With the dust settling on the 2023 NRL season, the celebrations still going on at Penrith for the third season in a row, it’s time for a look back at Melbourne Storm’s 26th NRL season.
Pre-season
Going all the way back to February, Melbourne started the 2023 campaign in a pre-season challenge match against the Roosters in Geelong. There were some positive signs early, but an arm injury to Justin Olam was something of a setback1 in a 32–24 loss to the Chooks. A week later in Christchurch, Melbourne bounced back after dodgy first half to score 24 unanswered points against the Warriors, leaving NZ with a 24–6 victory.
Following the two pre-season challenge matches, Christian Welch was appointed as the sole Storm captain for 2023, with Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster named as vice-captains.
March
Ahh round 1 victories. It’s just what Melbourne do. This year it was a golden point triumph away to Parramatta, with 2023 Storm Machine Player of the Year Harry Grant scoring the decisive try in the third minute of extra time for a 16–12 final score.
A week later Melbourne fell foul of a trap game against Canterbury, losing the first home game of the season at AAMI Park 26–12. Missed tackles (49) and a lack of effort and enthusiasm the story of the day.
Melbourne melted in the heat on the Gold Coast in round 3, losing to the Titans 38–34. Errors leading directly to tries a big problem in this one as Melbourne gave up a half time lead with the home team scored three straight tries either side of the break.
Low in confidence, Melbourne were able to get back on the winner’s list against Wests Tigers at AAMI Park in round 4, hanging on for a 24–12 win. It wasn’t a pretty win, but it did feature the first try in the career of Will Warbrick, who would go on to score 17 for the season to lead the club in 2023.
On the final day of March, Melbourne got the better of South Sydney 18–10 in a gutsy performance. Harry Grant was immense in Melbourne’s best defensive effort of the season thus far.
April
A Cameron Munster masterclass, as well as a hat-trick to Xavier Coates helped Melbourne to a 28–8 victory against the Roosters in what was one of Melbourne’s better performances for the season in moist conditions at AAMI Park.
Heading to #FortressShithole in mid-April, Melbourne’s three match winning streak was snapped by Manly, the home team winning 18–8 in a poorly officiated,2 error-ridden slopfest.
ANZAC Day at AAMI Park saw an electric first half with the Warriors skipping ahead early, only for Melbourne to power past the visitors to grind out a 30–22 win. Nick Meaney starring for Melbourne to take out the Spirit of ANZAC Medal, with the Storm retaining the Michael Moore Trophy for another season.
May
Coming off a bye and giving up home ground advantage for Magic Round had a clunky Melbourne fail to get near South Sydney, losing 28–12. Melbourne’s inconsistency week to week frustrating the coaches, even with the club sitting in the top eight.
Another oddly officiated game3 match that seemed to linger longer than necessary, Melbourne extended their winning run against the Broncos to 13 matches. A double to Will Warbrick handy in a 24–16 win.
With an identical scoreline to the week before, Melbourne travelled north to defeat the Dolphins in the first meeting between the teams. The Storm doing enough against former teammates to take home the points against the Wayne Bennett coached Fish.
June
After another bye, Melbourne’s season hit a humiliating nadir, thrashed 45–20 by the Cowboys in Townsville. Fundamental errors and missed tackles the order of the day for the Storm, the 45 points the most conceded in a match since 2003.
Proving that a week is a long time in football, Melbourne responded to the week before by putting the cleaners through the Sharks in a 54–10 frenzy. Harry Grant putting down one of his best matches for the season.
Melbourne’s defence finally made an appearance against the Tigers at Campbelltown, holding the home team to a solitary try in a 28–6 win, with Will Warbrick scoring four tries down the right edge.
Backing up that defensive effort, Melbourne overcame a slow start to extend their winning streak to three matches. Manly were dispatched 24–6 with Xavier Coates scoring a double (including one spectacular effort) as well as saving a try late in the match.
Playing at Docklands under the roof for the first time in over a decade Melbourne matched it with the reigning premiers during the first half, but were outplayed in the second half. The 34–16 loss a frustrating one when Melbourne could have played much better than they did.
July
After their third and final bye for the season, Melbourne got the job done against the Roosters at the ShitCG, winning 30–16 with the scoreline flattering the home team. Xavier Coates scored another hat trick against the Chooks in a quality performance.
At the time this was a poor loss from Melbourne. After a strong start the Storm struggled and lacking intensity let the Knights come out on top 26–18. Melbourne’s panic football in the second half particularly bad in this one.
Matched up against the 2022 runner-up in the second and final game at Docklands, Melbourne put the Eels to the sword on Melbourne Old Boys weekend, sending a message that the Storm weren’t done just yet. Jahrome Hughes the standout in a 46–16 win.
August
In the home stretch before the finals, Melbourne were in danger of dropping out of contention for the top four after another frustrating 26–6 loss to the Panthers. There were lessons from the loss, with the hope that Melbourne might be able to address those areas when it mattered.
A sunny Sunday afternoon back at AAMI Park saw Melbourne smash the Raiders 48–2 with the Storm’s nine tries each coming from a different player.
Led by Jahrome Hughes and Eliesa Katoa, Melbourne accounted for the Dragons in Wollongong 38–28. Will Warbrick scoring another hat trick of tries for Melbourne in a high-scoring match.
Ryan Papenhuyzen made a long-awaited return from injury, coming off the bench as the Storm reversed their fortunes against the Titans, doing enough to earn a 37–28 win at AAMI Park.
In one of the funniest games of rugby league for the season, a rag tag bunch of Melbourne players beat a similarly cobbled together Brisbane Broncos line up at Suncorp Stadium 32–22. Sualauvi Fa’alogo starring in his NRL debut with a couple of tries.
September
Qualifying in third place at the end of the regular season, Melbourne faced another trip back to Suncorp Stadium to play the Broncos. Suffice to say, it didn’t go well.
Back at home to play the Roosters in an elimination semi final and Melbourne came from the clouds through a spectacular late try to Will Warbrick to send AAMI Park into raptures.
Failing to learn the lessons from their previous two losses to the Panthers in 2023, Melbourne again couldn’t match the reigning premiers at Accor Stadium to be eliminated one game short of another NRL Grand Final.
Narrative
So what’s the TL;DR for Melbourne Storm in 2023? After losing a bunch of forwards, Melbourne again defied expectations of their demise to make the top four and another preliminary final. They were however a step down from the eventual grand finalists and will need to improve in some key areas if they are to threaten in 2024.
Storm Machine Player of the Year
Harry Grant was crowned the Storm Machine Player of the Year, taking out the honour by seven points from Jahrome Hughes, with 2022 winner Cameron Munster finishing in third position.
Official awards
In something of a surprise result, Xavier Coates became the first outside back to win the club’s player of the year award. Nick Meaney was voted the best by the fans, with the full list of winners as follows:
Cameron Smith Medal (Player of the Year Award): Xavier Coates
Members’ Player of the Year: Nick Meaney
Billy Slater Rookie of the Year: Will Warbrick
Most Improved Player: Bronson Garlick
Best Forward of the Year: Josh King
Best Back of the Year: Will Warbrick
Try of the Year: Sua Fa’alogo (Round 27)
Harry Grant also won the Dally M Hooker of the Year honour.
Debuts
Nine new faces for the Storm in 2023:
Round 1: Bronson Garlick, Eliesa Katoa, Will Warbrick
Round 2: Kane Bradley
Round 3: Jonah Pezet, Tariq Sims
Round 27: Joe Chan, Sualauvi Fa’alogo, Jack Howarth
Farewells
Following the end of the season, Tariq Sims and Jayden Nikorima signed to head to the Super League with Catalans. George Jennings and Jordan Grant also depart the club. Surprisingly they were joined by Tom Eisenhuth who also leaves the Storm after probably his best season in Melbourne.
Leadership consultant coach Joel Selwood also bid farewell to the Storm after one year in that role.
Tries of the year
The club’s official try of the year award went to the round 27 try to Sualauvi Fa’alogo for his first try against the Broncos. But was it really the best of the 113 tries scored by the Melbourne Storm in 2023? I thought to myself, what better reason than to go back and watch every try again and take another look to come up with a top five seven on some kind of criteria.4
In chronological order:
Round 1 vs Eels – Harry Grant
Round 8 vs Warriors – Nick Meaney
Round 11 vs Broncos – Will Warbrick
Round 22 vs Eels – Cameron Munster
Round 26 vs Titans – Will Warbrick
Round 27 vs Broncos – Sua Fa’alogo
Semi Final vs Roosters – Will Warbrick
The minutiae
Melbourne played matches on five days of the week in 2023:
Thursday: 4 matches, 4 wins, average 25 points per game;
Friday: 9 matches, 5 wins, average 15.56 points per game;
Saturday: 10 matches, 6 wins, average 25.7 points per game;
Sunday: 3 matches, 2 wins, average 40.67 points per game;
Tuesday: 1 match, 1 win, 30 points per game.
Melbourne ended up winning:
10 of 12 games in Victoria;
2 of 6 games in Queensland;
5 of 9 games in New South Wales
Jerseys
Melbourne wore five different jerseys during the 2023 season:
Home (11 matches, 8 wins)
Clash (11 matches, 5 wins)
ANZAC Day (1 match, 1 win)
Indigenous (2 matches, 2 wins)
1998 replica (2 matches, 1 win)
2024
Onward we forge into the 27th season of Melbourne Storm rugby league.
As of the end of the 2023 rugby league calendar year, there’s no new signings from other clubs, with Melbourne seemingly happy with the pipeline coming from the feeder clubs and juniors. Most of the core squad members are signed past 2024, with the coaching role again likely a topic of discussion in the first half of the season.5
This is my last post of the year, thanks for subscribing and sharing.
Will be back here in February. #purplepride
Olam would miss the first two weeks of the season proper.
Who else but Adam Gee.
Todd Smith having a very poor night.
There’s a reason this post is coming out in October…
Seemingly it’s a fait accompli in the media that Jason Ryles will be the next Storm head coach, but I’m not so certain.