For as long as Craig Bellamy has been in charge, the Melbourne Storm have been a model of consistency in the NRL.
The previous time Melbourne missed the finals for a reason unrelated to the salary cap was in 2002, which was also the last year Bellamy wasn’t leading the men in purple. The team had gone through several phases of change, several calls that they were going to sink, and a lot of other problems.
The Storm has exceeded our expectations to such an extent that, even though they advanced to the preliminary final, many people believed that 2024 was a far cry from their finest season.
Throughout the course of the previous season, there were undoubtedly some serious concerns, primarily with regard to their forwards and leadership, but problems in the spine weren’t entirely absent.
Looking ahead to 2024, the Melbourne-based club faced some of the same questions.
1. Who is the fullback?
This is, of course, the most significant unanswered question facing the Storm as they prepare for the 2024 campaign.
Ryan Papenhuyzen was expected to be the top player in 2023, but his return date kept getting pushed back due to a knee injury he had towards the end of 2022.
From early reports indicating that Melbourne was certain of a Round 1 comeback, it soon turned into a few months into the season, and then the second half.
He eventually made a comeback a few weeks before the season finished, intending to be a reserve player for the Storm. However, in Round 27, he suffered an ugly-looking ankle injury that eliminated any possibility of him playing in the competition’s knockout rounds.
Nick Meaney filled Papenhuyzen’s spot as the top jumper for the majority of the year, and he performed admirably.
Nevertheless, with Sua Fa’alogo’s projected breakout in 2024, Meaney might be the third choice to play fullback.
The youthful player might only be able to play a reserve role at first because it’s quite unlikely that Papenhuyzen wouldn’t be the first jumper in the lineup when healthy.
However, if at any time during this season things seem to be shifting, don’t be alarmed.
