Fringe players become overnight stars as Bellamy rises in GOAT conversation

Every single thing was pointing towards the Melbourne Storm finally having their Round 1 record broken in 2026.

Coming off back-to-back grand final losses, a shortened pre-season because of it, and with a swaithe of either departed or injured players, the Storm had no right to be the winners on Thursday evening as they kicked their season off against a rebuilding, but deemed by most to be a finals contending, Parramatta Eels.

Ryan Papenhuyzen has left in what was deemed to be the biggest blow, and he was joined by fringe half Jonah Pezet and Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

One could argue Pezet and Asofa-Solomona didn't have all that much impact over the 2025 campaign, and question whether Papenhuyzen has had much to do with Melbourne's success in the last three years, but the simple fact is at full strength Papenhuyzen was their fullback, Asofa-Solomona added size and aggression, and when not at full strength, Pezet did plenty in the finals series last year.

That Pezet was on the other side of the park on Thursday evening and struggled to get involved in the game at all should tell you everything you need to know.

But it wasn't just the departures for Melbourne.

Their entire grand final making back-row - Eliesa Katoa (concussion), Shawn Blore (ankle) and Trent Loiero (concussion) were missing. Xavier Coates (achilles) was also sidelined.

That left Ativalu Lisati and Joe Chan to step up into the second-row, and the duo were among the best for the men in purple. Alec MacDonald, the replacement at lock, was knocked out of the game just minutes in by what was deemed to be a high shot, albeit controversially.

In the backs, Moses Leo, formerly thought of as nothing more than a winger, lined up in the centres and also had a barnstorming performance, breaking eight tackles from just ten runs as the Eels, who at times looked as if they had never met each other, struggled to contain the former rugby sevens star.

To add to the issue for Melbourne - even though the game was well gone by the time it happened - Harry Grant suffered a hamstring injury and was forced from the field. He is seemingly next to no chance of playing next weekend, and you'd still back Melbourne.

But it was the breakout performances of Leo, Lisati, Chan and even Cooper Clarke off the bench which should have Melbourne interested for the run ahead, and excited by the fact Craig Bellamy has agreed to a new two-year deal.

The coach's future has been one of the key talking points around not just the club, but the NRL in general, in recent seasons.

He was on a year-by-year deal at one stage, and all reports were that 2024, then 2025, and then 2026, would be his last, only for him to agree to keep going until the end of 2028.

And you can fully understand why Matt Tripp and the Melbourne brass didn't want him going anywhere.

Round 1 was the almost perfect example of it.

Last year's fringe players standing up, putting in, and battering a fancied side who were out to show the world exactly what their rebuilding has come to.

Bellamy may have no premiership success to show over the last 24 months, but there are plenty of clubs who would bite your hand off if you offered them a chance to change places with the Storm.

In fact, the only two that wouldn't nare the Panthers and Broncos, the two teams who got the better of them on the respective first Sundays in October.

It's not exactly the first time Bellamy has defied the odds either.

He has won 24 straight games in Round 1 now, but more than that, it's his remarkable success rate at making the finals which speaks for itself.

The Storm are just always in the right position at the right time of year, even though they are fast starters.

Bellamy's standards are remarkably high - that much isn't exactly up for debate. He was still grimacing and looking displeased in the coaches box even as the score ticked past 40 and 50 without so many stars.

But you speak to anyone who has been coached by him, and it's his player management skills which stack up against any coach, maybe ever, with the exception of Jack Gibson and Wayne Bennett.

Even then, he is in the conversation.

Make no mistake about it, the latest attempt of rugby league pundits to write off the Storm will fall flat, just as it did after the salary cap scandal, and again after Billy Slater retired, and again after Cameron Smith hung up the boots.

Every year, people try to find a reason for the Storm's demise, and every year, they prove us wrong.

Bellamy is the reason why, and he might just be starting to put himself in the conversation around the greatest coach of all-time.