The positives Melbourne can take into 2027 after missing finals

The Melbourne Storm making finals during Craig Bellamy’s tenure as coach has been as reliable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

But 2026 proved to be an exception to this long-running trend, with the Victorian-based club finishing below the top eight for the first time since 2010 and only the second time in his 24 seasons in charge.

Having had more time than usual to reflect on what went wrong, the Storm’s Director of Football Frank Ponissi felt their slow start, alongside the absence of key players Eli Katoa and Xavier Coates for the entire season and the medical retirement of Tui Kamikamica, had an effect.

But he acknowledged the club has already taken steps through recruitment to avoid a repeat in Bellamy’s final season in charge next year.

“I think there was no doubt, we didn't adjust to the way the game was played early on there,” Ponissi said on SEN’s Arvos with Adam Peacock.

“There were real interpretations that changed, and we struggled to come with it.

“Yes, we had a lot of injuries, but the game was being played a little bit differently, and we didn't adjust.

“We had to look at ourselves and say, ‘How prepared for that start and the changes and everything else?’

“So, we have to look at our depth in terms of our squads and our recruitment.

“We've looked at, for example, the outside backs as an area that we've bolstered really well with the acquisition of Jamayne Isaako, Adam Pompey from the Warriors and Bronson Xerri from the Bulldogs, three experienced and quality players to help our outside backs.”

The NSW Blues Performance Manager also believed there were plenty of positives to take going into 2027, with multiple players finally getting their chance at an NRL level.

“I thought we definitely started the season in the first half of the competition not well, but we thought our back end of the season, there were a lot of positives to come out of that,” he continued.

“I think that's a positive. Another highlight for us was the number of debutantes, young players that, given our circumstances, were given debuts, and none greater than Cooper Clarke, who got our Rookie of the Year and was very unlucky not to win the NRL Rookie of the Year, I might add.

“But other players like Angus Hinchey and young Hayden Watson towards the back end, Siulagi (Tuimalatu-Brown), just a number of players. I think we had nine debutantes in one season, which is quite extraordinary.

“Probably more than you hoped for at the beginning, but from the experience they gained from playing NRL last (season), you could already see that a lot of those young players came back a lot more confident and determined to go even better next year.”

The Storm begin next season in Las Vegas when they play the Wests Tigers at Allegiant Stadium on February 27 (local time).