Melbourne Storm Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm was founded in 1998 as part of the newly formed National Rugby League competition.

The club was the first ever professional Victorian rugby league club and spent little time stamping their mark, winning their maiden premiership in just their second year.

Storm have played in 10 grand finals during the club's 22-year history and won 4 Premierships - 1999, 2012, 2017, 2020 (2007, 2009 won but later disqualified).

The Club has built itself on the values of family, accountability, hard work, respect and passion. It is these values that drive Melbourne Storm to succeed each and every year, both on and off the field.

First and foremost we are a team that is built by our members and without them we would not have a history to begin with.

2020 Premiership

Melbourne Storm's class of 2020 could be the best team in its history, producing one of the great grand final performances to win a unique NRL premiership.

Under the guidance of coach Craig Bellamy and the direction of captain Cameron Smith, Storm snapped Penrith's 17-game winning streak with a 26-20 boilover at ANZ Stadium last night.

The win was as remarkable as Storm's resilience, determination and dedication this year after it was forced to leave Melbourne on June 24 when the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic started to gather steam.

The players were told they were leaving for two or three weeks. Four months later, they are yet to return having made the Sunshine Coast home.

Storm players will take the Provan-Summons trophy with them when they finally return to Melbourne on Wednesday.

Few could begrudge Storm the title after its efforts in 2020.

This is a team written off by many early in the year. It no longer boasts NRL legends Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk or Greg Inglis. It has no genuine halfback.

But Storm has something that cannot be measured in statistics and representative jerseys.

At 37, Smith is in the twilight of his career, but still as dominant as ever. There was a sense he would refuse to lose this grand final, his 430th and possibly last NRL match, and that is how it panned out.

Storm made the most un-Storm-like start when halfback Jahrome Hughes allowed the opening kick-off to bounce, producing an error.

It was one of the few times Storm put a foot wrong in a first-half blitz that saw it lead the young Panthers 22-0 at the break.

Storm's defence was desperate and the game was as good as over, despite the late surge by Penrith.

The youth of Penrith was no match for the big-game experience and military precision of Storm.

In his 18th season at the helm of the juggernaut he has created, Bellamy produced arguably his greatest feat. It was his third legitimate premiership from his ninth grand final

- Storm was stripped of the 2007 and 2009 titles for salarycap breaches.

Storm won its first title in 1999 and the 2012 premiership has held a special place in its heart because it was the first following the penalties.

Storm's 2017 grand final against North Queensland was a cakewalk.

But this title will always be remembered as special, given the challenges the indomitable Storm overcame.

This article by TRAVIS MEYN is from the October 26, 2020 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition.
To subscribe, visit www.heraldsun.com.au.

---

❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Melbourne Storm 

➼ www.melbournestorm.com.au

➼ www.rleague.com

➼ www.leaguehq.com.au

➼ www.facebook.com/MelbStormRLC

➼ www.ourstorm.com.au

❊ Also See... ❊

➼ National Rugby League | NRL






Update Page