Preliminary Final vs Panthers @ Accor Stadium

[riders of the storm]

Pretty bad way to end the year but about halfway through the season I thought the Storm were little chance of making the top four let alone the prelim.

I think the club badly needs to invest in a strike centre and another prop. The pack simply isn’t good enough - they’re hard working but they lack impact to bend the line and create opportunities.

That being said I feel next year we might see more of Chan, Howarth and MacDonald. Potentially one of them might get a start at some point.

I also feel Sims might have a bit more to offer.

[Shuttlesworth99]

Sitting here late at night, I’m really not sure that there has been all that much good to take out of a season which is strange.

[sallymay]

Weren’t meant to make finals …we did
Weren’t meant to finish top 8 ..we did
Wernt meant to finish top 4…,we did
Lost a million games experience in front rowers expected the kids to just be magically be good every week ..next year they have more experience
Lost some strange game to strange teams
Won some massive game at massive times

Unearthed some new talent at the back end of the year

Under 14s did well
Under 15s did amazing
Started our under 17 and 19 girls
Won the nsw school boys cup over ALL NSW teams
SG ball won 1 more game then last year
Jersey flegg finished 6th just missed finals by 30seconds literally

CAS tornament is currently going on cas men won their first game 2 more games coming up
Cas 17s boys and girls school boys/girls going on atm will see how they go

QCUp Falcons awesome year a bit up and down but made finals finishing 8th knocked out week 2
Brisbane tigers won the Qcup comp will play for the state championship on grand final day

NRLVic 3rd grade winners Frankston never won before
2nd grade Casey never won before (seconds)
1st grade Waverley hadn’t won in 29 years

To me the 25 anniversary of the storm in 2023 has been somewhat of a success for rugby league in Victoria and the storm organisation as a whole

[Mstorm1999]

Weren’t meant to make finals …we did
Weren’t meant to finish top 8 ..we did
Wernt meant to finish top 4…,we did
Lost a million games experience in front rowers expected the kids to just be magically be good every week ..next year they have more experience
Lost some strange game to strange teams
Won some massive game at massive times

Unearthed some new talent at the back end of the year

Under 14s did well
Under 15s did amazing
Started our under 17 and 19 girls
Won the nsw school boys cup over ALL NSW teams
SG ball won 1 more game then last year
Jersey flegg finished 6th just missed finals by 30seconds literally

CAS tornament is currently going on cas men won their first game 2 more games coming up
Cas 17s boys and girls school boys/girls going on atm will see how they go

QCUp Falcons awesome year a bit up and down but made finals finishing 8th knocked out week 2
Brisbane tigers won the Qcup comp will play for the state championship on grand final day

NRLVic 3rd grade winners Frankston never won before
2nd grade Casey never won before (seconds)
1st grade Waverley hadn’t won in 29 years

To me the 25 anniversary of the storm in 2023 has been somewhat of a success for rugby league in Victoria and the storm organisation as a whole

With the spine we have..

Grant state of origin & Australian hooker.

Munster state of origin & Australian 5/8.

Hughes NZ halfback.

We have arguably the best spine in the comp, it’s stupid to say we weren’t ment to make finals or finish top 8. WE WERE expected too, everyone was saying beginning of season we would still finish top 8 and make finals..

And no. We only made pre lim cause roosters were decimated. They had their whole backline out and we won off a fluke catch by warbrick, if Sua'ali'i or Tupou was playing most likely he doesn’t catch that and most definitely we don’t win if Sua'ali'i, Tupou, Manu, Billy smith & Hargreaves play…….

So don’t let this pre lim finish fool you.

We were lucky to get here.

We should have went out in straight sets.

No matter what anyone says we simply need changes in the forwards & backs.

And some players simply need to go.

[Bullucked]

It's all very well to say we need to make changes but we've made our choices, we must work with what we have, team selections and match day decisions need looking at.

We can't just go and get guns, every club is wanting the same.

The biggest shake up needs to start from the top.

[Storm Spirit]

Pretty bad way to end the year but about halfway through the season I thought the Storm were little chance of making the top four let alone the prelim.

I think the club badly needs to invest in a strike centre and another prop. The pack simply isn’t good enough - they’re hard working but they lack impact to bend the line and create opportunities.

That being said I feel next year we might see more of Chan, Howarth and MacDonald. Potentially one of them might get a start at some point.

I also feel Sims might have a bit more to offer.

A strike centre, a brutal prop who eats metres and ball playing lock...

any chance we snag Best, Haas and Yeo ?

Nah...didnt think so

[Papenhuyzen23]

Where are the changes going to come from the 17 that ran on last night? In the backline we can bring in Papenhuyzen, Sua, Coates, Jennings and Pezet, in the pack Howarth, Chan, Powell, Lazarus, Jordan G and Moeroa are options.

I feel like some guys proved they aren’t up to the level we require last night and most have been at that level all year, Loiero needs to go, Olam as well, Meaney has some back up/utility value, Reimis is an ok centre but an awful winger, Seve isn’t it, Welch needs to be demoted, Munster needs to pull his head out of his you know what, NAS needs to find that form that made him one of the best forwards in the game, it’s looking bleak for the first time in a long time.

Positives, we overachieved, another prelim is amazing, found some good players like Warbrick, Sua and Katoa, oh well 2024 is the focus now, let’s hope we can find some consistency next season and have a bit more luck injury wise, I don’t think it can understated just how badly losing Paps affected this team and all the guys in it, if he was fit and firing all season we win many more games and have a lot more confidence as a whole unit as a result of that, it was a killer losing him all season honestly.

[yourhero]

A Prelim appearance paints over the gaping underlying cracks IMO.

The words coming from the club aren’t great with some saying that they don’t see it as a failure, rather more success making another Prelim.

“We were one win away from another GF”. Technically true, but in reality we were miles away from winning the comp.

[blazza18]

We really should have 6-9 spots in the 17 open for competition, but it gets pretty tough when you look at player's contracts. Feel like we're pretty stuck atm.

[Megsy19]

If you look at Paul Crawley teams best and worst refs you will see Panthers best ref Adam Gee, Storm worst ref Adam Gee , Broncos won most games under Gerald Sutton and he just happens to reffing the Broncos tonight, Go the Warriors, make what you will of that

[sheet_ed]

I agree with prior comments that we were not good enough to be in the GF. I always say - "Better to lose a semi final than a Grand Final" - those ones REALY REALY HURT.

The hope for next year is the return of Jason Ryles - he is a very good defensive coach. If we can REALYY build up the forward pack to something that does have just toilers, but go forward players, we might have a chance. We don't have any new players coming in except Lazerus

The backline is a just a hole with players running aound it. We need some new attack strategies as we a predictable play book that is 5 years old and well published.

We need Paps and Sua in the attack some way duing the year to add unscripted attack.

[Mstorm1999]

Tui - 9 runs for 66m
Welch - 8 runs for 65m
Loiero - 8 runs for 60m
Eisenhuth - 6 runs for 37m
NAS - 6 runs for 40m

This is atrocious. No impact or go forward at all.
And it’s been a very average season for the top 4 above.

We simply need changes.

Tui & Welch out next year. Moeroa & Vaalepu in.

Loiero & Eisenhuth out next year. Howarth & Chan in.

Paps fullback. Meany to centres. Sua bench.
( If paps gets injured, Sua fullback everytime )

[SunshineCoastStormer]

Having cooled my jets overnight I am humble enough to say we were a distant 2nd best last night and probably lost to a 3-peat team who will go down as one of the best the comp has seen. Adam Gee was not the problem.

As for the Storm whether you say we “were one win away from a GF” or “miles off it” we need to reflect on what’s been good and plan for the future.

This years positives

Katoa and Warbrick established them as very strong first graders
Some of the youngsters Garlick, Faalongo, and Pezet should promise for the future, in spine positions too.
We just about covered enough of the cracks left by the Broms, Cheese and Fus to remain competitive if we’ll short of the top 2

The things to work on
We are short of 1 if not 2 strong middle forwards who can make meters and punch holes. Chan/Moera/MacDonald/Valepu might help but feels like we need some outside help.
The left edge in particular from Loreiro to Olam then Munster has been horrific defensively and in attack. Munny stays but we need some change up at left centre and second row.
Out attack was just out of sync for large parts of too many games. We offered nothing going wide and need to focus on mixing the attack up between direct way and occasional ball movement.

We look forward to 2024. Ryles will help. Hopefully Paps gets back and can play games but I think we need something outside the squad player wise to make a difference…

[blazza18]

Tui - 9 runs for 66m
Welch - 8 runs for 65m
Loiero - 8 runs for 60m
Eisenhuth - 6 runs for 37m
NAS - 6 runs for 40m

This is atrocious. No impact or go forward at all.
And it’s been a very average season for the top 4 above.

This after being told all week they were shit. Pretty amazing no show from all of them.

[Mattpoet]

For all the flacn Welch has copped this year, I think Tui deserves just as much. He's had about 4 good games and the rest he's really fallen off. Often not having a run in the second half.