Harry Grant will captain Melbourne Storm in 2024

Some of the best players in NRL history have captained Melbourne Storm and a new skipper will look to emulate their premiership-winning feats.

Harry Grant will replace Christian Welch as the Storm’s skipper for 2024. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

New Melbourne Storm captain Harry Grant has declared he’ll do things his way after the representative star was given the nod as his team’s new captain joining a list which features some of the game’s greatest players.

Grant will be the third captain is as many years, getting the nod for the 2024 season following an internal meeting earlier in the week.

He becomes the Storm’s 15th captain and replaces Christian Welch, who is no longer part of the six-man leadership group which includes superstar playmaker Cameron Munster as vice-captain.

Following in the footsteps of club and NRL legends including Cameron Smith, who was in charge for 13 season, Grant said he didn’t intend to change things despite being given the the title.

Grant said he had benefited from spending time with Smith at both Storm and Queensland during State of Origin which could benefit him but he would be doing things his way.

“I spoke to the boys and told them I might get things wrong at times and say the wrong thing or not have the answer, but hopefully I can lead with my actions,” he said.

“I will try to do it my own way and put a bit of a spin on it but it’s going to be a shared workload.

“I’m surrounded by a really strong leadership group with Cam (Munster) and Hughesy ... so as a group not too much changes and we’ll keep being the people we are, and keeping playing the way we want to play.”

Our Houdini is stepping up in 2024 ✨⚡️

Read more 👉 https://t.co/67qzVhMSf4pic.twitter.com/EYCUdQJLWQ

— Melbourne Storm (@storm) February 7, 2024

Melbourne’s leadership group for 2024 is very spine-heavy, with halves Jahrome Hughes and Munster named vice-captains, while fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen is joined by forwards Josh King and Tui Kamikamica in the six-man leadership group that will be overseen by coaching co-ordinator Jason Ryles.

Grant, a Queensland and Australia representative, has played 62 matches for the Storm and was one of three vice-captains in 2023 in a year in which he was crowned Dally M Hooker of the Year.

His rise to the top caps an incredible journey at the Storm that started with dominating junior sides before he was loaned in 2020 to the Wests Tigers where he gained valuable experience instead of being stuck behind Smith, who led the team to premiership glory in his final season.

Melbourne Storm captains

1998 – Glenn Lazarus

1999 – Glenn Lazarus

2000 - 2001 – Robbie Kearns

2002 – Rodney Howe

2003 - 2004 – Stephen Kearney

2005 – Robbie Kearns

2006 – Michael Crocker, Matt Geyer, Scott Hill, Dennis Scott, Cameron Smith

2007 – Michael Crocker, Matt Geyer, Dallas Johnson, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith

2008 - 2020 – Cameron Smith

2021 – Jesse Bromwich, Dale Finucane

2022 – Jesse Bromwich, Christian Welch

2023 – Christian Welch

Originally published as Harry Grant will captain Melbourne Storm in 2024