NRL 2023: Melbourne Storm season preview

After a disappointing elimination from the first round finals last year, Melbourne will have a different feel for them in 2023, with some veteran players moving on and some injury worries from one of their biggest stars.

Craig Bellamy will lead the Forward as head coach – perhaps for the last time – while the likes of Tariq Sims and Eliesa Katoa have joined us from rival clubs.

Cameron Munster has secured his long-term future and will remain in Melbourne, and he will seek to steer the ship alongside Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant as the club seek their fifth statutory prime minister.

The sports news previews the Storm season below – including their best 17, the key to their success and the projected end for 2023.

STORM TOP 30 SQUAD | STORM OFF CONTRACT LIST | STORM ROUND 1 PREDICTED TEAM

BEST 17th

POSITION	PLAYER
1	Ryan Papenhuyzen
2	Nick Meney
3	Justin Olam
4	Reimis Smith
5	Xavier Coates
6	Cameron Munster
7	Jarome Hughes
8th	Christian Walch
9	Harry Grant
10	Nelson Asofa Solomona
11	Tariq Sims
12	Trento Loiero
13	josh king
14	Tyran Wishart
15	Tui Kamikamica
16	Tepai Moeroa
17	Eliesa Katoa

Note: Ryan Papenhuyzen will miss the start of the season due to injury.

SQUAD CHANGES

WIN:

Tariq Sims, Eliesa Katoa, Joe Chan, Aaron Pene

LOSSES:

Jesse Bromwich, Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi, Brandon Smith, Cooper Johns

DEPTH RATING

It is well known that Melbourne lost a number of key players before the start of the season and four members from their starter pack are moving to other clubs.

Craig Bellamy has had a tough time replacing the quality and experience of the lost forwards. Tariq Sims has been a massive underperformer for the Dragons in recent seasons, while Eliesa Katoa and Aaron Pene have been sporadically used in the NRL.

Much of the weight will fall on the shoulders of Christian Welch and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, while players like Trent Loiero and Alec MacDonald will need to step up and fully establish themselves as first-graders during the season.

The backline is looking strong for the Storm, however, as their frontline halves have more than ample backup options with the likes of Jayden Nikorima, Jonah Pezet and Tyran Wishart.

Around the world, representatives in the back five will be joined by the likes of Dean Ieremiah, Will Warbick, Marion Seve, Jack Howarth and George Jennings – many of whom have NRL experience at the club.

There is a big question mark over the fitness of Ryan Papenhuyzen, who headed to the United States for rehab from the serious knee injury he sustained in 2022 and has no certainty of returning to his best.

STRENGTHS: Outer back/halves

WEAKNESSES: Forward

RATING: 5/10

The departures of some key players in the forward pack have not been replaced, particularly on the fringes, but the storm’s backline will produce plenty of points again.

THE KEY

In a team littered with big-name representative players will be key for Melbourne this year Nelson Asofa Solomona.

The 26-year-old has been a fantastic player for the Storm throughout his 164-game career so far, but this season will be very different for the Kiwi enforcer.

Having played alongside more experienced players such as the Bromwich brothers and Felise Kaufusi throughout his tenure, Asofa-Solomona is now becoming the leader of the forward pack and that brings with it plenty of extra responsibility.

Asofa-Solomona can no longer be contradictory or hot-headed. He must become a consistent performer week after week, turning out big numbers and instilling fear in the opposition.

Melbourne just doesn’t have the depth for Asofa-Solomona to fade in and out of games or just perform well every other week – this is the season where the New Zealand international is cementing himself as one of the NRL’s big elite men must.

BEGINNERS WATCH

One of the most talked about young players in rugby league, Jonah Pezet is a star in Melbourne and the club knows it.

The teenage playmaker was a standout for the Under-19s last year and recently signed an extension with the Storm that will keep him on deck long-term.

Pezet has been praised by the likes of Andrew Johns, and while he may have to wait a little longer before he earns a permanent place in the top rating, there’s a strong chance we’ll see him emerge in 2023.

The 19-year-old made 10 appearances, assisted five tries and scored 12 goals in the QLD Cup last year and is likely to continue playing in the competition as the season begins.

DANGER TIME

Rounds 20-24: Roosters [A]Knight [A]eels [H]Panthers [A]robber [H]

While you can never write off a Storm team coached by Craig Bellamy and boasting a plethora of big stars, this end-of-season run will be crucial in determining where they end up on the ladder.

Starting with a tough away game against the Roosters in Round 20, Melbourne will get brief relief when they take on a side from Newcastle who are expected to struggle a week later.

But the next three rounds are awkward – Parramatta will be no easy task at home before having to travel to the reigning Premiers in Penrith in Round 23.

To wrap up their toughest stage of the year, the Storm takes on his bogeyman side at AAMI Park before ending the campaign with some easier tasks.

PREDICTED END: 5th

Melbourne are littered with representative players in key positions, but they have lost a wealth of quality and experience in their forward pack that they simply could not replace.

There are also question marks over full-back Ryan Papenhuyzen, who has no certainty of starting the season and may not be the same player he was before suffering a debilitating knee injury in 2022.

Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant are set to pick up plenty of points but this doesn’t look like a top 4 or Premiership season for the Storm based solely on their forward pack and overall depth.