On Friday the Melbourne Storm defeated the Manly Sea Eagles in an attacking and defensive masterclass, and as they compete in their tenth consecutive finals series, we are still questioning as to how a team that has lost Smith, Cronk and Slater is still the best in the game.
Cameron Munster
At the head of the Melbourne Storm's pack is Cameron Munster. Five Eighth for Australia and QLD, Munster is currently one of the best five eighths in the NRL.
Munster played his first game in 2014 for the Melbourne Storm and since then has won a plethora of NRL honours. He won the Storm's Most Improved Player Award in 2016, Player of the Year Award in 2018 and the Dally M Five Eighth of the Year Award in both 2018 and 2019.
On the other hand, Munster has won several campaigns with both club and state. With the Storm he has won two Grand Final's and two State of Origin's.
Playing with Cronk, Slater and Smith, Munster has built his career amongst the greats and is now influencing Melbourne Storm's next generation.
Jahrome Hughes
It was the end of 2017 when the first of Melbourne's iconic trio departed. Cooper Cronk departed and joined the Sydney Roosters. His departure was touted to leave a hole in the Storm's halves.
Ryley Jacks, a young and up-incoming Storm junior was lauded as the next half back to fill the gap of Cooper Cronk. However, ready to compete with Jacks was another young-gun by the name of Brodie Croft. Both players tested their skills next to Cameron Munster, however, were to no avail.
Jahrome Hughes was trialled towards the end of the season. A young New Zealand-born fullback who had previously played at the Gold Coast Titans and the North Queensland Cowboys. From 2013-2016, Jahrome Hughes had played a total of two games.
Playing in the QLD Cup, Hughes was named in the team of the competition two years running. On the back of his run of form, in 2016, the Melbourne Storm signed Hughes. He made his debut in 2017, yet it was towards the end of the season where Hughes was selected to play at the halfback position. As part of Bellamy's plan, Hughes was moved from fullback to the halves as his kicking and passing game was shown to be wasted in his natural role.
Since his inauguration into Storm's side, Hughes has been picked for New Zealand and won a premiership in last seasons 2020 NRL competition. Hughes ended the 2021 season's try-assists count seventh and equal fourth among his half companions.
A fault of Hughes' game has been his sometimes inconsistent nature, however, with injuries to key players around him, Hughes has stepped up and shown consistency throughout the 2021 competition.
Ryan Papynhauzen
While Cooper Cronk marvelled in victory in the 2018 grand final, Billy Slater was left distraught as he would have to retire runners up.
For 15 seasons, Slater had been the pinnacle player to Storm's attack. He finished his career with a defeat to the Roosters in the grand final, however, as the Storm's leading try scorer and NRL's leading try scorer as a fullback.
Waiting in Slater's shadow was a sprite Ryan Papynhauzen, who much like Slater, boasted express pace and a destructive stepping game.
Papynhauzen started as a Wests Tigers junior. He was then released from the club in a bid to free up space to resign James Tedesco and was signed by the Melbourne Storm in 2019 as a 20-year-old.
Starting in the under 20's side, he then moved to the QLD Cup side, the Sunshine Coast Falcons. This is where Papynhauzen was picked to play in the NSW under 20's side. It was only four rounds into the season where Papynhauzen was given the green light to start at fullback.
Over the years, Papynhauzen has made the fullback position his own. In this past 2021 season, Papynhauzen was on his way to collecting the Dally M award. However due to a concussion injury suffered at the half-way mark of the season, he was halted as he was playing the best football of his career.
A game which catalysed Papynhauzen as one of NRL's most dangerous players was Melbourne's round four clash against the Broncos. In a matchup which saw Storm beat the Broncos 40-6, Papynhauzen put on a clinic as he scored four tries, all in four minutes.
Taking over from one of NRL's best ever fullbacks, Billy Slater, would've been a daunting task for a 20 year-old Ryan Papynhauzen, yet over the past three years he has made the position his own.
Brandon Smith and Harry Grant
Arguably the greatest and most significant role to fill was the retirement of Melbourne Storm legend, Cameron Smith.
On the 10th of March 2021, Smith announced his retirement. The final member of the Melbourne Storm's trio would depart, leaving the Melbourne Storm with a dilemma of who to choose at the hooker role.
On one side you have a man by the name of Brandon Smith. A flexible player who has played in the forward pack, however chose to specialise in the hooker position.
Smith played his first game in round 13 of the 2017 NRL competition. In the same year he was picked in the 20 man squad to play for New Zealand.
In 2019 he started his first game at hooker, however, would continue to play in the forward pack and off the bench for the season.
2021 has been Brandon Smith's year. With Harry Grant in and out of the team due to injury, Smith has solidified his spot as Storm's best hooker. He has scored 11 tries and made 615 tackles with a 91.4% tackle efficiency.
Compared to Brandon Smith, Harry Grant is a much more traditional NRL hooker. He has the ability to swivel through gaps with ease as well as making that decisive pass.
In 2020, Grant had a breakout season. He spent a year at the Wests Tigers on loan in a swap deal which saw Momirovski travel to the Storm. Before unfortunately suffering a knee injury, Grant starred in a struggling Tigers squad. His performance throughout the season bought Grant a ticket to the QLD Origin squad.
Grant played in a famous game three as QLD remarkably beat a strong NSW team to win the Origin series. Grant scored the match winning try, ending the season in fine style as he travelled back to the Melbourne Storm for the next season.
Unfortunately, Grant has been struck with injury throughout this current 2021 season. However, as he is now back fit and firing in the finals series, Grant will look to build on his sensational season at the Tigers and transfer those performances in a Melbourne Storm team.
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