Storm coach Craig Bellamy can’t recall a worse run of injuries during 20-year tenure

Injuries are part are parcel of sport, but during 20 years as Storm coach, Craig Bellamy has never felt it so badly.

Craig Bellamy can’t remember a bigger injury crisis at the club. Picture: Jason Edwards

Storm coach Craig Bellamy says he “can’t remember a worse run” with injuries during his two decades in charge of Melbourne as they prepare to face a bomb barrage from Bulldogs big foot Matt Burton on Saturday.

Bellamy has been forced into a team reshuffle in the wake of beating last year’s grand finalists Parramatta after losing superstar playmaker Cameron Munster to a horrible finger injury and winger Xavier Coates as well.

Despite naming Coates in his squad, Bellamy said the flyer was highly unlikely to get up for Melbourne’s first home game of the season.

Their absence tops a long list of talent on the sidelines, including gun fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, centre Justin Olam, forward Tui Kamikamica, another first-choice winger in George Jennings, recruit Tariq Sims as well as regular first graders Tom Eisenhuth and Dean Ieremia.

“I can’t remember having as many injuries as we’ve had, probably even sort of last year it started,” he said.

“I’m not sure if it’s just a bad patch or there’s something in our training, but I would say this is probably the worst run I can ever remember here.

Cameron Munster fractured his finger in round 1. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“But having said that, our mentality always is when someone misses out, someone else gets a chance.

“That’s what we’re relying on the guys that get the chance to grab with both hands and do a good job for us.”

One of those is Tyran Wishart, who will take over from Munster in the halves having played “pretty much every position” off the bench since he joined the Storm, according to Bellamy.

Wishart, the son of NRL legend and former Australian winger Rod, was named the club’s rookie of the year in 2022 after playing 15 games.

“We‘ve got a lot of confidence in Wishy, we think he’ll do a good job,” he said.

“He’s played plenty of first grade with us in different positions. But, you know, he sees himself as mainly a half, so hopefully he’ll do a good job for us tomorrow as well.”

Matt Burton launches a bomb, a sight the Storm expect to see often. Picture: NRL Photos

Storm’s backline players spent Friday catching high balls sent skyward by their ball machine, named after Bulldogs big foot Burton to prepare them for an aerial assault.

“The ball machine’s name is Matt Burton,” Bellamy said.

“He throws those bombs up and they have a lot of spin on them, they turn and twist, so we just sort of had that out through the practices this week and hopefully it will help us tomorrow night.”