Storm star set to return to NRL after shock mid-season walkout

Former Storm winger Young Tonumaipea has cut short his Mormon mission and wants to return to the NRL next season. The Samoan international shocked the Storm when he walked out on the club mid-season in 2018 to serve the Mormons in Germany. But Tonumaipea, still only 27, has decided to return to the game early and will be back in Australia in April. His manager Michael Cincotta has already had expressions of interest from around four NRL clubs - including the Storm. "He has been running every day in Germany and keeping fit," Cincotta told Wide World of Sports. "He has decided to cut back a bit of his full two-year term with the Mormon mission and is very keen to come back and re-establish himself in the NRL."

History beckons for Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith

The Melbourne skipper currently sits on 384 NRL games so if he remains uninjured, the Storm’s Round 17 game against Cronulla at AAMI Park will be cause for celebration. Smith’s old Storm teammate Cooper Cronk will become just the fourth player to reach 350 games when he plays his first game of the 2019 season — Smith, Darren Lockyer (355) and Terry Lamb (350) are the others. The milestone also isn’t out of reach for Cronulla veteran Paul Gallen who needs 24 games for 350 games. Incredibly, when Gallen turns 38 in August he will become only the sixth player of all time to play a top grade game at 38 or older, and the first since the late 1960s. Gallen is only two games behind Andrew Ettingshausen (328 games) as the Sharks’ most-capped player.

How do Melbourne Storm replace the irreplaceable?

Billy Slater now hanging up the boots, leaving Cameron Smith as the last of the 'Big Three' still at Melbourne but with some young guns on the up, do the Storm have what it takes to replace the irreplaceable? For those of us born anything much after 1950 who did not get to witness Clive Churchill live, the mercurial Slater is the best fullback we've ever witnessed – certainly over a long career. Despite turning 35 in the middle of 2018 he was near his best most of the season again, with the club falling one hurdle short of another premiership when downed by Cronk's Roosters in the decider. The logical answer for Bellamy is to leave the halves pairing of Brodie Croft and Cameron Munster intact and give Jahrome Hughes first crack at fullback, with Scott Drinkwater the back-up and Hughes able to provide cover in the halves if needed. Munster had his best season in 2018 (the grand final notwithstanding) and there will be plenty of pressure on he and Smith to do plenty of ball-playing as Croft continues his development but all four will likely need to be at their best to cover the massive gulf Slater leaves behind.

Race to fill gaping hole in Melbourne’s line-up

Melbourne head into the 2019 season with a relatively stable roster, but someone’s got huge shoes to fill. Of the 17 players that ran out in last year’s grand final, the Storm will be missing Billy Slater (retired) and Tim Glasby (Newcastle). The club has plenty of talent to fill Glasby’s spot, but it’s who fills Slater’s No.1 jumper that will draw the most attention. Jahrome Hughes, 24, has a golden opportunity to make the role his own after featuring there in five games
last season — he played another six at halfback. Cameron Munster says he’s open to moving back to fullback, but it remains to be seen if coach Craig Bellamy would do that given it could leave two relatively inexperienced playmakers to run the show. As for the forwards, Sam Kasiano will be desperate to make his mark after an injury-plagued 2018 and could be the man to replace Glasby in the 17. But the former Kiwi international will have the likes of Albert Vete, Patrick Kaufusi and Tui Kamikamica breathing down his neck. Regardless of the changes, the Storm should be a title contender once again if their new fullback fires, but any side with the newly re-signed and evergreen, Cameron Smith, will be a threat.

Melbourne Storm’s best 17 for 2019 NRL season

Melbourne head into the 2019 season with a relatively stable roster, but someone’s got huge shoes to fill. Of the 17 players that ran out in last year’s grand final, the Storm will be missing Billy Slater (retired) and Tim Glasby (Newcastle).The club has plenty of talent to fill Glasby’s spot, but it’s who fills Slater’s No.1 jumper that will draw the most attention.
1.Jahrome Hughes, 2.Suliasi Vunivalu, 3.Will Chambers, 4.Curtis Scott, 5.Josh Addo-Carr, 6.Cameron Munster, 7.Brodie Croft, 8.Jesse Bromwich, 9.Cameron Smith, 10.Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 11.Felise Kaufusi, 12.Joe Stimson, 13.Dale Finucane, 14.Brandon Smith, 15.Kenny Bromwich, 16.Christian Welch, 17. Sam Kasiano.

Melbourne Storm re-sign Sandor

Melbourne have re-signed winger Sandor Earl to a two-year contract extension, and announced the deal on social media on Wednesday. Earl joined the Storm in 2018, after he was handed a four-year drug ban from ASADA.
He missed the entire 2018 season after suffering a pre-season ACL injury, with his last NRL game coming for Canberra, in Round 24, 2013. Earl was set to make his NRL comeback with the Storm in 2018 after coach Craig Bellamy handed the winger a career lifeline upon completing his four-year drug ban.

Smith soldiers on to 2020 and possibly beyond

Melbourne captain Cameron Smith has squashed suggestions his contract renewal was delayed by an ultimatum, revealing he asked the club to secure young star Cameron Munster as priority. The 35-year-old fronted media on Thursday after signing a two-year extension with the Storm, ending months of uncertainty around his playing future. Denying an impasse
over requesting a two-year-deal rather than an expected 12-month contract, Smith said he would have been happy to sign for one more year rather than retire if the club was reluctant about his longevity. My thought process was to ask the question. If it was a deadset no from the club, then that was the answer and I would have been happy to go ahead with the 12 months and then reassess during this season for 2020,” he said, explaining the delay was tied to bigger priority signings within the club.

Cameron Smith signs two-year deal with Melbourne Storm

Cameron Smith is set to become the first NRL player to reach 400 games after signing a two-year extension with Melbourne Storm on Wednesday. The former Test and Origin captain is just 16 games short of the magical milestone that seemed unattainable not that long ago. But Smith, who turns 36 in June, has been drinking from the fountain of
youth his entire career, suffering few injuries. Re-signing with the Storm, where he is also club captain, means he's about to enter his 18th season of first grade - all played in the now famous purple jersey. His commanding presence will be strongly welcomed by Storm fans as they have farewelled three other 300-gamers in the past two seasons in Cooper Cronk (Roosters), Ryan Hoffman and Billy Slater (both retired).

Melbourne captain Cameron Smith has returned to training

Cameron Smith has officially returned to training with the Melbourne Storm, marking the end to a stalemate with the club over his playing future. Although his re-signing is yet to be announced by the club, the 35-year-old skipper has been training with the team since last week when he returned from an extended break with his family. Storm
officials have consistently maintained an agreement would be reached with their captain, and it’s expected to be announced this week.Smith, who will turn 36 in June, is now in line to become rugby league’s first 400-game player — a feat that is unlikely to be repeated. Heading into his 18th season, Smith is the highest-capped rugby league player of all time with 384 NRL games across 17 years of first grade with Melbourne. 

Melbourne Storm: 2019 Round 1 predicted team

Melbourne Storm: 2019 Round 1 predicted team: Hughes, Josh Addo-Carr, Will Chambers, Curtis Scott, Suli Vunivalu, Cameron Munster, Brodie Croft, Jesse Bromwich,
Cameron Smith, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Felise Kaufusi, Joe Stimson, Dale Finucane, Brandon Smith, Kenny Bromwich, Albert Vete, Christian Welch

Is 2019 the year the Storm come back to the pack?

It seems like every pre-season in the past four or five seasons that fans, such as myself, jump to the conclusion that THIS is the year where the Melbourne Storm come back to the pack. No, we’re not expecting the Storm to run last, or even come close to missing the eight, but surely 2019 is the year that the mighty Melbourne Storm are no longer top four certainties? Ok so last season I predicted that the Storm would come second. Not exactly a fall, but the season prior (the season they literally won the premiership) I think I had them sneaking into the eight. The season prior (Grand final loss to the Sharks) I had them finishing ninth. I was not the only one.The Storm managed to overcome the loss of one of the top two halfbacks of this generation to make a Grand Final. It’s no coincidence that Cooper Cronk (that very halfback) was the man who lead his new side, the Roosters, to victory over the Storm.

Cameron Smith contract drama finally put to bed

Melbourne say there's no question that Cameron Smith will be playing for the Storm next year's NRL. Smith is on an extended family holiday, spending Christmas overseas, which leaves just a few days before his scheduled return to training at the club on January 3. But Storm football manager Frank Ponissi
said the parties would get the deal done. "We know a contract will be done," Ponissi told AAP. "It's still ongoing but everything's really positive and it's not a matter of whether or not he will play next year; he will be playing. "This is the biggest break Cameron's ever had. When he comes back he will have had three months off which will revitalise him."

Cam has re-signed until the end of 2023

Melbourne Storm have announced the re-signing of representative five-eighth Cameron Munster until the end of the 2023 season. Munster extending his stay at the Storm for another five years is a massive coup for the club. The 24-year-old Queenslander has agreed to terms with club officials, putting an end to the prospect of the Australian five-eighth
being on the market for other clubs to swoop. Munster was off contract in 2019 and was in the sights of several NRL rival teams. The talented playmaker's re-signing will help the Storm as they make the transition into the post-Billy Slater era, a year after Cooper Cronk switched to the Roosters. Now the Storm faithful will be waiting on skipper Cameron Smith to complete the good news for 2019 and announce that he will be staying for at least another season. Club officials are hopeful of sealing that deal soon.

Cameron Smith eyes two-year deal as Melbourne Storm stand-off continues

Melbourne Storm legend Cameron Smith is reportedly putting retirement plans on the backburner in seeking a two-year contract extension from the club.In a bizarre situation, the competition's games record holder is not currently contracted for 2019 as negotiations with Melbourne have reportedly stalled.Reports emerged on Wednesday that the two-time
Dally M winner was eyeing off a deal running until the end of 2020, a year longer than the Storm had been planning for.Were he to get the new deal and stay fit, it would see Smith, currently on 384 games, smash past the 400 mark.The question however remains whether Smith and the club will reach an agreement.Young Kiwi hooker Brandon Smith has shown plenty of promise, but at 22 will want to start seeing more game time.Melbourne may risk losing him if the captain does hang around for another two seasons.

Melbourne Storm urged by club great to re-sign Cameron Smith

Negotiations between the two parties have hit a standstill as Smith’s representatives try to bolster the 35-year-old’s one-year deal with third party arrangements, which Melbourne are resisting.Smith is keen to play an 18th season and become the first player to play 400 games in the league.Kimmorley told Fox Sports the Storm should agree to a deal with Smith as soon as possible or face the ramifications of losing the captain and Billy Slater for the
2019 season.“He’s been the best player that club’s ever had and probably the best our game’s ever seen and a big reason for their long-term success,” Kimmorley said. “I don’t expect the club to break the bank but I wouldn’t have thought Cameron would have been going above and beyond either.“With the service he’s given them and the value of what he gives the club — they need him more than ever without Billy [Slater].“I would have thought they’d do as much as they could and do it as quickly as they could to get the deal done.”

Melbourne Storm NRL 2019 Draw

Teams they play twice: Broncos, Raiders, Bulldogs, Cowboys, Roosters, Warriors, Sharks, Titans, Sea Eagles.

Teams they play once: Panthers, Eels, Wests Tigers, Knights, Dragons, Rabbitohs.

Day-by-day breakdown: Thursday - Four, Friday - Seven, Saturday - Eight, Sunday – Five.

Five-day turnarounds: 2 (Rd 5, Rd 10).

Kick-off: After falling one win shy of back-to-back premierships, the Storm open 2019 with a home showdown against Brisbane before trips to Canberra and Bathurst to face Penrith before returning to Victoria in round four where they’ll host Canterbury.

Melbourne Storm tie up five young guns as future team takes shape

Melbourne Storm have re-signed two of their best young players on long-term deals as they plan for a future without Billy Slater and potentially skipper Cameron Smith.The Storm today announced new deals for five emerging players, with New Zealand international Nelson Asofa-Solomona and the club's likely Slater replacement, Jahrome Hughes, among them After debuting for Melbourne in 2015, Asofa-Solomona has established himself as one of the brightest young forwards in the competition, with the Storm staving off interest from multiple rival clubs to keep the wrecking ball until 2023.

Hughes has also made a promising start to his first grade career, playing his best football as a fullback fill-in for Slater, while also showing his versatility in a stint at halfback this season. The 23-year-old is likely to get first crack at filling the massive shoes of Slater next season, with the Storm keen to show faith in a young star they have brought through from the juniors. Hughes will remain with the Storm until 2021, while youngsters Scott Drinkwater, Justin Olam and Kayleb Milne have all been retained until 2020.

Melbourne Storm confident that Cameron Smith will play in 2019

Melbourne have hosed down fears Cameron Smith is set to dramatically bring down the curtain on his illustrious NRL career over a contract stalemate. Both Smith and the Storm have stated they want him to play on, however it's rumoured that the two parties are at loggerheads over money. It seems unimaginable that Sunday's grand final loss to the Sydney Roosters may have been the last game of the Storm skipper's career which has spanned a record 384 NRL games,
42 Origins and 56 Tests. And Storm CEO Dave Donaghy played down the chances of Smith being forced into retirement without a fitting send-off. "That's been my understanding (that Smith wants to play on) the whole way through," Donaghy said. "I think when it comes to things like this, that they're better off done behind closed doors to our timeline rather than others. "I'm really comfortable with where it's at and I'm really confident that we'll see Cameron run around again next year."

Melbourne Storm chief shuts down extraordinary claims Cameron Smith

Melbourne have hosed down fears Cameron Smith is set to dramatically bring down the curtain on his illustrious NRL career over a contract stalemate. Both Smith and the Storm have stated they want him to play on, however it's rumoured that the two parties are at loggerheads over money. It seems unimaginable that Sunday's grand final loss to the Sydney Roosters may have been the last game of the Storm skipper's career which has spanned a record 384 NRL games, 42 Origins and 56 Tests.

And Storm CEO Dave Donaghy played down the chances of Smith being forced into retirement without a fitting send-off. "That's been my understanding (that Smith wants to play on) the whole way through," Donaghy said. "I think when it comes to things like this, that they're better off done behind closed doors to our timeline rather than others. "I'm really comfortable with where it's at and I'm really confident that we'll see Cameron run around again next year." The Storm will resume pre-season training in mid-November though Smith isn't due back until the new year, giving him plenty of time to sort out his future.