Write the Storm off at your own peril

Before the start of every season we all lay down our NRL predictions and put forward the chance that perhaps his is the year the Storm come back to the pack.

Earlier yesterday I was talking with a friend who mentioned the belief that the Storm wouldn't make the top four this year and that he really didn't rate the side.

I found myself agreeing.

Billy Slater has retired leaving a huge void. The Storm are yet to nail down a permanent replacement for Cooper Cronk. Cameron Smith is another year older. Ryan Hoffman has retired.

Then there are the reports of salary cap issues that could see the club ineligible for points in round one. Although I don't believe for a second that will happen, it's still sure to be a distraction.

Either way it seems as though the Storm cannot settle their squad and salary cap until at least one player is moved on.

With reports that Sam Kasiano hasn't attracted any suitors it may mean the Storm need to move on a more fancied player.

Surely this is the year that the Storm falter and aren't a Premiership force. Right!?

Then again this is the Melbourne Storm we are talking about here. The Craig Bellamy lead Melbourne Storm who seem to overcome ridiculous odds both on and off the field (sometimes through fault of their own) to continue to set the mark.

Cam Smith may be 35 year's of age but he is still Cam Smith.

He may be a step slower and a little more prone to injuries but there has never been a number nine with such durability. No number nine has even been able to play the game the way Smith has. He will adapt and will reshape his game.

The Storm may have lost two of their supposed big three (possibly four with Hoffman in his prime) but I'd argue that Cameron Munster has developed into a genuine megastar.

Supremely talented and bringing brilliant utility value Munster is a first choice number six for club, state and country.

Josh Addo Carr and Suliasi Vunivalu form the most dangerous wing combination in the league. Inside them are Will Chambers and Curtis Scott.

With Scott Drinkwater looking likely to lock down the number one jersey for the opening rounds, that's a frighteningly talented back five.

They will bust plenty of opposition defences wide open and will pack on plenty of points off the back of Munster, Smith and Croft's brilliance.

Up front they have Kangaroos mainstay Felise Kaufusi, the criminally underrated Dale Finucane, the ever improving Joe Stimson and the Bromwich brothers.

No one will replace the likes of Cronk and Slater but this side still oozes quality.

That said I strongly believe that the Storm's number one weapon comes off-field in the form of coach Craig Bellamy.

The master of rebuilding sides in strange circumstances, I expect the master coach to step up and again provide the answers.

This is the genuine who turned a salary cap depleted Storm side made up of three stars and fringe reserve graders into a perrenial top four finishers.

The Storm were supposed to stutter in 2018 with the loss of Cooper Cronk yet finished second and made the Grand Final.

Given they had bigger fish to fry the Storm rested players in the final round and allowed the Roosters to capture the minor premiership.

Ultimately they were outplayed on the final day of the season but few can argue that the Storm weren't again the benchmark for the large majority of the season.

Slater's departure aside, not a whole lot has changed in reality.

The Roosters aside, I'd argue there's not been a whole lot of improvement in the other top four sides.

The Bunnies and Sharks look roughly the same. The Bunnies lost Crichton while the Sharks have swapped Holmes for Johnson.

Further back in the eight the Panthers look light on up front, the Dragons have plenty of off-field distractions. The Broncos have developed their young forwards but lost Josh McGuire.

The Warriors don't look the same threat sans Shaun Johnson.

Outside the eight the Knights and Titans have improved but not the point I can see them pressing for the title.

Honestly I'm not sure who is capable of running this Storm side down, the Roosters aside.

That's noting against any of the sides listed, I just see Craig Bellamy finding yet another star out of nowhere to lift the side back to another top four finish.

Bellamy is the best coach of the modern era, Cam Smith the best player since Johns, and the likes of Munster, Addo Carr and Drinkwater will carve teams up.

Perhaps they won't be the all conquering Storm side we have all become use to but they'll be there or there-abouts yet again come the end of the season.

You certainly can't write them off... at least I can't.