NRL 2012- 1st Position

After the 2010 Salary Cap drama, it was always going to be interesting to see how the Melbourne Storm bounced back. They returned with a vengeance, an intent to wreak havoc on the NRL and reaffirm their position as the number 1 team in the competition...legally of course!

With a star studded line up, quality in all the key areas and depth galore, be assured that Melbourne will be there come the back end of September and with a bit of luck in the first week of October. Coach Craig Bellamy has been through all the ups and downs in what has been a roller coaster ride since he took over in 2003. Minor Premierships, Grand Final Victories, stripped Premierships and a 68% win ratio. Not bad at all. What he would like the most is to silence the doubters and take the crown in 2012, before the incoming TV rights deal takes place and some of the big name stars might just field offers from interstate.

The Key Signing- Regardless of what people think of him, Jason Ryles can play. He can hit the line hard, can offload and can be mean in defence. However, he can give away penalties, lose the ball and throw stray offloads. Craig Bellamy will be looking to impose his strict no-nonsense manner on Ryles to ensure he gets the best out of the big man.

The Key Loss- Adam Blair has been the unsung hero for the Storm in past years. Whilst the Slaters, Cronks and Smiths take the lime light, Blair has always toiled away, racked up the meters and tackles. With an unquestionable work rate, Blair's effectiveness and experience around the ruck will be sorely missed in the engine room.

Strengths- When you have the world's best players in key positions, a good squad becomes a great squad. Craig Bellamy has managed to do this every year, recruit fringe players, plug the holes and let the key men guide the team around the pitch. And as the new signings come in, the previous fringe players have a years experience under their belts, the cycle continues. You know what to expect from the Storm. Hard hitting forwards, explosive outside backs and a full back always lurking for that inside ball or a grubber into the in-goals. The execution is so precise that stopping it becomes a totally different matter

Weakness- Representative football will hit the Storm, as it usually does. When you lose your 3 best players, you struggle. When you lose Slater, Cronk and Smith then you are in trouble. Melbourne will need to rely on their fringe and emerging talents to pick up a few vital victories around Origin time as this will decide whether the Storm can clinch the Minor Premiership yet again.

The X Factor- Gareth Widdop has played as the foil for Cooper Cronk for the past couple of years. 2012 will see him develop into the five-eight he has the potential to be. Patience seems to be Widdop's game, with the ability to let the play unfold before he makes his move. It is this patience which will accelerate his game this season as he looks to make a greater impact on what is already an impressive attacking line up

One to Watch- The loss of Adam Blair means somebody will have to step up. I believe Kevin Proctor is the man to lead the Storm forward. A promising young second rower, Proctor runs straight and runs hard. With age on his side and already 3 years under his belt in and around the starting team, Proctor can really make a name for himself in 2012. He will need the likes of Jesse Bromwich, Bryan Norrie, Jason Ryles and Ryan Hoffman to help ease the workload.