NRL 2023 team previews: Melbourne Storm title hopes, free agency wrap, crystal ball
Melbourne has lost a stack of experienced after being raided by the Roosters and Dolphins, but an astute off-season signing could pay off for Craig Bellamy’s side.
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There’s been no more bankable team in the NRL era, and many have looked foolish for predicting the Melbourne Storm’s downfall before.
But after another off-season of change, the question of how Craig Bellamy can pull off another miracle is rearing its head again.
The mastercoach still has plenty to work with – headed by superstars Cameron Munster, Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen – but he faces a special challenge this year.
Fatima Kdouh goes through everything you need to know about Melbourne in our exclusive club-by-club deep dive series ahead of the 2023 season.
2022 Rich 100 reps: 7
Jesse Bromwich (7, $1.050m), Cameron Munster (11, $950k), Jahrome Hughes (35, $750k), Ryan Papenhuyzen (37, $750k), Felise Kaufusi (41, $725k), Nelson Asofa-Solomona (65, $625k), David Nofoaluma (91, $510k)
FREE AGENCY WRAP
Melbourne have lost a significant amount of experience on the back of the Dolphins’ raid of the side’s forward pack. Replacing Brandon Smith, Felise Kaufusi and the Bromwich brothers was never going to be an easy task. Yes, the latter three are nearing the end of their careers but replacing almost 700 games of NRL experience is a feat near impossible.
Eliesa Katoa’s signature has the potential to be one of the buys of the season. It has a similar feel to Parramatta’s astute acquisition of Isaiah Papali’I … a rising Warriors forward that just could not hold down a regular spot in the 17, but excelled under a change of scenery and new system.
Katoa burst on to the scene in 2020 and produced a suburb rookie season but struggled to kick on at the Warriors. A move to Melbourne is a chance for the 22-year-old to reach his potential under the guidance of coach Craig Bellamy. Young Catalans Dragons forward Joe Chan, the son of former Melbourne player Alex, joins the club on a two-year deal.
Rating: B-
COACH STATUS
This will be Craig Bellamy’s 21st season at the helm in Melbourne. The premiership-winning coach agreed to a five-year contract, until the end of 2027, that allows him to decide on a year-to-year basis whether to stay on as coach or finally move into a coaching director position with the club.
Sydney Roosters assistant Jason Ryles is in the conversation to take over from Bellamy. Ryles was part of the Storm’s coaching staff for five years before joining the Roosters in 2021. His deal with the Bondi club expires at the end of 2023, opening the door for a return to Melbourne.
Bellamy’s right hand man and tactician, Marc Brentnall is a frontrunner for the job after a 10-year apprenticeship under the master coach. Brentnall is Bellamy’s tactician and has his fingerprints over the Storm’s potent attack.
Club legend Billy Slater is a viable option after kick-starting his elite coaching career with a State of Origin series win for Queensland. But general manager Frank Ponissi doesn’t believe Slater is looking to make the move into full-time NRL coaching right now.
More immediately, the upcoming season shapes as one of the more challenging years in Bellamy’s illustrious coaching career. Not only does Bellamy have to deal with losing a huge part of their forward pack but also work in the background to find his perfect replacement in a bid to ensure the club does not go backwards as it loses experience in the coaching box and on the field.
It’s hard to see any scenario that would threaten Bellamy’s place at the Storm.
SAFETY RATING: A
LIKELY DEBUTANT(S)
Jonah Pezet – Announced himself as a genuine NRL prospect with an impressive performance in this year’s under-19s State of Origin match. The naturally gifted playmaker already has a well-developed game and excels when it comes to organising and reading the play. At any other club, Pezet would be on the cusp of an NRL debut. But with the halves locked down by Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes, Pezet might have to bide his time a little longer. But he’s shown he could be a handy injury or Origin replacement and that is where his shot is likely to come in 2023.
Joe Chan – Lured from the Catalans Dragons in the Super League, the hard running backrower can find a hole in the defensive line and even create opportunities for those around him. Chan played 26 games since debuting in 2021. The 20-year old has what it takes to shake things up in the pre-season and push for a start in the early rounds.
WHO TAKES THE NEXT STEP?
Cameron Munster – The departures of Kaufusi and Jesse Bromwich not only leave a hole in terms of experience but a leadership vacuum. Very quickly Munster becomes the most senior and experienced player in an outfit that is going through a state of flux both on and off the field.
Munster has shown he is willing to do what it takes to get his life back on track, after swearing off the booze to stay on the straight and narrow. That’s the kind of commitment, and sacrifice, that sets an example for the rest of the team to follow. Munster will have to tap into those qualities, and other leadership qualities more than ever now, starting in 2023.
THREE BURNING ISSUES
1. Can they stay near the top?
It’s the question that rugby league fans have been asking for years, as the change of guard at Melbourne, as more players move on into either retirement or another club. First it was the big three in the spine – Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith – and now it’s a significant dent put in the side’s engine room.
Underestimating the impact of losing the likes of Kaufusi, Smith and the Bromwich brothers will not end well for the Storm.
This is the first season, in a long time, where the Storm don’t feel like the same premiership threat. Sims, Trent Loiero and Josh King are strong replacements for Kaufusi, Kenny Bromwich and Smith but don’t pack the same star power and experience. The new faces mean new combinations, which can take time to gel. Sims is nearing the end of his career and his unchecked aggression is a liability. He missed the last four weeks with suspension after a high tackle on Cronulla’s Connor Tracey.
They’ll be there in the top eight but can they challenge Penrith? It doesn’t feel like it.
2. Can Pap stay on the park?
At his best, Ryan Papenhuyzen is one of the most electrifying talents, not just fullbacks, in the competition. But sadly, after another season hampered by injury the question is whether he can stay fit and healthy enough to remain on the field.
After struggling with concussion in 2021, Papenhuyzen was sidelined in 2022 first with a hamstring injury, then a shocking fractured knee cap that ended his season.
If Melbourne are to go deep into the finals series, Bellamy needs to have his best spine available and that includes having Papenhuyzen in the No.1 jumper.
With Papenhuyzen at fullback, Harry Grant at hooker, Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes in the halves, Bellamy has the best spine combination in the NRL. It could be the difference between making the numbers and being a genuine title contender.
3. NAS-ty boy
Big Nelson Asofa Solomona has been cited 10 times in his career for acts of foul play and was charged on five separate occasions last season alone. It’s a ticking time bomb for a side that can’t afford to lose someone of his calibre and experience given the hole left in the pack by the Brandon Smith and the Dolphins trio. The veteran forward must clean up his act.
CRYSTAL BALL
It’s hard to write off any side with the systems in place at Melbourne, and a coach like Craig Bellamy at the helm. Year after year, Bellamy and his troops manage to overcome any kind of adversity or obstacle and they find a way to remain competitive. And they will be competitive again in 2023 but a top-four finish might be too tough for the Storm.
Predicted finish: 6th
FINISH FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS
2022: 5th (eliminated in first week of finals)
2021: 1st (eliminated in third week of finals)
2020: 2nd (premiers)
2019: 1st (eliminated in third week of finals)
2018: 2nd (runners-up)
2023 ODDS
Premiership: $7.50
Minor premiership: $5.50
To make grand final: $3.75
Top four: $1.70
Top eight: $1.16
Most losses: $151
Originally published as NRL 2023 team previews: Melbourne Storm title hopes, free agency wrap, crystal ball
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