Melbourne Storm Season 2012
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The 2012 Melbourne Storm season was the club's 15th
NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
season. Coached by Craig Bellamy and captained by Cameron Smith, they competed in and won the NRL's 2012 Telstra Premiership. The first 9 weeks of the season were very successful, with the club winning all games for what was at the time their best start to a season. From Round 10 to Round 21 they won only 3 games and lost 7, including a 5-game losing streak between Rounds 16 and 21, their second worst ever. From Round 22 onward they recovered their winning form and finished the regular season with five straight wins, finishing in second place. The Storm then went on to defeat South Sydney and Manly in the finals series before going on to face minor premiers, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the
2012 NRL Grand Final The 2012 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2012 NRL season. Played on Sunday, 30 September at Sydney's ANZ Stadium between the minor premiers Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the second-placed Melbourne Sto ...
, winning 14-4 to claim the Premiership.


Season summary

* Round 3 - Billy Slater scored two tries against the Gold Coast Titans to take his career total to 130, becoming the highest try scoring fullback in Australian Rugby League history. * Round 4 - Billy Slater scored a try double for the fourth consecutive week, a career first. * Round 5 (Heritage Round) - The Storm celebrated their 15th Anniversary and Bryan Norrie played his 50th game. * Round 7 - The Storm equalled their best start to a season (2007) with their 7th straight win. * Round 8 - The Storm recorded an eighth straight win over the
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
, completing the best start to a season in the club's history. * Round 9 - The Storm won their ninth straight game. * Round 10 - The Storm conceded their first match of the season in an away game, losing 12-10 to the Cronulla Sharks. * Round 12 - Will Chambers played his 50th NRL game while Todd Lowrie played his 50th game for the Storm, * Round 13 - Todd Lowrie played his 150th NRL game. * Round 14 - Craig Bellamy coached his 250th game for the Melbourne Storm against the Wests Tigers.
Ryan Hoffman Ryan Hoffman (born 26 January 1984) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for Melbourne Storm and the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League, and the Wigan Warriors ...
was acting captain, with Cameron Smith on Origin duty. * Round 19 - Cooper Cronk played his 200th NRL game. * Round 20 - With their fourth consecutive loss, the Storm equalled their second worst losing streak in the club's history to date. * Round 21 - With their fifth consecutive loss, the Storm recorded a new second-worst losing streak. It was the Storm's longest losing streak during Craig Bellamy's ten-year tenure. * Round 22 - The Storm ended their losing streak with a 46-6 defeat of the Penrith Panthers. The game was notable for
Sisa Waqa Sisa Waqa (born 29 April 1986) is a Fijian professional rugby footballer who last played for FC Grenoble in French Rugby Union. A Fiji international representative, Waqa primarily plays on the . Waqa previously played for the Sydney Roosters i ...
scoring the NRL season's fastest try after only 35 seconds of play. It was also the Storm's biggest score of the season. * Round 23 -
Mahe Fonua Mahe Fonua (born 24 December 1992) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a or er for Doncaster RLFC in the RFL League 1. He has previously played for the Melbourne Storm and the Wests Tigers in the NRL and Hull FC in ...
made his debut as the first fully born and bred Victorian to play NRL for the Storm. Jessie Bromwich also played his 50th game for the Storm. * Round 24 - Cameron Smith scored his 1300th career point. * Round 25 - The Storm recorded a 20-18 win against the Cronulla Sharks with two tries inside the final three minutes of play, after trailing 18-10. The result meant that the Storm's overall wins percentage increased to 63.64%, elevating the Storm to first place on the 'all-time' score table for the first time, ahead of the Brisbane Broncos. * Finals Week 1 - The Storm began their finals campaign with a win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, earning them a week's break and a home preliminary final. * Finals Week 3 - The Storm completed a 40 - 12 defeat of Manly to secure a spot in the
2012 NRL Grand Final The 2012 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2012 NRL season. Played on Sunday, 30 September at Sydney's ANZ Stadium between the minor premiers Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the second-placed Melbourne Sto ...
against the
Canterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
. * Grand Final - The Storm defeated the
Canterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
14 - 4 to claim the 2012 NRL premiership. Cameron Smith, while having a bad night with the boot (1 from 5 attempts), kicked his 600th career goal. The Grand Final was also notable because it was the first to feature a scoreless second half of football.


Milestone games


Jersey

In 2012 the Storm jerseys were made by Kooga. Both the predominantly purple 'home' jersey, and the predominantly white 'away' jersey for 2012 were first instituted by the club in 2010.


Special jerseys

*Round 5 (NRL Heritage round): replica of the original 1998 jersey. *Round 12 (vs the Brisbane Broncos): a special silver V with purple camouflage jersey.http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/the-lowdown-strom-v-broncos/story-e6frfgbo-1226367104426 A similar jersey was worn in the same game in 2011. *Round 19 (vs the North Queensland Cowboys): a one-off promotional jersey was worn to promote '' The Dark Knight Rises''. The jersey was predominantly black with the Batman logo on the front and back. *Round 22 (vs the Penrith Panthers): the "Close the Gap" jersey. "
Close the Gap Close the Gap (CTG) is a social justice campaign focused on Indigenous Australians' health, in which peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health bodies, NGOs and human rights organisations work together to achieve heal ...
" is an Oxfam initiative to influence Australian government healthcare and Indigenous policies with an aim to achieve health equality for Indigenous Australians by 2030. The NRL began supporting this campaign with a "Close the Gap Round" in 2010.


Statistics

Statistics source: Statistics current following the Grand Final. Most points in a game: 14 * Cameron Smith with 1 try and 5 goals vs Manly in Round 15 (18 June 2012). * Cameron Smith with 7 goals vs Penrith in Round 22 (4 August 2012). Most tries in a game: 3 * Will Chambers vs New Zealand in Round 8 (25 April 2012). * Justin O'Neill vs Penrith in Round 9 (5 May 2012).


Fixtures


Pre season


Regular season


Finals


Ladder


2012 Coaching Staff


NRL

* Head Coach: Craig Bellamy * Assistant Coaches:
David Kidwell David Kidwell (born 23 April 1977) is a professional rugby football, rugby coach (sport), coach who is the defence coach at Los Pumas, the national rugby union team of Argentina, and a former rugby league player. As a player, he represented New ...
& Kevin Walters * Development Coach:
Adam O'Brien Adam O'Brien (born 11 July 1993) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Huddersfield Giants in the Betfred Super League. He has previously played for the Bradford Bulls in the Super League and the Kingstone ...
* Specialist Coach:
Robbie Kearns Robbie Kearns (born 12 December 1971) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, and 2000s. An Australia international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played for the Cro ...
* Tackling Coach: John Donohue * Performance Coach: Mick Martin * Strength and Conditioning Coach: Alex Corvo * Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coaches: Adrian Jiminez & Dan Di Pasqua * Head Physiotherapist: Kieran Morgan * Assistant Physiotherapist: Andrew Nawrocki * Head Trainer: Craig Sultana * General Manager Football Operations: Frank Ponissi * Recruitment Manager: Paul Bunn


NRL Under 20s

* Head Coach: Dean Pay * Assistant Coach: Troy Thompson * Development Coaches: Tony Adam & Chad Buckby * High Performance Manager: Chris Jones * Physiotherapist: Aaron Howlett * Strength and Conditioning Coach: Adrian Jiminez


2012 Squad


2012 Premiership Team


2012 player movement

2012 squad signings 2012 squad transfers


Representative honours

The following players have played a representative match in 2012. (C) = Captain


Awards


Trophy Cabinet

* 2012 Provan-Summons Trophy


Melbourne Storm Awards Night

Held at Melbourne Convention Centre on Friday 5 October 2012. * Melbourne Storm Player of the Year: Cameron Smith * Melbourne Storm Rookie of the Year:
Mahe Fonua Mahe Fonua (born 24 December 1992) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a or er for Doncaster RLFC in the RFL League 1. He has previously played for the Melbourne Storm and the Wests Tigers in the NRL and Hull FC in ...
* Melbourne Storm Members' Player of Year:
Cooper Cronk Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An n international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played most of his club career for ...
* Most Improved:
Sisa Waqa Sisa Waqa (born 29 April 1986) is a Fijian professional rugby footballer who last played for FC Grenoble in French Rugby Union. A Fiji international representative, Waqa primarily plays on the . Waqa previously played for the Sydney Roosters i ...
* Best Forward:
Ryan Hoffman Ryan Hoffman (born 26 January 1984) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for Melbourne Storm and the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League, and the Wigan Warriors ...
* Best Back:
Cooper Cronk Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An n international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played most of his club career for ...
* Best Try:
Gareth Widdop Gareth Widdop (born 12 March 1989) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Castleford Tigers in the Betfred Super League, and England and Great Britain at international level. Widdop previously played the ...
vs Gold Coast Titans (Round 23) * Feeder Club Player of the Year: * Darren Bell U20s Player of the Year:
Young Tonumaipea Yee-Huang "Young" Tonumaipea (born 6 September 1992) is a Samoan professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Melbourne Storm. His regular playing positions are Wing, Centre and Fullback. Tonumaipea previously played rugby union for ...
* U20s Best Back:
Kirisome Auva'a Kirisome Auva'a (born 23 February 1992), also known by the nickname of "Somi", is a Samoan professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and er for the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup. A Samoa international representative, he won the ...
* U20s Best Forward: Karl Davies *
Greg Brentnall Greg Brentnall (born 5 December 1956 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales representative and , he played for Canterb ...
Young Achievers Award:
Young Tonumaipea Yee-Huang "Young" Tonumaipea (born 6 September 1992) is a Samoan professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Melbourne Storm. His regular playing positions are Wing, Centre and Fullback. Tonumaipea previously played rugby union for ...
* Mick Moore Club Person of the Year: Frank Ponissi * Life Member Inductee:
Cooper Cronk Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An n international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played most of his club career for ...
& Alex Corvo


Dally M Awards Night

On 4 August 2012, the 2012
Dally M The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League competition. As well as honouring the player of the year, who received the Dally M Medal, awards are also given to the premier player in each position, the b ...
Awards were held. * Dally M Halfback of the Year:
Cooper Cronk Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An n international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played most of his club career for ...
* Dally M Hooker of the Year: Cameron Smith


RLIF Awards Night

On 17 October 2012 the RLIF held their annual award ceremonyhttp://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/cameron-smith-international-player-of-the-year/story-e6frfgbo-1226497959173 and presented a number of awards to Melbourne Storm personnel including naming Cameron Smith the 'International Rugby League Player of the Year'. * RLIF International Player of the Year: Cameron Smith * RLIF International Coach of the Year: Craig Bellamy * RLIF Halfback of the Year:
Cooper Cronk Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An n international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played most of his club career for ...
* RLIF Hooker of the Year: Cameron Smith * RLIF Fijian Player of the Year:
Sisa Waqa Sisa Waqa (born 29 April 1986) is a Fijian professional rugby footballer who last played for FC Grenoble in French Rugby Union. A Fiji international representative, Waqa primarily plays on the . Waqa previously played for the Sydney Roosters i ...


Additional Awards

* Clive Churchill Medal:
Cooper Cronk Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An n international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played most of his club career for ...
*Sprit of ANZAC Medal:
Kevin Proctor Kevin Proctor (born 28 February 1989) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for Wakefield Trinity in the Super League, and the New Zealand Māori and New Zealand at international level. Proctor was a me ...


Notes


References

{{Melbourne Storm Melbourne Storm seasons Melbourne Storm season