Melbourne Storm 2021 NRL outlook: Can Craig Bellamy bow out with four premierships by season’s end?
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy already has three flags – but a fourth before retiring at year’s end would cap his brilliant career perfectly. FULL SEASON PREVIEW.
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Craig Bellamy insists he’ll step down as Melbourne Storm coach at the end of the 2021 season.
Can his team give him the perfect send-off with a fourth flag?
Looking at the Storm’s list heading into the new year, there’s little to suggest they can’t.
LIST CHANGES
Storm 2020 ladder position: 2nd, Premiers, defeated Penrith Panthers in the grand final
Ins: George Jennings (Eels), Reimis Smith (Bulldogs)
Outs: Suliasi Vunivalu (rugby union), Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Titans), Paul Momirovski (Tigers, loan deal over), Albert Vete (Hull KR), Sandor Earl (retired), Ricky Leutele (Huddersfield)
Not re-signed: Cameron Smith
Players in the 2020 Rich 100: 7 — 13. Cameron Munster ($850,000), 22. Cameron Smith ($800,000), 48. Jesse Bromwich ($700,000), 53. Felise Kaufusi ($680,000), 79. Dale Finucane ($550,000), 84. Nelson Asofa-Solomona ($550,000), 100. Josh Addo-Carr ($480,000)
COACH STATUS
Melbourne’s third title win further cemented Craig Bellamy’s status as one of the greatest to ever coach in top flight rugby league.
Bellamy insists he will retire as a head coach at the end of 2021 to pursue a less demanding role in the future.
His retirement will undoubtedly leave the Storm with an insurmountable hole to fill.
Bellamy’s success speaks for itself, in 18 seasons coaching at NRL level he has never finished a season with a win/loss ratio lower than 50 per cent.
His overall win/loss ratio is 70 per cent.
THE GAME PLAN
Melbourne’s game plan was supposed to be blown into smithereens in a post-Covid world where one referee ruled with a stringent focus on deliberately slowing down the ruck.
But instead, Craig Bellamy and his evergreen skipper Cameron Smith emerged from the Covid break as title contenders.
Smith, in particular, was as potent in driving his side’s attack as he has ever been and will be a huge loss in 2021.
However, with Harry Grant returning to Melbourne after a breakout year at the Wests Tigers, his calmness and vision could ensure he finished 2021 as the No. 1 hooker in the competition.
Playmaking livewire Cameron Munster had the left edge of Kenny Bromwich, Justin Olam and Josh Addo-Carr humming all season long, and with the latter staying to see out the final year of his Storm deal, expect the premiers to again challenge for the title.
There were some concerns however over the lack of consistency in combinations on the right side of the field.
A number of different combinations were tried over the season and it was evident it created a lack of fluency in defence.
It’s likely Brenko Lee and Reimis Smith will form a new right-edge combination to start 2021.
THE SIGNINGS
Aside from Benji Marshall, Cameron Smith is the other most talked about free agent in the game.
Smith has yet to announce his future but, it looks safe to assume the Storm will push on without him in 2021.
Brandon Smith is the other issue.
He has been given permission to talk to rival clubs as the Storm looks at how they could fit him and Grant in the same side.
Bellamy has acquired outside backs George Jennings and Smith, who is in line for a starting spot in the back five come round one.
THE KIDS
Jack Howarth is still only 18 but is so highly regarded in Melbourne he has been elevated into the top 30 for 2021.
The rising forward came Queensland’s rugby GPS system.
To keep the hype and pressure off the youngster Melbourne insisted he won’t be rushed into a debut.
Howarth’s highlights reel is a display of gritty defence, soft hand and footwork.
Another edge forward touted for big things is Trent Loiero.
Loiero is still on a development contract but towering backrower would not look out of place in Bellamy’s 17-man outfit in the back of 2021.
THE REINVENTIONS
Coach Craig Bellamy is a genius at reinventing players, or at the very least finding the formula to bring out the best in every player at an individual level.
We saw it this season with the likes of halfback Jahrome Hughes, who finally came of age in the No. 7 jumper.
Ryan Papenhuyzen went from an unwanted scrawny fullback at the Tigers to a Clive Churchill Medallist under the tutelage of Bellamy.
Then there are the likes of journeyman Brenko Lee, who is now a State of Origin series winner and Christian Welch, who went to another level playing at prop.
Bellamy will have his hands full again this pre-season trying to mould the next Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Titans), who had a breakout season playing from the bench.
Tui Kamikamica turns 27 in May but at 195cm and 110kg, the Fijian giant could see more game time in 2021 as Bellamy looks to use him in an impact role.
Nicho Hynes played a key bench utility role in 2020, but has Papenhuyzen ahead of him at fullback, and Munster and Hughes in the halves.
An exceptional talent, it will be interesting to see how Bellamy plays him this season.
THE NEXT STEP
HARRY GRANT
On the assumption the No. 9 jersey will be Grant’s to wear in 2021, the hooker will no doubt have to not only replicate the form that made him the Dally M Rookie of the Year but find a way to improve on it.
Brandon Smith has maintained his desire to play at dummy half on a full-time basis despite calls for a more permanent position switch.
It means Grant will be forced to take his game to the next level in an attempt from losing the starting hooking role to the rambunctious Smith.
THE EXPERT ANALYSIS
While they will almost certainly be a force next season no matter what Cameron Smith chooses to do, should he retire or go elsewhere it will certainly bring them back to the pack in some way.
Over the past five seasons they have won 81 per cent of games with Smith playing, compared to just 40 per cent with him out (from a small sample of just 10 games).
Over that period they are almost a 12-point better side with Smith suiting up.
2020 was Melbourne’s 16th consecutive regular season conceding less than 20 points per game – they have conceded more than 15 per game just once in the past six seasons.
THE BEST 17 FOR 2021
Ryan Papenhuyzen, Josh Addo-Carr, Justin Olam, Brenko Lee, Reimis Smith, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Jesse Bromwich, Harry Grant, Christian Welch, Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi, Dale Finucane, Brandon Smith, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Tui Kamikamica, Thomas Eisenhuth/Max King.
Finish the last five years: 1st (GF), 1st (Premiers), 2nd (GF), 1st, 2nd (Premiers)
Odds are: TAB premiership: $6.50, Top-four finish: $1.85, Top-8 finish: $1.18, Most losses: $67
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