The Melbourne Storm navigated a pre-season marked by squad changes and trial losses before commencing the NRL season with a 52-4 victory over the Parramatta Eels. The season opener saw the debut of multiple new players, including three rookies, amid significant player absences due to retirement, injury, and suspension. This commanding win extended coach Craig Bellamy's 23-year unbeaten record in Round 1 matches.
Pre-Season Activities and Early Challenges
The Melbourne Storm began its pre-season campaign by naming a 26-player squad for a challenge game against the Canberra Raiders. The match, held at Seiffert Oval in Queanbeyan, was coached by Mark Russell with Head Coach Craig Bellamy in attendance.
The squad featured a mix of emerging talent from the club's pathway system and several senior players. Key players included Hugo Peel at fullback, Luke Cesari and Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown on the wings, and Marion Seve and Moses Leo in the centres. Eli Morris and Jordan Hamlin combined in the halves. New signings Davvy Moale and Jack Hetherington were part of the forward pack alongside Gabriel Satrick, Ativalu Lisati, Cooper Clarke, and Trent Loiero.
The team's trial form included a 32-6 loss to Canberra and a 42-12 defeat by the Gold Coast Titans. Following these results, Coach Bellamy emphasized the need for improvement in the team's defense.
Round 1 Squad Announcement and Player Turnover
Ahead of their season-opening match against the Parramatta Eels at AAMI Park, Coach Craig Bellamy announced the squad, noting a significant turnover of players. Key absences for Round 1 included Ryan Papenhuyzen (retired), Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Troy Pezet, and Xavier Coates (injured). Additionally, Jack Hetherington, Shawn Blore, and Trent Loiero were unavailable due to suspensions. Bellamy highlighted the club's increased reliance on developing younger players from its junior ranks.
The confirmed starting lineup for Round 1 was:
- Fullback: Sualauvi Fa’alogo
- Wingers: Will Warbrick, Nick Meaney
- Centres: Jack Howarth, Moses Leo
- Halves: Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes (vice-captains)
- Hooker: Harry Grant (captain)
- Front-row: Stefano Utoikamanu, Josh King
- Edges: Joe Chan, Ativalu Lisati
- Lock: Alec MacDonald
The bench included three players making their NRL and Storm debuts: Davvy Moale (a new signing from South Sydney), Cooper Clarke, and Preston Conn. Clarke, a front-rower, was a recipient of the Storm U19 Player of the Year and Greg Brentnall SG Ball Player of the Year awards. Conn, a second-rower, was the NSWRL Jersey Flegg Cup Player of the Year and captained the Storm's Jersey Flegg premiership-winning team. Moses Leo also played his third career NRL match, starting in the centres. Lazarus Vaalepu, Angus Hinchey, and Trent Toelau were listed as extended reserves.
Season Opener Outcome
The Melbourne Storm secured a 52-4 victory over the Parramatta Eels in their NRL season-opening match.
This result extended Coach Craig Bellamy's unbeaten Round 1 record to 23 consecutive years, following his coaching tenure extension until at least the 2028 season.
The Storm scored nine tries in the match. Parramatta opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a try from Sean Russell. Eels player J’maine Hopgood was sin-binned early in the match, and Storm lock Alec MacDonald left the game due to a head injury. Melbourne led 18-4 at halftime.
In the second half, the Storm added six more tries. Jahrome Hughes, returning from off-season shoulder surgery, provided three try assists. Captain Harry Grant scored two tries from dummy half but left the field in the second half with a cramp. Fullback Sualauvi Fa’alogo, who had been named as the replacement for the retired Ryan Papenhuyzen, also scored two tries. Prop Stefano Utoikamanu recorded over 200 run metres. The 52-4 scoreline marked the largest loss in Eels coach Jason Ryles’s career.