NRL best 19s for 2026: Melbourne Storm

The Melbourne Storm arrive at the start of the 2026 NRL season possibly as unstable as they have been in years.

A difficult off-season, albeit a calculated one, has seen the club lose Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jonah Pezet and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, while key forward Eliesa Katoa will miss the entirety of the campaign after his disastrous head injuries playing for Tonga during the Pacific Championships.

There is no sugar coating it for Melbourne. They are big outs for the coming campaign, and Craig Bellamy, who has recently re-signed, will have his work cut out for him organising the outfit into one that can compete on a regular basis.

That's not to say the Storm are about to fall like a stone. Most pundits still have them in the expected top eight, but they certainly don't carry the same air of confidence and favouritism about them as they have had in recent years.

That, despite the fact three of the best in the game - Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster and Harry Grant - will still lead them around the park.

Here is how we expect the Storm to line up in 2026.

Recruitment report

Ins: Jack Hetherington (Newcastle Knights, 2026), Davvy Moale (South Sydney Rabbitohs, 2026), Trent Toelau (Penrith Panthers, 2026), Manaia Waitere (Canberra Raiders, 2027)

Outs: Grant Anderson (Brisbane Broncos), Bronson Garlick (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Ryan Papenhuyzen (released), Jonah Pezet (Parramatta Eels)

Off-contract at end of 2026: Shawn Blore, Jack Hetherington, Tui Kamikamica, Trent Toelau, Will Warbrick

Full squad

Shawn Blore, Joe Chan, Xavier Coates, Sua Fa'alogo, Harry Grant, Jack Hetherington, Jahrome Hughes, Tui Kamikamica, Eliesa Katoa, Josh King, Moses Leo, Ativalu Lisati, Trent Loiero, Alec MacDonald, Nick Meaney, Davvy Moale, Cameron Munster, Josiah Pahulu, Marion Seve, Trent Toelau, Stefano Utoikamanu, Lazarus Vaalepu, Manaia Waitere, Will Warbrick, Tyran Wishart

Supplementary contracts: Jai Bowden, Stanley Huen

Who plays where?

Fullback
The departure of Ryan Papenhuyzen does create a gap at the back for Melbourne, although less than you'd imagine given he hasn't played anything close to all games across the last two seasons.

Sua Fa'alogo will be the man to take over from Papenhuyzen at the back, but it doesn't come without competition.

Fa'alogo might be rated as one of the most talented juniors in the game, but he isn't yet an established first-grader.

Nick Meaney, who can play anywhere in the back five, is a chance of featuring. Cameron Munster should shuffle back there is need be, and Penrith have also signed Trent Toelau from Penrith, and Manaia Waitere from Canberra, as cover.

Uitlity Tyran Wishart could also wear the number one if need be.

Wingers
The wings look a lot more straightforward for the Victorian-based club.

Xavier Coates will be on one side, and Will Warbrick the other. It's as clear cut as it gets, really.

Moses Leo impressed on debut last year before injury ruined his year, but the ex-rugby player will be pushing to be the club's first back-up option throughout 2026.

Sua Fa'alogo, if he doesn't work at the back, could shuffle onto the wing, while Nick Meaney could also move wider from the centres.

Marion Seve and Manaia Waitere are the other options.

Centres
The centres should line up the same way they did in 2025, with Jack Howarth and Nick Meaney the likely starters, but there is a big 'what if' attached to that.

As in, what if Zac Lomax signs?

You could make the same argument on the wing, but it's the centres where Melbourne may be looking for an extra, with the potential to shuffle Jack Howarth in field.

The current squad does bring depth too. Manaia Waitere, Marion Seve and even Tyran Wishart could all line up there.

Intriguingly, Moses Leo is also playing the first of two pre-season trials in the centres.

Halves
The Storm, again, are stable in the halves.

Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes are the starters, and if they stay fit, will play every game outside of Origin in Munster's case.

Tyran Wishart is now the undisputed first back-up across both positions, even as he moves into the final year of his time at the Storm before joining the Perth Bears.

The jury is out on him as a halfback, but if needed, they won't have a choice.

Trent Toelau is a good option as well at five-eighth, and so too is Manaia Waitere, while development player Stanley Huen could push for a debut this year.

Middle forwards
The middle also looks locked in at the top end, and a little less once you get past the first couple of players.

Josh King has been exceptional for Melbourne in recent seasons and should start at prop alongside Stefano Utoikamanu, who will look to continue his rapid improvement in Craig Bellamy's system.

Trent Loiero, who debuted for Queensland in 2025, will start at lock.

Behind that, former Rabbitoh Davvy Moale, Alec MacDonald, Tui Kamikamica and Lazarus Vaalepu appear to be the next couple of players in contention, while off-season recruit Jack Hetherington can also play in the middle if needed. So too can Ativalu Lisati, although he was used as a second-rower more often than not in 2025.

Hooker

Edge forwards
On the edge, the injury to Eliesa Katoa, who was the NRL's best second-rower in 2025, puts a significant dent in the way Melbourne will go about things.

Shawn Blore will retain his spot in the second-row, while we are tipping Joe Chan - who impressed at second-row and centre in 2025 - to join him.

It's not set in stone though.

Ativalu Lisati played well in the second-row at the back-end of 2025, while Jack Hetherington's arrival creates competition, but depth is a little skinny beyond that.

Interchange
The Storm's first obvious bench player is Tyran Wishart. He may not sneak a starting spot, but he is the first back-up for plenty of roles and will play off the bench.

In the forwards, Lisati and MacDonald have both impressed and should be named, while we are tipping the experience of Tui Kamikamica to edge Lazarus Vaalepu for a spot.

Jack Hetherington's forward versatility should win him a spot, while Trent Toelau wins the last spot on the six-man bench ahead of Waitere.

The best 19

1. Sua Fa'alogo
2. Xavier Coates
3. Jack Howarth
4. Nick Meaney
5. Will Warbrick
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jahrome Hughes
8. Josh King
9. Harry Grant
10. Stefano Utoikamanu
11. Shawn Blore
12. Joe Chan
13. Trent Loiero

Interchange
14. Tyran Wishart
15. Ativalu Lisati
16. Alec MacDonald
17. Tui Kamikamica
18. Jack Hetherington
19. Trent Toelau