Melbourne Storm NRL 2024 Team Previews, Predictions & Player Movement

The Storm are almost a lock for top 4 this year. Together with the Panthers, Broncos & Warriors they are in another category compared to the next 10 teams that will be battling it out for the remaining 4 finals spots. 

Melbourne are the epitome of consistency. Apart from a little asterisk on the 2010 season, where they still won 14 games, the Storm have featured in the top 8 in every single year since 2003. They have finished top four in 15 of those seasons. There is something at the Storm which fosters greatness and following on from their 3rd placing last year i don’t see any significant shortcomings that would make this team worse. 

The spine of Munster, Hughes, Grant and Meaney were missing for a combined total of 13 games last season and yet the team still managed to keep the wins rolling and finish high on the table. With Ryan Papenhuyzen set to make a return in round 1 the thunder clouds are circling for a violent storm!

It is difficult to find something with this team that i don’t like. You could say that their depth in the spine is not very experienced, but they showed last year that as long as all 4 players aren’t out at the same time they can overcome that hurdle. The forward pack is robust and the mobility through the backrow is elite. 

If anything it would be that the Storm are prone to missing tackles. In 2023 they missed the second most amount of tackles of any team in the NRL (970). Over a season missed tackles aren’t directly proportional to losing but they do affect individual outcomes and could be the difference in the Storm having 14 or 16 wins!

Ins: Shawn Blore (Wests Tigers)

Outs: Justin Olam (Wests Tigers) Tariq Sims (Catalans), Jayden Nikorima (Catalans), George Jennings (released), Jordan Grant (released), Tom Eisenhuth (Dragons)

1. Ryan Papenhuyzen

2. Xavier Coates

3. Reimis Smith

4. Nick Meaney

5. Will Warbrick

6. Cameron Munster

7. Jahrome Hughes

8. Christian Welch

9. Harry Grant

10. Tui Kamikamica

11. Trent Loiero

12. Eli Katoa

13. Josh King

14. Bronson Garlick

15. Nelson Asofa-Solomona

16. Shawn Blore

17. Sua Fa’alogo