Melbourne Storm 2020 NRL preview: Team list, burning questions
The Storm never seem far away from unearthing another young gun, but a player from left field has been the talk of Melbourne in the lead-in to season 2020 as Gilbert Gardiner reveals.
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Melbourne Storm legend Cameron Smith will not be railroaded into retirement.
It is the one thing coach Craig Bellamy knows for sure about the 2020 NRL season.
Smith’s contract expires this year and despite the “luxury” of two possible replacements in Brandon Smith and Harry Grant, the captain has earned the right to “make that call”.
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“I’ll support him if he wants to go on,” Bellamy declared.
“I’ll support him if he wants to retire.”
Smith played all 27 matches last year on his way to becoming the first player in NRL history to reach the 400-game milestone.
Incredibly again, the 411-game record-breaker has returned for a 19th campaign with added vigour.
Smith has done a power of work the past eight weeks, both on and off the field, to get the best out of himself and the club’s youngest crop of players since the start of the fabled ‘Big Three’ era.
If Smith is happy, then so too is Bellamy. It is that simple for the master mentor.
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“He’s got a bit of a shot in the arm about this year,” Bellamy said.
“He’s offering more advice to the group as a whole, but also to a lot of individuals even more so.
“He’s always been really good at that but I think he’s taken another step this year.
“He realises we’ve got some young blokes that are going to need some education but also some encouragement and he’s done plenty of that in the pre-season.”
For Bellamy right now, just being able to talk about a succession plan – Smith and Grant – is good enough.
How the succession plays out, remains a mystery.
The same could be said about the season ahead, the potential wins and losses and expectation.
The manner in which the Storm has absorbed the Cooper Cronk (2017) and Billy Slater (2018) back-to-back exits has certainly filled Bellamy’s heart.
“It’s not easy filling the boots of Cooper Cronk, filling the boots of Billy Slater and it ain’t going to be easy filling the boots of Cameron Smith,” Bellamy said.
“We had Cooper here 15 years, you don’t train other guys in them positions because you’re concerned about winning on the weekend, the same with Billy’s 16 years.
“Replacing those guys hasn’t been easy and again when Cameron does decide to retire, I know we’ll have Brandon and hopefully Harry as well … they won’t have the (Smith) experience.”
THE STORM ROSTER
Who’s in: Brenko Lee (Gold Coast), Ryley Jacks (Gold Coast)
Who’s out: Will Chambers (rugby union), Curtis Scott (Canberra), Joe Stimson (Canterbury), Brodie Croft (Brisbane)
Playmakers? Tick.
Backs and wingers? Tick, tick.
Forwards. Big tick.
Overall depth? Tick.
Outside backs? Hmmm.
An experienced centre is the cherry on top for the Storm.
Losing premiership centres Chambers and Scott has somewhat exposed the flanks despite the emergence of Justin Olam, Marion Seve, Brenko Lee, Sandor Earl and Tom Eisenhuth.
If Storm and Wests Tigers can broker the well-documented Harry Grant and Paul Momirovski swap it would be a win-win for both clubs in 2020.
It would give Melbourne “good coverage” and deliver the Tigers a ready-made starting hooker.
Off-contract: Sandor Earl, Tom Eisenhuth, Nicho Hynes, Ryley Jacks, Cooper Johns, Max King, Brenko Lee, Isaac Lumelume, Justin Olam, Aaron Pene, Darryn Schonig, Marion Seve, Cameron Smith, Christian Welch
Storm has not put a heap of energy into the off-contract brigade, preferring to get into the season before putting pens to paper.
As big as the losses will be, the departure of Josh Addo-Carr (TBD), Suliasi Vunivalu (rugby union), Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Gold Coast) at the end of the season, they put Storm in a strong position to attack 2021 free agency even before Cameron Smith’s makes his decision.
THE BURNING QUESTIONS
Has Storm finally settled on the spine?
“They still need to perform and make sure they’re productive for the team,” Bellamy said, in reference to fullback (Ryan Papenhuyzen) and halfback (Jahrome Hughes) roles.
“Basically this is the first year they’ve had these roles full time, they’ve done a lot of work in the pre-season … Hughes didn’t train halfback at all last pre-season.
“We’ve got some (depth) in the background (Nicho Hynes, Ryley Jacks and Cooper Johns), I’m sure they will keep those two guys on their toes.”
Can Melbourne find another gear?
“Last year some of the commentators summed it up when they said we didn’t have a top gear,” Bellamy said.
“We were pretty strong in third gear and couldn’t get the next gear, I think that was probably right a little bit.
“We’re hoping to change that this year, having said that we’re going to be relying on some young guys that have come through the system.”
What has Ryan Papenhuyzen done to build on a breakout rookie season?
“There’s a couple little parts of the game where he can be a little bit more involved, (we want to) get him in situations where he can perhaps be a bit more productive for the team,” Bellamy said.
“We’re certainly not going to take away from his strengths, just trying to add to his strengths.
“When they’re at that age (21) always some little areas they can add real value to the team.”
It’s a big year for … Felise Kaufusi
“He had a fairly privileged run when he came into first grade to have Cooper Cronk alongside him,” Bellamy said.
“He would’ve learnt a lot off Cooper and been given a lot of direction, now he’s got to really step up there and do for our halfback what Cooper used to do for him and the team.
“It’s come pretty quickly for him, but he’s our most experienced player on that right edge and we expect him to really step up and take on more responsibility for the whole edge.
“He’s done that in the pre-season and … I was really buoyed by his performance last week.”
NAS on track for season opener
Big bopper Nelson Asofa-Solomona has surged back into contention to play in Round 1 after finally overcoming a niggly hamstring issue.
Bellamy had reservations on whether the powerhouse prop would be ready for the season opener as recently as last week.
“Nelson had a disappointing off-season in that he’s been injured, hamstring problems,” Bellamy said.
“But I think with the game next week, we’ve probably seen him train the best we have all pre-season.
“Hopefully he’ll be right for next week … we want to be sure he’s OK for Round 1 and in no danger.”
Asofa-Solomona’s absence has largely been offset on the training paddock by the continued rise of Fijian international Tui Kamikamica.
“Tui has really stepped up for us,” Bellamy said.
“We’re really looking forward to what he might bring to the team.”
Only Brandon Smith (cheekbone) and off-contract prop Christian Welch, on the comeback trail from a second knee reconstruction in three years, will not be available for NRL selection next week.
Welch will be required to play one or two reserve-grade games, having not played in either of the club’s pre-season trials, before entering into Bellamy’s calculations.
Marion Seve is expected to be named at right centre ahead of Brenko Lee.
“I’m sure both of them are going to play plenty of first-grade this year, whatever happens Round 1,” Bellamy said.
Pre-season hero
Flyer Nicho Hynes has been the name on everyone’s lips since the first day of pre-season.
The versatile back is in the box seat to clinch the last spot on the bench.
“I just wanted to put my best foot forward and not worry about making errors and just do everything I’ve learned over the pre-season,” Hynes said.
“I’ve had a chat to him (Bellamy) and he’s told me my best bet is probably that bench spot.
“Whether he picks me straight away or I have to go back to reserve grade for a few weeks I don’t know? What I’m doing now is put my hand up for that spot.”
The best player you’ve never heard of
Versatile back Brenko Lee will get the chance to shine in 2020 after putting his best foot forward in the off-season.
The NRL journeyman, released by the Gold Coast Titans last year, was a standout in Melbourne’s time-honoured IDQ – I Don’t Quit – commando camp.
“Our supporters wouldn’t have seen much of Brenko,” Bellamy said.
“He’ll play plenty of first-grade. He can play on the wing, on the other side as well.”
Stats that matter
* Melbourne Storm has not capitalised on its dominance the past four seasons, with just the one premiership despite winning 83 games - 19 games than the next best team (Cronulla 64 wins).
* Set the standard in defence once again last season, leading the league in all the major defensive categories: average 12.1 points, 2.0 tries, 1229 Metres, 2.7 line breaks, 19 missed tackles.
* 1st team since the 2002 Canterbury Bulldogs to not lose a game in a season by double figures.
(Source: Fox Sports Lab)
Originally published as Melbourne Storm 2020 NRL preview: Team list, burning questions