2015 in review - Melbourne Storm

A Preliminary Finals appearance and a 4th place finish on the ladder is widely seen as a successful season, however for the success driven Melbourne Storm 2015 is seen as a missed opportunity.

A brilliant defensive performance against the more fancied Sydney Roosters in week 1 of the finals had Storm fans dreaming of Premiership glory, however they ran into a rampant Cowboys outfit a fortnight later, who laid out every team before them on their way to a maiden title.

Ultimately it was a disappointing end to another very good season, nonetheless the Storm had plenty of highs in 2015 and again entertained fans all over with their dynamic play and stringent defence.

The Turning Point
After a 24-2 defeat to the Roosters in Round 12, the knives were out for sharpening taking particular aim at the Storm's stuttering attack and lapses in concentration with their defence. This loss was the wake up call they needed as they proceeded to tally up 14 wins for the season and finish in 4th place, ensuring a home Preliminary final.

The Good
Wins against North Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney Roosters, Cronulla and Souths were all positive notes for the Storm and these wins were characterized by strong and hard hitting defense as well as some slick backline moves, all personified by great play from club stalwarts Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith.

The Bad
The prelim defeat to the Cowboys was bitterly disappointing for the Storm. A match that they were favourites to win and in front of a sold out home crowd left them with a sour taste in their mouth. A Grand final appreance had seemed likely beforehand, but some poor defensive play from the Storm gifted the Cowboys the victory and saw them go away empty handed.

The loss of Billy Slater for the year to a shoulder injury was also a bad point in the year for Melbourne. Slater who is a game changer in any form of the game was sorely missed by the Storm even despite some stunning displays by youngster Cameron Munster at the Back. No doubt the Storm are looking forward to a fully fit Slater in 2016.

Best Players
As discussed earlier Cameron Munster who filled in for Billy Slater at Fullback had an outstanding year for the Storm. His speed off the mark and his ability to break free of would be defenders set him apart as a promising fullback in the years to come. As the season progressed his support play improved and the Storm got a glimpse into what life will be like without Billy Slater in a few years time. Munster finished 2015 with 7 tries, 10 line breaks and 4 try assists from just 17 games. He also averaged a very efficient 167 metres a game.

Add to this, the consistent play of superstars Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith. Without Slater for a large portion of the season these two stood up and took many a game by the scruff of the neck and also led the younger players around the park as well. The leadership particularly of Smith is impressive to see and you could see the belief and commitment that his fellow team mates showed him because of this. Both players combined for 29 try assists and were the focal point of the Storm's consistent attack throughout the season.

Disappointing Players
Ryan Hinchcliffe failed to score a try in 26 games and lacked any real starch or creativity off the bench. A few years ago Hinchcliffe was seen as a potential replacement for Cameron Smith, however he has fallen down the pecking order ultimately seeing him sign a contract with the Huddersfield Giants in the ESL. His play in 2015 was very lacklustre at times, and despite averaging 30 tackles a game there were 11 games in 2015 where he failed to make more than 50 metres.

Ben Hampton was another disappointing player in 2015. Seen as the inside man to partner Cooper Cronk in the halves, he was pushed out by veteran journeyman Blake Green who partnered Cronk for a large majority of the year. Hampton's few opportunities in 2015 showed why he was beaten to the punch by Green as his kicking game and passing was off the mark.

Rookies
There wasn't a whole lot of rookies to represent for the Storm this year, with any new faces mainly coming off the bench. As discussed earlier, the standout was Cameron Munster who played at Fullback for a large part of the season and played extremely well, although he has been in the background for several seasons. Add to this the good forward play of Christian Welch, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Felise Kaufusi off the bench and the Storm forwards look to be in safe hands moving forward as all of these young players showed a combination of size, speed and strength - particularly Solomona, who looks to be a handful to tackle!

2016 Chances
With the "Big 3" set to return (and hopefully injury free) next season, the Storm are always going to be a force to be reckoned with. They have retained the majority of their playing squad from 2015 with only Ryan Hinchcliffe and Kurt Mann the major departures. They have also added some starch to their forward pack by picking up Mark Nicholls from Canberra and Matt White from the Titans, Centre Cheyse Blair also signs coming down from the Manly-Warringah side.

With the building blocks in place the Storm should again be aiming for a top 4 finish. They have the talent there and even despite the aging of Cronk, Smith and Slater, I fancy the Storm will be up there again in 2016.

Best line-up for 2016

1. Billy Slater
2. Cheyse Blair
3. Cameron Munster
4. Will Chambers
5. Marika Korobiete
6. Blake Green
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Jesse Bromwich
9. Cameron Smith (c)
10. Tim Glasby
11. Kevin Proctor
12. Tohu Harris
13. Dale Finucane

14. Nelson Asofa-Solomona
15. Kenny Bromwich
16. Jorfan McLean
17. Felise Kaufusi

Ins: Cheyse Blair (Sea Eagles), Mark Nicholls (Raiders), Matt White (Titans)

Outs: Matt Duffie (Rugby Union), Mahe Fonua (ESL - Hull FC), Ryan Hinchcliffe (ESL - Huddersfield), Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (Retired), Kurt Mann (Dragons), Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad (Warriors), Dayne Weston (KPC, UK - Leigh)