- Joined
- Sep 11, 2005
- Posts
- 18,880
- Likes
- 593
- Location
- AAMI Park
- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
- Other Teams
- Still a proud Melbourne Storm fan
Thread starter
#1
I had written this over for the benefit of some other NRL fans on another NRL site, so I thought i'd post it over here.
Enjoy guys!
Enjoy guys!
The Melbourne Storm enter 2007 after a spectacular, yet somewhat ‘unsatisfying’ season in 2006. Before the start of the last NRL season, pundits gave the Storm no chance of winning the premiership. But they coolly defied the early betting market and before anyone knew what was happening, the Victorian club had become easily the most consistent team in the competition.
Coach Craig Bellamy's men not only went on to claim the minor premiership by eight points but they lost a mere four games along the way. Melbourne advanced to a much-deserved spot in the season finale after finals victories over Parramatta and St George Illawarra. But they blew it in last year's grand final against Brisbane. The Storm might have won had they not thrown what had worked for them all year out the window.
The reasoning behind much of this seemingly meteoric rise to success cannot be attributed to merely one player – but with the mercurial Greg Inglis in your side, it really does just a little.
Inglis enjoyed one of the best seasons by a second-year player in the NRL history, seeing him play for both Queensland and Australia by the end of the year and being named on the wing for the International Team of the Year. Not bad for a 19 year old.
Much of the Storms’ chances in 2007 will lie, yet again, square on the young but sturdy shoulders of their forward pack. Despite flying under the radar of most teams for the majority of the season, the same mistakes will not be made by opposition clubs in 2007. Players such as Antonio Kaufusi and Dallas Johnson will be looking to cement their representative positions, with the likes of Hoffman and White looking to press their claims for such.
Cameron Smith is yet another player who will carry the fortunes of his club with his performance. The incumbent Dally M Medal winner for 2006, Smith enjoyed a brilliant season last year, with his dynamic runs out of dummy-half and incisive kicks into opposition territory seeing Smith being catapulted into Australia colours at seasons end. With Newcastle Champion Danny Buderus looking to regain his number 9 jersey for Australia and quality players of the ilk of Aaron Payne and Luke Priddis also aspiring for glory, Smith will have to elevate his game to yet another level to ensure both personal and team success for both himself and his club in 2007.
The much vaunted Storm backline will be looking to stifle opposition teams yet again in 2007 with its blistering speed and surprising alacrity. With suspensions ruining his season in 06, the Storms’ ‘excitement machine’ in Billy Slater will be looking to improve his discipline on the field. Don’t be surprised to see the Innisfail sensation play in spurts around dummy-half this year, with Coach Craig Bellamy recently commenting on his vested interest in turning his full-back into a far more well-rounded player, perhaps similar to North Queensland dynamo, Matty Bowen.
Another member of the exciting Storm backline who also drew attention to himself in 2006 (and by a lot, I mean a lot), is the speedy winger, Steve Turner. With the Storm winning the tug-of-war with the NRL’s latest franchise, the Gold Coast Titans, Turner will be looking to focus headlines about himself to solely be related about his performance on the field. After scoring 18 tries in 2006, Turner will need to really produce a blinder in 07 to better his performance last season.
Despite all that is said about the Storm backline, there are a couple of ‘chinks in the armour’, with this years focus on none other than the wunderkind, Greg Inglis. With veteran five-eighth Scott Hill moving to the Super League this year, coach Bellamy has stated his intention to move Inglis into the more ‘attacking’ role of five-eighth.
Following the spectacular success of moving debutant half, Cooper Cronk to half-back this year, the Storm have again opted to try something out of left-field with their five-eighth position, with the Storm hoping that Inglis can be even half as successful as Cronk was in his new position.
The Storm welcome an array of new recruits going into the 2007 season. Following the unfortunate losses of Kidwell, Hill and Webster over the off-season, players such as Russell Aitken from the Sharks will be looking to put in a good season as either a replacement for Nathan Friend as ‘utility’, or even 5/8th during State of Origin. In particular, the very highly rated Will Chambers and Israel Folau are set to make their NRL debuts this season, with both players looking to put pressure on the incumbent backs for starting positions.
With injuries to their starting forward pack likely to hamper their early season prospects, don’t be surprised to see the mostly consistent Storm get off to a ‘slow’ start by the lofty standards they set last year. That said, a Top 8 spot in 2007 again beckons.
Melbourne Storm:
Coach: Craig Bellamy
Captain: Cameron Smith (Likely)
Squad:
Russell Aitken, Paletasala Ale, Scott Anderson, James Aubusson, Matthew Bartlett, Adam Blair, Michael Crocker, Cooper Cronk, Ben Cross, Garret Crossman, Ian Donnelly, Israel Falou, Liam Foran, Matt Geyer, Ryan Hoffman, Greg Inglis, Dallas Johnson, Antonio Kaufusi, Matt King, Jeff Lima, Sika Manu, Ben Matterson, Anthony Quinn, Matt Rua, Ryan Shortland, Billy Slater, Cam Smith, Jeremy Smith, Sam Tagataese, Aiden Tolman, Steve Turner, Danny Vaughn, Brett White
Gains: Russell Aitken (Sharks), Liam Foran (North Sydney), Anthony Quinn (Knights), Matt Rua (Waitakere Rangers)
Losses: Scott Hill (London Harlequins), David Kidwell (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Jake Webster and Nathan Friend (Gold Coast Titans)
Likely team for Round 1:
1. Billy Slater
2. Matt Geyer
3. Anthony Quinn
4. Matt King
5. Steve Turner
6. Greg Inglis
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Ben Cross
9. Cameron Smith
10. Antonio Kaufusi
11. Jeremy Smith
12. Matt Rua
13. Dallas Johnson
14. Russell Aitken
15. Garrett Crossman
16. Ian Donnelly
17. Sam Tagataese
(White, Hoffman and Crocker all out due to injury)
Trial Matches:
SATURDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2007:
TITANS 6 v STORM 32
Scorers Titans: C Walker try. C Walker goal.
Scorers Storm: W Chambers 2, D Johnson, A Quinn, S Tagataese, B Slater tries. C Smith 4 goals.
BCU International Stadium, Coffs Harbour, NSW
7.30pm
David Myles (c) Titans, Dallas Johnson (c) Storm
Referee: Tony Archer
HALF TIME: Storm 12-6
FULL TIME: Storm 32-6
Crowd: Approx 12,000
[Match Report]
SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2007:
SEA EAGLES 30 v STORM 20
Scorers Sea Eagles: M Robertson 2, B Stewart, A Watmough, M Bani tries. M Orford 4, J Lyon goals.
Scorers Storm: A Kaufusi, B White, LSamoa, I Donnelly tries. L Foran, L Samoa goals.
Quad Park, Kawana Waters, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Crowd: 8,196
Referee: Tony De Las Heras
7.30pm
FULL TIME: Sea Eagles 30-20
[Match Report]
SATURDAY 3 MARCH 2007:
STORM 46 v BRONCOS 0
Scorers for Storm: Cronk 2, Hoffman, King, Geyer, Lima, Slater, Inglis tries. C Smith 6, J Smith goals.
Scorers for Broncos: nil
Princes Park, Melbourne, VIC
Kick off: 7.00pm
HALF TIME: Storm 22-0
FULL TIME: Storm 46-0
[Match Report]
Opening NRL Round 1:
Melbourne vs Wests Tigers
Fri, 16 March, 7:30PM AEDT
Olympic Park
Coach Craig Bellamy's men not only went on to claim the minor premiership by eight points but they lost a mere four games along the way. Melbourne advanced to a much-deserved spot in the season finale after finals victories over Parramatta and St George Illawarra. But they blew it in last year's grand final against Brisbane. The Storm might have won had they not thrown what had worked for them all year out the window.
The reasoning behind much of this seemingly meteoric rise to success cannot be attributed to merely one player – but with the mercurial Greg Inglis in your side, it really does just a little.
Inglis enjoyed one of the best seasons by a second-year player in the NRL history, seeing him play for both Queensland and Australia by the end of the year and being named on the wing for the International Team of the Year. Not bad for a 19 year old.
Much of the Storms’ chances in 2007 will lie, yet again, square on the young but sturdy shoulders of their forward pack. Despite flying under the radar of most teams for the majority of the season, the same mistakes will not be made by opposition clubs in 2007. Players such as Antonio Kaufusi and Dallas Johnson will be looking to cement their representative positions, with the likes of Hoffman and White looking to press their claims for such.
Cameron Smith is yet another player who will carry the fortunes of his club with his performance. The incumbent Dally M Medal winner for 2006, Smith enjoyed a brilliant season last year, with his dynamic runs out of dummy-half and incisive kicks into opposition territory seeing Smith being catapulted into Australia colours at seasons end. With Newcastle Champion Danny Buderus looking to regain his number 9 jersey for Australia and quality players of the ilk of Aaron Payne and Luke Priddis also aspiring for glory, Smith will have to elevate his game to yet another level to ensure both personal and team success for both himself and his club in 2007.
The much vaunted Storm backline will be looking to stifle opposition teams yet again in 2007 with its blistering speed and surprising alacrity. With suspensions ruining his season in 06, the Storms’ ‘excitement machine’ in Billy Slater will be looking to improve his discipline on the field. Don’t be surprised to see the Innisfail sensation play in spurts around dummy-half this year, with Coach Craig Bellamy recently commenting on his vested interest in turning his full-back into a far more well-rounded player, perhaps similar to North Queensland dynamo, Matty Bowen.
Another member of the exciting Storm backline who also drew attention to himself in 2006 (and by a lot, I mean a lot), is the speedy winger, Steve Turner. With the Storm winning the tug-of-war with the NRL’s latest franchise, the Gold Coast Titans, Turner will be looking to focus headlines about himself to solely be related about his performance on the field. After scoring 18 tries in 2006, Turner will need to really produce a blinder in 07 to better his performance last season.
Despite all that is said about the Storm backline, there are a couple of ‘chinks in the armour’, with this years focus on none other than the wunderkind, Greg Inglis. With veteran five-eighth Scott Hill moving to the Super League this year, coach Bellamy has stated his intention to move Inglis into the more ‘attacking’ role of five-eighth.
Following the spectacular success of moving debutant half, Cooper Cronk to half-back this year, the Storm have again opted to try something out of left-field with their five-eighth position, with the Storm hoping that Inglis can be even half as successful as Cronk was in his new position.
The Storm welcome an array of new recruits going into the 2007 season. Following the unfortunate losses of Kidwell, Hill and Webster over the off-season, players such as Russell Aitken from the Sharks will be looking to put in a good season as either a replacement for Nathan Friend as ‘utility’, or even 5/8th during State of Origin. In particular, the very highly rated Will Chambers and Israel Folau are set to make their NRL debuts this season, with both players looking to put pressure on the incumbent backs for starting positions.
With injuries to their starting forward pack likely to hamper their early season prospects, don’t be surprised to see the mostly consistent Storm get off to a ‘slow’ start by the lofty standards they set last year. That said, a Top 8 spot in 2007 again beckons.
Melbourne Storm:
Coach: Craig Bellamy
Captain: Cameron Smith (Likely)
Squad:
Russell Aitken, Paletasala Ale, Scott Anderson, James Aubusson, Matthew Bartlett, Adam Blair, Michael Crocker, Cooper Cronk, Ben Cross, Garret Crossman, Ian Donnelly, Israel Falou, Liam Foran, Matt Geyer, Ryan Hoffman, Greg Inglis, Dallas Johnson, Antonio Kaufusi, Matt King, Jeff Lima, Sika Manu, Ben Matterson, Anthony Quinn, Matt Rua, Ryan Shortland, Billy Slater, Cam Smith, Jeremy Smith, Sam Tagataese, Aiden Tolman, Steve Turner, Danny Vaughn, Brett White
Gains: Russell Aitken (Sharks), Liam Foran (North Sydney), Anthony Quinn (Knights), Matt Rua (Waitakere Rangers)
Losses: Scott Hill (London Harlequins), David Kidwell (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Jake Webster and Nathan Friend (Gold Coast Titans)
Likely team for Round 1:
1. Billy Slater
2. Matt Geyer
3. Anthony Quinn
4. Matt King
5. Steve Turner
6. Greg Inglis
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Ben Cross
9. Cameron Smith
10. Antonio Kaufusi
11. Jeremy Smith
12. Matt Rua
13. Dallas Johnson
14. Russell Aitken
15. Garrett Crossman
16. Ian Donnelly
17. Sam Tagataese
(White, Hoffman and Crocker all out due to injury)
Trial Matches:
SATURDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2007:
TITANS 6 v STORM 32
Scorers Titans: C Walker try. C Walker goal.
Scorers Storm: W Chambers 2, D Johnson, A Quinn, S Tagataese, B Slater tries. C Smith 4 goals.
BCU International Stadium, Coffs Harbour, NSW
7.30pm
David Myles (c) Titans, Dallas Johnson (c) Storm
Referee: Tony Archer
HALF TIME: Storm 12-6
FULL TIME: Storm 32-6
Crowd: Approx 12,000
[Match Report]
SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2007:
SEA EAGLES 30 v STORM 20
Scorers Sea Eagles: M Robertson 2, B Stewart, A Watmough, M Bani tries. M Orford 4, J Lyon goals.
Scorers Storm: A Kaufusi, B White, LSamoa, I Donnelly tries. L Foran, L Samoa goals.
Quad Park, Kawana Waters, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Crowd: 8,196
Referee: Tony De Las Heras
7.30pm
FULL TIME: Sea Eagles 30-20
[Match Report]
SATURDAY 3 MARCH 2007:
STORM 46 v BRONCOS 0
Scorers for Storm: Cronk 2, Hoffman, King, Geyer, Lima, Slater, Inglis tries. C Smith 6, J Smith goals.
Scorers for Broncos: nil
Princes Park, Melbourne, VIC
Kick off: 7.00pm
HALF TIME: Storm 22-0
FULL TIME: Storm 46-0
[Match Report]
Opening NRL Round 1:
Melbourne vs Wests Tigers
Fri, 16 March, 7:30PM AEDT
Olympic Park

