recordWins: 19; draws: 0; losses: 5
Points scoredFor: 563; against: 302
Team information
CEODave Donaghy
Coach Craig Bellamy
Captain
Stadium AAMI Park – 30,050
Suncorp Stadium - 52,500 (1 Game)
Top scorers
Tries Suliasi Vunivalu (23)
GoalsCameron Smith (87)
PointsCameron Smith (184)
<  2015 List of seasons 2017  >

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.

Contents

Storm kicked off the season with three straight wins despite playing below their best. Marika Koroibete scored a double in a season-opening win against the Dragons while Will Chambers did the same the following week in a 34-16 triumph over the Gold Coast. Two losses soon followed against the Sharks and Bulldogs before a Round 7 golden point-win over Wests Tigers saw Melbourne hit their straps. Cooper Cronk's 85th minute field goal in that game kick-started a stellar run for Storm that saw them win 13 of their next 14 games to move into top spot on the NRL ladder. Cronk went on to play his 300th NRL game in a Preliminary final later in the season – becoming just the 25th player to reach that mark. The team managed to do that whilst also experiencing one of the longest injury lists the Club has seen. With their outside back stocks all but depleted, Cheyse Blair, rookie Suliasi Vunivalu and mid-season signing Ryan Morgan were all handed Storm debuts. [1]

For the first time in the Club's history, Storm kept their opponents scoreless in consecutive weeks, first on ANZAC Day against the Warriors (42-0) then the Titans a week later (38-0). Round 10 saw the Melbourne take part in the first ever NRL Double Header in front of 52,347 fans at Suncorp Stadium – the largest non-finals crowd of the season. That night Cameron Smith helped Storm to a thrilling one-point win over the Cowboys with a field goal in the 71st minute. Melbourne then went through the Origin period with a 5-1 record, its best performance during that part of a season in six years. Big away wins over the Roosters and Broncos by 46 and 42 points respectively were the highlights. Vunivalu scored three tries that night against Brisbane to make it 16 tries from his opening 10 games. The 20-year-old ultimately finished with 23 for the season to finish the year as the NRL's leading try scorer and break Storm's try-scoring record. The final game of the season saw the men in purple clinch the Club's first Minor Premiership since 2011 with a 26-6 win over Cronulla. They backed up their efforts in Week One of the finals, defeating reigning premiers North Queensland 16-10. After earning a week off, Craig Bellamy's side booked their place in a sixth Grand Final in 11 years, narrowly defeating the Canberra Raiders 14-12. That game also broke a new record for Storm as it was the first time in history the Club recorded four consecutive home crowds of 20,000-plus. [1]

Storm then gave their absolute all against the Sharks in the Grand Final and took the lead with 15 minutes to play. However, they were ultimately pipped for the top prize, going down 14-12. [1]

Season summary

Milestone games

RoundPlayerMilestone
Round 1 Marika Koroibete 50th NRL game
Round 2 Curtis Scott NRL debut
Round 6 Suliasi Vunivalu NRL debut
Round 11 Ryan Morgan Storm debut
Round 15 Brodie Croft NRL debut
Round 19 Matthew White Storm debut
Round 20 Jesse Bromwich 150th game
Round 21 Marika Koroibete 50th Storm game
Finals Week 3 Cooper Cronk 300th Game

Fixtures

Pre-Season

Source: [28]

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultMel.Opp.Source
6 February Auckland Nines Pool Games Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand Win144 [29]
6 February South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs Win1812 [29]
7 February Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters Loss726 [29]
7 February Auckland Nines Quarter-final North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys Win146 [29]
7 February Auckland Nines Semi-final Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels Loss817 [29]
13 FebruaryTrial Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast Loss1618 [30]
20 FebruaryTrial Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury Bulldogs Belmore Sports Ground, Belmore Loss020 [31]

Regular season

Source: [32]

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultMel.Opp.TriesGoalsField GoalsReport
7 March1 St. George colours.svg St George-Illawarra Dragons AAMI Park, Melbourne Win1816Koroibete (2), K BromwichSmith 3/5 [6]
13 March2 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans AAMI Park, Melbourne Win3416Chambers (2), Finucane, Green, Munster, TonumaipeaSmith 5/6 [8]
20 March3 New Zealand colours.svg New Zealand Warriors Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Win2114K Bromwich, Munster, KoroibeteSmith 4/4Cronk 1/1 [33]
28 March4 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla Sharks Shark Park, Cronulla Loss614KaufusiSmith 1/1 [34]
2 April5 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights AAMI Park, Melbourne Win1814Cronk (2), KennarSmith 3/4 [35]
11 April6 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury Bulldogs AAMI Park, Melbourne Loss1218Harris, TonumaipeaSmith 2/3 [36]
17 April7 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers Leichhardt Oval, Balmain Win (GP)1918Vunivalu (2), Cronk, KoroibeteSmith 1/5Cronk 1/2, Smith 0/1 [37]
25 April8 New Zealand colours.svg New Zealand Warriors AAMI Park, Melbourne Win420Vunivalu (2), Harris, Glasby, J Bromwich, Koroibete, Munster, CronkSmith 5/8 [38]
1 May9 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast Win380Vunivalu (2), Cronk (2), Blair, Harris, GreenSmith 5/8 [13]
14 May10 North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Win1514Harris, ProctorSmith 3/3Smith 1/1 [15]
23 May11 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels Pirtek Stadium, Parramatta Win186Vunivalu (2), Koroibete, BlairSmith 1/4 [39]
28 May12 Bye
4 June13 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers AAMI Park, Melbourne Win246J Bromwich, Proctor, Morgan, CronkSmith 4/5 [40]
11 June14 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters Allianz Stadium, Sydney Win460Vunivalu (3), Cronk (2), Proctor, Blair, MunsterSmith 7/8 [41]
18 June15 St. George colours.svg St George-Illawarra Dragons WIN Stadium, Wollongong Loss1020Vunivalu (2)Harris 1/3 [42]
26 June16 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers AAMI Park, Melbourne Win2920Kaufusi (2), Harris, KoroibeteSmith 6/6Cronk 1/2 [43]
1 July17 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Win486Vunivalu (3), Blair (2), Proctor, Morgan, KoroibeteSmith 8/8 [20]
9 July18 Bye
17 July19 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights Hunter Stadium, Newcastle Win2016Koroibete (2), Vunivalu, HarrisSmith 2/4 [44]
23 July20 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters AAMI Park, Melbourne Win2610Finucane, Proctor, Cronk, HarrisSmith 5/5 [45]
30 July21 North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys 1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville Win168Proctor, Koroibete, GlasbySmith 2/3 [46]
6 August22 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs AAMI Park, Melbourne Win (GP)1514Koroibete, BlairSmith 3/4Smith 1/1, Cronk 0/1 [23]
15 August23 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders GIO Stadium, Canberra Loss822CronkSmith 2/2 [47]
20 August24 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Sea Eagles Brookvale Oval, Manly Win3818Vunivalu (4), K Bromwich, Smith, KaufusiSmith 4/6, Harris 1/1 [24]
26 August25 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos AAMI Park, Melbourne Loss1626Harris, Hampton, SmithSmith 2/3 [48]
3 September26 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla Sharks AAMI Park, Melbourne Win266Blair (2), Vunivalu, J BromwichSmith 5/6 [25]

Finals

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultMel.Opp.TriesGoalsField GoalsReport
10 SeptemberWeek 1 - Qualifying Final North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys AAMI Park, Melbourne Win1610Vunivalu, J BromwichSmith 4/5 [26]
24 SeptemberWeek 3 - Preliminary Final Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders AAMI Park, Melbourne Win1412Cronk, BlairSmith 3/4 [49]
2 OctoberWeek 4 - Grand Final Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla Sharks ANZ Stadium, Sydney Loss1214J Bromwich, ChambersSmith 2/2 [27]

Ladder

2016 NRL season
PosTeamPldWDLBPFPAPDPts
1 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm 2419052563302+26142
2 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 2417162688456+23239
3 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (P)2417162580404+17639
4 North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys 2415092584355+22934
5 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos 2415092554434+12034
6 Panthers colours.svg Penrith Panthers 24140102563463+10032
7 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24140102506448+5832
8 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans 24111122508497+1127
9 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers 24110132499607−10826
10 New Zealand colours.svg New Zealand Warriors 24100142513601−8824
11 St. George colours.svg St. George Illawarra Dragons 24100142341538−19724
12 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 2490152473549−7622
13 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 2480162454563−10920
14 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 24130112298324−26181
15 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters 2460182443576−13316
16 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights 2411222305800−4957

1 Parramatta were deducted 12 competition points and their for/against tally accumulated between rounds 1-9 for gross long-term salary cap breaches.

2016 Coaching Staff

Academy & Affiliate

Reference: [50]

2016 Squad

As of 20 July 2016

CapNat.Player namePositionFirst Storm GamePrevious First Grade RL club (a)
55 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cameron Smith (c) HK 2002 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
58 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Billy Slater FB 2003 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
73 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cooper Cronk HB 2004 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
97 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Chambers CE 2007 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Queensland Reds
105 Flag of New Zealand.svg Kevin Proctor SR 2008 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
119 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jesse Bromwich PR 2010 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
144 Flag of New Zealand.svg Tohu Harris SR,LK,FE 2013 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
147 Flag of New Zealand.svg Slade Griffen HK,LK 2013 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
149 Flag of New Zealand.svg Kenny Bromwich PR,SR,LK 2013 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
150 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jordan McLean PR 2013 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
152 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ben Hampton FE,HB,FB 2013 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
153 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Glasby PR,SR 2013 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
154 Flag of Samoa.svg Young Tonumaipea WG,FB 2014 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
160 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cameron Munster FE,FB,HB,HK 2014 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
161 Flag of Fiji.svg Marika Koroibete WG 2014 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wests Tigers
162 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Blake Green FE,HB 2015 Flag of England.svg Wigan Warriors
163 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dale Finucane PR,SR,LK 2015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Canterbury Bulldogs
164 Flag of New Zealand.svg Felise Kaufusi PR 2015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg North Queensland Cowboys
166 Flag of New Zealand.svg Nelson Asofa-Solomona SR, PR 2015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
167 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Christian Welch SR, PR 2015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
168 Flag of Samoa.svg Richard Kennar WG 2015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
170 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Curtis Scott CE,WG 2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cronulla Sharks
171 Flag of Fiji.svg Suliasi Vunivalu WG 2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
172 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cheyse Blair WG,CE 2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Manly Sea Eagles
173 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ryan Morgan CE 2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Parramatta Eels
174 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brodie Croft HB 2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
175 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Matthew White PR 2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gold Coast Titans
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Nicholls PR,SR Yet to Debut Flag of Australia (converted).svg Canberra Raiders
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Scott Drinkwater TBC Yet to Debut Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sydney Roosters
Flag of Tonga.svg Nafe Seluini TBC Yet to Debut Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sydney Roosters
Flag of Fiji.svg Ben Nakubuwai TBC Yet to Debut Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dean Britt TBC Yet to Debut Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm

Player movements

Source: [51]

Representative honours

The following players have played a representative match in 2016. (C) = Captain

2016 All Stars match [52] City Vs
Country [53] 		Rugby League internationals
2016 Anzac Test [54] [55]
Pacific Tests [56] 		State of Origin 1 [57] State of Origin 2 State of Origin 3 Four Nations (b) [58] [59]
Cameron Smith World All Stars (C)- Australia (C) Queensland (C) Queensland (C) Queensland (C) Australia (C)
Will Chambers Indigenous All Stars ------
Jordan McLean - Country -----
Dale Finucane - Country -----
Cooper Cronk -- Australia Queensland Queensland Queensland Australia
Jesse Bromwich -- New Zealand (C)--- New Zealand (C)
Tohu Harris -- New Zealand --- New Zealand
Kevin Proctor -- New Zealand --- New Zealand
Ben Nakubuwai -- Fiji ----
Tui Kamikamica -- Fiji ----
Nafe Seluini -- Tonga ----
Felise Kaufusi -- Tonga --Queensland (a)-

(a) - Felise Kaufusi was selected as the 18th Man for Queensland in State of Origin Game 3 but did not play.
(b) - includes the AUS vs NZL pre-tournament game to be played in Perth prior to travelling to England

Statistics

Statistics Source: [60] Complete as of the end of the 2016 Regular season, (these stats do not include finals).

Name App T G FG Pts
Nelson Asofa-Solomona 140000
Cheyse Blair 1480032
Jesse Bromwich 2430012
Kenny Bromwich 2430012
Will Chambers 142008
Brodie Croft 10000
Cooper Cronk 23110347
Dale Finucane 242008
Tim Glasby 192008
Blake Green 212008
Ben Hampton 171004
Tohu Harris 2482036
Jeremy Hawkins 00000
Felise Kaufusi 2140016
Richard Kennar 31004
Marika Koroibete 22120048
Jordan McLean 180000
Ryan Morgan 82008
Cameron Munster 2140016
Mark Nicholls 00000
Kevin Proctor 2160024
Curtis Scott 20000
Nafe Seluini 00000
Billy Slater 10000
Cameron Smith 232832176
Young Tonumaipea 122008
Suliasi Vunivalu 18220088
Christian Welch 150000
Matt White 30000
26 Players used-97855563

Scorers

Most Points in a Game: 16 points

Most tries in a Game: 4

Winning Games

Highest score in a winning game: 48 points

Lowest score in a winning game: 14 points

Greatest winning margin: 46 points

Greatest number of Games won consecutively: 7

Losing Games

Highest score in a losing game: 16 points

Lowest score in a losing game: 6 points

Greatest losing margin: 14 points

Jersey

In November 2015 the Melbourne Storm signed a new 5-year deal with Melbourne-based manufacturer STAR. [61] New Home and Away jerseys have been designed for the upcoming season. The Home jersey is predominantly Navy Blue at the Top and morphing into purple as you move down the jersey, the lightning bolts also make a return on the sides of the jersey. The Away jersey is a striking white top with a Navy Blue and Purple V across the chest. [62]

Jersey choice
RD1RD2RD3RD4RD5RD6RD7RD8RD9RD10RD11RD12RD13RD14RD15RD16RD17RD18RD19RD20RD21RD22RD23RD24RD25RD26QFSFPFGF
HomeHomeClash^HomeHomeHomeClashHome^^ClashIndigenous#Clash—HomeClashHomeHomeClash—ClashHeritage%ClashWIL&HomeClashHomeHomeHome—HomeHome


^ Alternate sponsor logo used due to New Zealand restrictions on gambling advertising.
^^ Added ANZAC Appeal and RSL Centenary logos.
# Designed by Lenny Briggs and Dixon Patten. [63]
%Replica of 2000 World Club Challenge jersey, also worn in Round 5 2000 at the MCG.
& Women in League jersey — mostly pink and purple design.

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Storm</span> Australian rugby league football club

The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. The Storm were originally a Super League initiative, created in 1997 during the Super League war, however, following the Super League collapse, the team became a part of the newly formed, united competition. The club play their home games at AAMI Park. The Storm have won four premierships since their inception, in 1999, 2012, 2017 and 2020, and have contested several more grand finals. They won the 2007 and 2009 grand finals, but were stripped of those premierships following salary cap breaches.

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 2006 Melbourne Storm season was the 9th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2006 Telstra Premiership, winning a record 20 out of 24 regular season games to finish in first place and win the minor premiership, eight points clear of the second-placed Bulldogs. The team backed up their stellar defensive effort the previous year to concede just 404 points in 2006. The retirement of Robbie Kearns saw a rotating captaincy introduced between David Kidwell, Scott Hill, Cameron Smith, Matt Geyer and Michael Crocker. Cooper Cronk also assumed the halfback duties following the departure of Matt Orford. Storm won 13 of their last 14 games of the season to take a great run of form into the finals where they progressed to reach their first Grand Final since 1999 after wins over the Eels and Dragons. This broke a run of three straight semi-final exits for Craig Bellamy’s team.

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 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 did not achieve a good level of 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 drop goals from Smith and Cooper Cronk. Storm five wins this 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 8th spot on the NRL ladder. The team managed to steady the ship by winning six of their last eight home-and-away games to finish sixth. In a significant boost for the Club, captain Cameron Smith signed a four-year contract extension just one week into the season.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson Asofa-Solomona</span> New Zealand international rugby league footballer

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suliasi Vunivalu</span> Professional rugby union and rugby league player

Suliasi Vunivalu is a professional rugby union footballer who plays for the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby and the Australian national team. His regular playing position is wing.

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 2020 Melbourne Storm season was the 23rd in the club's history and they competed in the 2020 NRL season. The team was coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching the club for his 18th consecutive season. Melbourne Storm were also captained by Cameron Smith, who had been the sole captain for the team since 2008—making this his 13th consecutive season. The season was suspended indefinitely on 23 March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; however, on 28 April the NRL announced it would recommence on 28 May as a 20 Round competition with a revised fixture.

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 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 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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "History Melbourne Storm". melbournestorm.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  2. ↑ Walsh, Dan (29 May 2016). "NRL 2016: Inside Craig Bellamy's brutal bootcamp acid test for Melbourne Storm recruits". Fox Sports. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 "A short history of Storm at the Nines". melbournestorm.com.au. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Auckland Nines Draw". NRL.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Ward, Roy (4 March 2016). "Caraig Bellamy resigns for 2 more years". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Melbourne's Round 1 streak continues". NRL.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Ward, Roy (4 March 2016). "Billy Slater injury leave Ben Ikin worried for future". The Herald Sun . Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Storm hammer Titans". NRL.com. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Healy, Jon. "Melbourne Storm remain unbeaten with win over Warriors, St George Illawarra hold off South Sydney: as it happened". ABC News. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  10. ↑ Nicolea, Alan (2 April 2016). "Melbourne Storm vs Newcastle Knights highlights: Storm record comeback win". The Roar. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Vunivalu becomes #171". Melbourne Storm. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  12. ↑ The Perfect Start (Television production). Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia: Melbourne Storm. 18 April 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Storm monster Titans in seven-try slaughter". NRL.com. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  14. ↑ Ward, Roy (1 May 2016). "Melbourne Storm again fire in attack in 38-0 thumping of Gold Coast Titans". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Storm go top with on point win". NRL.com. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  16. ↑ Ward, Roy (19 May 2016). "Storm winger Marika Koroibete confirms switch to Super Rugby's Melbourne Rebels". The Herald Sun . Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  17. ↑ Kennedy, Chris (24 May 2016). "Storm's Morgan feeling for Eels mates". NRL.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  18. ↑ Kennedy, Chris (12 June 2016). "Clinical Melbourne Storm walk all over hapless Roosters". Heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "Clinical Melbourne Storm walk all over hapless Roosters". nrl.com.au. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  20. 1 2 "Broncos hit by perfect Storm". NRL.com. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  21. ↑ "White buoyed by Storm debut". MelbourneStorm.com.au. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  22. ↑ "Cooper Cronk inks new Melbourne Storm deal". NRL.com. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  23. 1 2 "Brave Souths denied by Smith field goal". NRL.com. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  24. 1 2 "Vunivalu scores four as Storm down Sea Eagles". NRL.com. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  25. 1 2 "Storm clinch minor premiership". NRL.com. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  26. 1 2 "Storm power into preliminary finals". NRL.com. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  27. 1 2 "Sharks win first ever Premiership". NRL.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  28. ↑ "2016 Preseason Fixtures — Melbourne Storm". NRL.com. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 "Auckland Nines 2016 Results". Flashscore.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  30. ↑ "Narrow loss for young Storm". Melbourne Storm. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  31. ↑ "Trial errors not a worry: Green". Melbourne Storm. 21 February 2016. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  32. ↑ "2016 Draw". NRL.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  33. ↑ "Storm leave it late to beat Warriors". NRL.com. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  34. ↑ "Sharks end Storm hoodoo". NRL.com. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  35. ↑ "Storm fight back to beat Knights". NRL.com. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  36. ↑ "Bulldogs continue Storm streak". NRL.com. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  37. ↑ "Storm clinch Golden Point victory". NRL.com. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  38. ↑ "Storm fire in Attack to rout Warriors". NRL.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  39. ↑ "Clinical Storm grind out Eels". NRL.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  40. ↑ "Forwards lead Storm to victory". NRL.com. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  41. ↑ "Roosters overcome by perfect Storm". NRL.com. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  42. ↑ "Dragons overcome Satrless Storm". NRL.com. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  43. ↑ "Storm survive Tigers Fightback". NRL.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  44. ↑ "Storm survive Knights scare". NRL.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  45. ↑ "Slick Storm overpower Roosters". NRL.com. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  46. ↑ "Storm too slick for Cowboys". NRL.com. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  47. ↑ "Raiders impressive in victory over Storm". NRL.com. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  48. ↑ "Broncos ambush Storm in Melbourne". NRL.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  49. ↑ "Storm hang on to beat raiders". NRL.com. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  50. ↑ "Ryles returns to Melbourne Storm". leagueunlimited.com. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  51. ↑ "2016 Player Transfers". NRL . 18 December 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  52. ↑ "Teams named for NRL All Stars match". NRL.com. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  53. ↑ Otto, Tyson (2 May 2016). "City–Country teams announced for representative round 2016". news.com.au . Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  54. ↑ "Australia v New Zealand, City v Country, Pacific Tests: teams, injuries, details for rugby league's representative weekend". The Daily Telegraph . 4 May 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  55. ↑ "League: New caps, new Kiwis captain for Anzac test". The New Zealand Herald . 1 May 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  56. ↑ "Pacific Test Teams announced". NRL.com. 1 May 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  57. ↑ "Qld State of Origin Team 2016: Team list, profiles for Kevin Walters' Maroons side". The Courier-Mail . 30 May 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  58. ↑ "2016 Kangaroos Four Nations squad". nrl.com. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  59. ↑ "Four Nations: New Zealand Kiwis coach David Kidwell names his squad for end of season UK tour". foxsports.com.au. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  60. ↑ "Melbourne Storm (2016 stats)". Total Footy Stats. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  61. ↑ "Storm STAR in new apparel partnership". Melbourne Storm. 4 November 2015. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  62. ↑ "Storm unveil 2016 jerseys". Rugby League Week . 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  63. ↑ "2016 Indigenous jersey on sale". Melbourne Storm. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  64. ↑ "Bromwich named Storm's best for third year". melbournestorm.com.au. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  65. ↑ "Bromwich named Storm's best for 2016". espn.com.au. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  66. ↑ "Dally M Wrap: Storm Edition". melbournestorm.com.au. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  67. ↑ "Cronk's golden end to 2016". melbournestorm.com.au. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  68. ↑ Walsh, Dan (29 May 2016). "NRL 2016: Inside Craig Bellamy's brutal bootcamp acid test for Melbourne Storm recruits". Fox Sports. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.