Season summary
- 2018 World Club Challenge – The Melbourne Storm commenced their season by competing in the annual World Club Challenge against the 2017 Super League premiers Leeds Rhinos, the match was under a cloud until on 3 November 2017 it was announced that it would be played in Australia at AAMI Park due to the disruptions to the Storm preseason caused by the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.[2] The Storm prevailed 38-4 to become World Club Champions and in doing so became the fifth Australian team to hold the treble (Premiership, Minor Premiership and World Club Challenge at once).[3] It was the first World Club Challenge in Australia since 2014 and only the fourth in history.
- 23 February – Over 20,000 fans brave torrential rain to attend the trial match between the Storm and the North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The "A Night with Cam and JT" match billed as a testimonial to Storm captain Cameron Smith and Cowboys captain Jonathan Thurston raises money for a variety of charities. Thurston set up the winning try in the final minute to take a 16–14 win.[4]
- 2 March – Melbourne Storm announce their team of the first 20 years during a celebratory night at Crown Palladium. The 17-man line-up is made up of the greatest players to have pulled on the purple jersey over the last two decades.[5]
- Round 1 – Melbourne Storm open the season with a victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at the new Optus Stadium in Perth. The win marked the 16th consecutive season that the club has won their opening game of the season,[4] and also this was their 11th consecutive victory making this their equal 4th best winning streak.[6] Sam Kasiano also made his Storm debut.
- Round 2 – Hampered by a high error count, Melbourne's winning streak comes to an end losing 10–8 to the Wests Tigers in Billy Slater's 300th NRL game.[4] Kenny Bromwich also played his 100th NRL game.
- Round 3 – In the 2017 NRL Grand Final rematch against the Cowboys, Melbourne return to the winner's list in a 30–14 victory.[4]
- Round 4 – Melbourne are held tryless in a 14–4 loss to Cronulla, as referees Alan Shortall and Matt Cecchin take the NRL's penalty crackdown to the extreme in calling 33 penalties, including sending Cameron Smith to the sin bin for the first time in his career.[4]
- Round 5 – Played as a double-header at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, Wests Tigers again frustrate Melbourne into a tight 11–10 loss. The match was Craig Bellamy's 400th as coach, and Ryan Hoffman's 250th game for the club in his third spell in Melbourne.[4] The two wins and three losses from the first five games, was Melbourne's worst start to a season since 2004, with the club dropping out of the top eight on the NRL ladder for the first time since 2014.[4]
- Round 6 – Led by doubles to wingers Josh Addo-Carr and Suliasi Vunivalu, Storm return to the winners list with a 40–14 win over Newcastle Knights.[4]
- Round 8 – Storm score a 40-point win over the second placed New Zealand Warriors to retain the Michael Moore Trophy, with Cameron Smith scoring nine goals from as many attempts.
- Round 9 – Josh Addo-Carr scores all three of Melbourne tries in a 30–14 loss to the ladder-leading St George Illawarra Dragons.[4] Papua New Guinea centre Justin Olam makes his first grade debut.
- Round 10 – Cameron Smith was charged with dangerous conduct in a tackle on former Storm player Kevin Proctor with Smith taking an early guilty plea in taking a one-match suspension.[4]
- Round 11 – Curtis Scott becomes the first player sent off in a NRL game since 2015, and the first Storm player since 2011, for repeatedly punching Manly's Dylan Walker in a brawl between the pair. Scott would later be suspended for two matches by the NRL Judiciary.[4] Manly would win the game 24–4 with officials mistakenly sending two Manly players back on to the field from the sin bin before their penalties had expired.[4]
- Round 12 – Sam Kasiano and Dale Finucane both play their 150th NRL games in a 7–6 win over the Cowboys. Cameron Munster slotting the first field goal of his career to secure the win, after Cameron Smith scored a try in his return from suspension.[4]
- 30 May – Young Tonumaipea announces he will leave the club to take up Mormon missionary work in Germany.[4]
- Round 14 – Melbourne rally from a 12–2 first half deficit to take a 32–16 win over Brisbane Broncos, the club's 15th win from 17 matches between the clubs since 2011.[4]
- 16 June – Ending speculation of a potential move to Brisbane, coach Craig Bellamy re-signs with the club until the end of the 2021 season.[4]
- Round 16 – A last-minute field goal from Cameron Smith hands Melbourne a 9–8 win over the Sydney Roosters at the Adelaide Oval in the first meeting against former Storm halfback Cooper Cronk.[4] Patrick Kaufusi made his first grade debut for the Storm, the third Kaufusi brother to play for the club.
- 3 July – Ryan Hoffman announces that the 2018 season will be his last in rugby league, after playing over 300 games.[7]
- Round 17 – Missing players through injury and Origin selection, Melbourne score four tries in the last 15 minutes to over power the Dragons in a high scoring game 52–30. All seven players members of the Storm's backline scored tries, a feat last achieved by the club against the Gold Coast Titans in 2007.[4] Albert Vete makes his club debut after transferring from the New Zealand Warriors earlier in the week, while Christian Welch played his 50th game.
- Round 18 – With Craig Bellamy opting to rest Origin representatives against Manly, the Sea Eagles jump to a 12–0 lead, before Melbourne score a late penalty goal to take a 14–13 win.[4]
- Round 19 – Melbourne Storm defeat the New Zealand Warriors 12–6 in Auckland, with the sending the Storm to first place on the NRL ladder for the first time in 2018.[4]
- Round 20 – Storm's winning run extends to eight matches with a 44–10 win over Canberra Raiders, with Jahrome Hughes impressing at halfback.[4]
- Round 21 – South Sydney Rabbitohs end Melbourne's win streak, taking a 30–20 win at ANZ Stadium. Melbourne had led 16–12 at half time, but the Rabbitohs' took the points and top spot on the NRL ladder with a dominant second half.[4]
- 8 August – Billy Slater announces that he will retire from rugby league at the end of the 2018 NRL season[8]
- Round 22 – A second straight defeat, falling 17–14 to the Sharks at AAMI Park. Craig Bellamy was quoted after the match as saying the team lacked hunger.[4]
- Round 24 - Storm defeat the Titans 10–8 to move to outright first on the NRL ladder.
- Round 25 - Melbourne are defeated 22–16 by the Penrith Panthers in the Panthers first ever win at AAMI Park and their first win in Melbourne since 2005.[4] The game marked Scott Drinkwater's NRL debut, with the young fullback also scoring his first try. The loss for Melbourne saw the club finish the season on 34 competition points, creating NRL history, as due to other results, all teams in the top four finished equal on 34 points ensuring the closest finish to a season for the first time in the game's 111 year history. Melbourne would finish in second position behind the Roosters due to an inferior points difference.
- Qualifying final – In a quality contest, a field goal in the final five minutes from Cameron Munster sees Melbourne seal a 29–28 win over South Sydney at AAMI Park to progress to the preliminary finals. Doubles to Suliasi Vunivalu and Cheyse Blair helping Melbourne to the club's 15th straight win over South Sydney in Victoria.[4]
- 14 September – Cameron Smith agrees to a one-year contract extension to the end of the 2019 NRL season.[4]
- Preliminary final – Melbourne advance to a third straight NRL Grand Final appearance, ending the Sharks season with a 22–6 win. In a man of the match display, Billy Slater scored two tries but was also charged with a grade one shoulder charge when trying to stop Sharks winger Sosaia Feki from scoring, an offence that could see him miss the Grand Final.[4]
- 25 September – Billy Slater is cleared by the NRL Judiciary panel after a lengthy hearing.[4]
- Grand Final – Despite playing with a serious shoulder injury, former Storm player Cooper Cronk leads the Sydney Roosters to a 21–6 victory in the Grand Final. Cameron Munster was sin binned for a professional foul in the first half with the Roosters scoring not long after to lead 18–0. The Storm fell victims to their own errors and the intensity of the Roosters defence, with Munster sin binned for a second time late in the game to become the first player sin binned twice in a Grand Final.[4]
- 1 October – Victorian Minister for Sport John Eren announces that Cameron Smith and Billy Slater will be honoured with statues outside AAMI Park.[4]
Milestone games
| Round | Player | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Sam Kasiano | Storm debut |
| Round 2 | Billy Slater | 300th game |
| Kenny Bromwich | 100th game | |
| Round 3 | Suliasi Vunivalu | 50th game |
| Round 5 | Craig Bellamy | 400th game as Coach |
| Ryan Hoffman | 250th Storm game | |
| Round 9 | Justin Olam | NRL debut |
| Round 11 | Harry Grant | NRL debut |
| Round 12 | Dale Finucane | 150th game |
| Sam Kasiano | 150th game | |
| Round 16 | Patrick Kaufusi | Storm debut |
| Round 17 | Albert Vete | Storm debut |
| Christian Welch | 50th game | |
| Round 18 | Tim Glasby | 100th game |
| Round 25 | Scott Drinkwater | NRL debut |
| Qualifying final | Jesse Bromwich | 200th game |
