Christian Welch confirmed as Storm captain amid devastating injury news

As Melbourne Storm named a sole captain for the 2023 season another backline injury added to his team’s challenge.

Christian Welch has been appointed the sole captain of Melbourne Storm for the 2023 NRL season. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

New Melbourne Storm captain Christian Welch has backed Nick Meaney to take his game to “a new level” as the full impact of the club’s injury disaster is laid bare.

Meaney is set to fill the role of superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen for much of the season after he confirmed his return from a shattered kneecap he suffered last season would leave him out of action for longer than first thought.

Storm’s backline injury woes were compounded on Wednesday with winger Dean Ieremia ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an ACL injury while forward Tui Kamikamica will miss six weeks with a tendon issue in his foot.

Welch, who was appointed sole captain for 2023 with Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant as his deputies, said Meaney would step up in the absence of Papenhuyzen and others would rise to the challenge of filling other roles.

“Nick Meaney has had a great pre-season, he’s played well in the trials. We saw last year as a utility his ability to play in a variety of positions,” Welch said.

“We’ve got young Sua (Fa’alogo), a Victorian lad who a few of you would’ve seen the week before with some big line breaks.

Christian Welch says he is confident in the Storm’s new leadership group’s ability to drive the club to success. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

“So we’ve got some really exciting players coming through, and I think it’s a testament to the club that while Paps is out that next crop coming through are being developed.

“Every year we lose three, four of five players, and the club does a really great job of developing homegrown players and young 18, 19-year-olds to rise up and take those spots.”

New recruit Tariq Sims’ imminent return from a calf injury would bolster the Storm’s top-end talent, Welch said.

“He’s going to come in and add a lot to our group,” he said.

“We’ve lost a bit, but we’ve also picked up a lot, and these guys we have in the room (Munster, Hughes and Grant), our spine players, they are the best in the competition, so we’ve just got to stay healthy I think and we should be right.”

Welch will take the helm at the Storm after sharing the captaincy in 2022 with departed veteran Jesse Bromwich, but only led the side in the opening round before a ruptured Achilles brought his season to an end.

Speaking alongside Storm chief executive Justin Rodski, Welch said the playing group was still confident of success despite a spate of injury concerns. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

The 28-year-old prop is entering his ninth season with the Storm, having played 119 matches since his debut in 2015.

Ryan Papenhuyzen and Tom Eisenhuth round out the Storm’s six-player leadership group after being promoted from the club’s emerging leaders’ team.

“It’s a huge honour to be captain … it’s really something that I’ll cherish for a long time,” Welch said.

“But as I said to the boys today in the meeting, it’s a group effort … we’re all working hard to set the standards off the field and also on the field.

“We’ve got a great group of guys, senior guys and rep players who have been around for a long time, and it’s time for us to really take the club forward.”