The Storm leaked 64 points as they slumped to back-to-back defeats on Thursday night, but perhaps their most worrying concern is an increasingly heavy injury toll.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy is lamenting a costly night out in a 28-6 loss to Cronulla, after the squad suffered another four injury blows at Shark Park.
Ryan Papenhuyzen (finger), Grant Anderson (arm), Marion Seve (head) and Kenneath Bromwich (leg) all finished the game under an injury cloud.
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Reimis Smith had already been ruled out for the season after re-injuring a pectoral muscle during the week, while George Jennings was struck down by a season-ending knee injury in round one and Xavier Coates hurt his ankle in State of Origin I. The former Broncos flyer isn’t expected back until round 22.
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Bellamy admitted he’d consider recruiting a player mid-season to fill out his top-30 squad.
“It’s been a really tough year, to be honest, as far as injuries go,” Bellamy said in his post-match press conference.
“Hopefully those guys (who got injured in the Sharks game are) not too bad.”
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In an incident that made for agonising viewing, Anderson departed the field in the 52nd minute after hyper-extending his left elbow as he attempted to play the ball.
Melbourne has been hit particularly hard in the backs on the injury front, with Anderson, Papenhuyzen, Seve, Coates and Jennings all on the list.
“I’m not quite sure where we go from here,” Bellamy said.
But the three-time premiership-winning mentor tried hard to dig up a positive.
“When someone misses out someone else gets a chance,” he said.
“So, we’ll just have to find that somebody.”
Melbourne’s 28-6 loss to Cronulla followed a 36-30 defeat to Manly a week earlier.
Bellamy’s men are now set to face the Raiders in Melbourne next Sunday afternoon.
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