The Melbourne Storm have long been the most consistent team in the NRL, but can they keep their run going in 2022?
Here is the Victorian club's full NRL season preview for 2022.
2021 season
Grand final day felt strange without the Storm. For a long, long time it looked as though they would be there yet again, only to fall short at the final hurdle.
DOWNLOAD NOW: Zero Tackle 2022 NRL Season Guide
Ryan Papenhuyzen emerged from 2022 as an absolute megastar. Prior to his injury, he was on track for a Dally M medal win.
Nicho Hynes took full advantage of his shot following the aforementioned injury. He was arguably the competition's form player for a two-month stretch.
A small loss in a super competitive preliminary final is never a failure but you can't help but feel the Storm missed a trick here. Only the Storm and their fans could feel that way.
Off-season moves
2022 gains
Xavier Coates (Brisbane Broncos, 2023), Sua Fa'alogo (2024), Bronson Garlick (2022), Cole Geyer (2023), Josh King (Newcastle Knights, 2023), Nick Meaney (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, 2023), Jayden Nikorima (2022), Will Warbrick (2023)
2022 losses
Josh Addo-Carr (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Daniel Atkinson (released), Aaron Booth (Gold Coast Titans), Dale Finucane (Cronulla Sharks), Nicho Hynes (Cronulla Sharks), Ryley Jacks (released), Max King (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Brenko Lee (Brisbane Broncos), Isaac Lumelume (released), Aaron Pene (New Zealand Warriors), Tyson Smoothy (released), Judda Turahui (released)
Recruitment impact
The Storm will have to overcome yet another round of stars leaving in 2022. They do every year as all good sides do.
Josh Addo-Carr, Dale Finucane, and Nicho Hynes have all left the side to become superstar recruits at their new clubs.
Again though, the game's best talent scout Craig Bellamy has delivered. Nick Meaney and Xavier Coates are stereotypical Bellamy signings. I suspect both to become superstars in the coming seasons.
Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen both extended their stays despite huge interest across multiple clubs. Hughes turned down a mammoth offer from the Warriors to stay in Melbourne.
DOWNLOAD NOW: Zero Tackle 2022 NRL Season Guide
Talking points
Return to Melbourne: After a few false starts in 2021, the Storm will finally return home to play in 2022. The Storm are one of the best performing home sides across recent seasons. Truthfully, they play well anywhere but a trip to Melbourne is not one many teams look forward to. In 2022, they will once again enjoy that home ground advantage.
Papenhuyzen back to his best?: Ryan Papenhuyzen was the form player across the opening rounds of the 2021 season. He was scoring highlight reel tries for fun and looked a dead certainty to romp home in the Dally M. Unfortunately injury stunted his season. Upon his eventual and often delayed return, he was never able to re-find his very best form. There are talks he will miss Round 1 suggesting he's not yet back to 100 per cent. We'll see very soon but the Storm needs Papenhuyzen back to his very best.
2023 Pressure: The Dolphins have used the Storm's forward stocks as their own personal shopping centre. Melbourne will lose both Bromwich brothers and Felise Kaufusi at the end of the season. Three big names, three experienced players. Most teams couldn't overcome losing three of their starting 13. The Storm have a history of doing just that, however even the mighty Storm may struggle here. I'll probably eat these words as the next three superstars emerge in 2023, but on the surface this should put a normal coach under pressure.
Key player: Cameron Munster
Cameron Munster is the biggest star in a team full of them. His importance to this side can't be understated. It goes well beyond his game.
Some fans took to social media in 2021 to suggest Munster had a down season. He had 13 try assists, 13 forced dropouts, seven tries and almost 115 run metres per game as the non-dominant half.
As a neutral fan, I always feel Munster is in the game. When he's there for Queensland I am always nervous. Not many players have that aura.
He's the player opposition fans love to hate. If you were drafting the NRL from scratch tomorrow, Munster goes in the first round every time.
Big season for: Brandon Smith
Brandon Smith had a monster season in 2021. He ascended to one of the game's best and most likable stars. So much so that he kept Harry Grant on the bench for most of the season.
That said, a series of questionable decisions over the off-season have placed a blowtorch upon him.
Storm fans enter the season knowing he's headed for Bondi in 2023. He went on a podcast and said it was his dream to win a title for the tri-colours (or something to that effect).
He'll also likely be running out in the number 13 jersey vacated by Dale Finucane.
New role, increased pressure, a fanbase who have reason to turn on him if he doesn't perform. Pressure is on the Cheese!
Breakout Star: Xavier Coates
This largely goes against the 'breakout' part of this, given Coates has played Origin, but is there a single person in the world who doesn't believe Coates will be a far better player at the end of 2022?
Coates burst onto the scene in a big way. Unfortunately he spent the 2021 season massively underdelivering due to uncertainty over his spot in first-grade.
Craig Bellamy has built a career on taking talented players and turning them into superstars. Xavier Coates is the next in line; I'm 110% sure of that.
Coates will score tries for fun on the end of one of the game's elite backlines. He will walk back into his Origin jersey and I'd take the $1.01 on him having a career best season.
Watch Rugby League Outlaws discuss the Storm in their Season Preview
Fixtures to watch
Round 2 vs South Sydney Rabbitohs: This looked as though it would be the eventual 2021 Grand Final. The Storm, off a week's rest, only had to overcome a beaten down Panthers side to advance to the decider but fell short. Latrell Mitchell will be back to clash directly with Ryan Papenhuyzen, which is worth the price of admission alone. Munster vs Walker is an Origin clash. Jason Demetriou will face no bigger test early in his career then a clash with Craig Bellamy.
DOWNLOAD NOW: Zero Tackle 2022 NRL Season Guide
Round 6 vs Cronulla Sharks: The Storm don't have a rivalry built on location. This rivalry is built on pure hatred and a host of heated clashes. Throw in the return to Melbourne of Nicho Hynes and Dale Finucane and this is one fixture both sets of fans have circled. Bellamy will clash with another rookie coach in Craig Fitzgibbon. Hynes will clash one on one with Jahrome Hughes while the battle of the forwards is always can't miss viewing.
Round 7 vs New Zealand Warriors: The Anzac Day clash is always special. The Storm and Warriors Anzac evening game has become something special itself. The light show before the clash, the pre-match ceremony and the bumper crowd always create a brilliant atmosphere. The clash is as unpredictable as they come. The Warriors are the one team the Storm seem to have trouble with regardless of form. Shaun Johnson, Reece Walsh and co will have to be at their very best here.
Prediction
A few seasons ago I made the horrible error, predicting the Storm's downfall. Since then I promised I'd not make that mistake again.
Dropping the Storm out of the top two feels like a risk but that's more based on the two sides above them rather than anything negative on the Storm front.
Bellamy has done extremely well to replenish his stocks following yet another host of stars leaving. Nick Meaney and Xavier Coates are two players capable of tremendous things.
The Storm face a massive exit of established stars at the end of 2022, nothing like has been seen for many years.
There, finally, seems to be a little pressure building in Melbourne. 2022 will be fine, perhaps even another title run. It's 2023 that is shaping as a possible hurdle.
3rd
