Storm star Christian Welch announces retirement as secret debilitating back injury revealed

The powerhouse forward has revealed a secret injury as he announced the difficult decision to hang up his boots immediately.

Christian Welch of the Storm looks on during the round 14 NRL match between North Queensland Cowboys and Melbourne Storm at Qld Country Bank Stadium on June 04, 2023 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Melbourne Storm forward Christian Welch has announced his retirement from the NRL, with the forward reportedly struggling so badly with a back injury that putting on shoes has become a major challenge.

The former Storm captain ends his NRL career after 10 seasons, where he had to overcome three ACL injuries, numerous head knocks and a ruptured Achilles to reach the 163-game mark.

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One of his knee injuries even kept him from playing in Melbourne’s 2017 grand final triumph, which sadly meant Welch was part of three losing grand finals but did manage to lift the trophy in 2020.

And while Welch was still seen as a crucial member of Craig Bellamy’s team, the forward told AAP a concussion at pre-season training – the latest of several throughout his NRL career – mixed with the fact he remains in immense pain with a debilitating back injury led him to accept it was time to call time on his career.

“In the grand final I was on pretty heavy neural meds and I was taking probably like six to eight, a real cocktail of medicine to try get through the game,” Welch told AAP.

Welch may be set to medically retire from the game. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

“It was a real struggle and it probably reflected, to be honest, in that grand final, and I suppose my body just really struggled.

“I’ve been carrying it since last season and I was hoping maybe in the off-season I could correct it and come back pretty good but it just was hanging around.

“And then at the Geelong camp I just got a bit of a (head) knock and so that’s a concern as well, considering my history.”

Welch is now preparing to undergo a discectomy to relieve the nerve pressure that makes simple things like bending over extremely painful.

Christian Welch (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Welch’s retirement doesn’t come as a huge surprise as Fox Sports’ James Hooper broke the news of a potential medical retirement earlier this week following the seventh concussion of his career.

The prop was absent from the team photo taken last week and Bellamy reportedly gave him some time away to consider his future.

The Storm prop‘s existing contract ran through until the end of the 2025 season with an option for 2026.

He was understood to be on $600,000 a season.

The Storm star has decided to hang em up. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Christian Welch and partner Maddi Robinson. Picture: Jason Edwards

Since Welch has now medically retired from the NRL, part of his salary for this season would be exempt from the salary cap.

It also means the Storm have freed up around $400,000 for 2025, according to Hooper.

While Welch is a big loss for the Storm, the club recruiting Wests Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu ahead of the season should limit the impact of his retirement.

The Melbourne Storm’s 2025 NRL season gets underway against the Parramatta Eels on Sunday, March 9 at AAMI Park in Melbourne.

- with foxsports.com.au

Originally published as Storm star Christian Welch announces retirement as secret debilitating back injury revealed