2026 Melbourne Storm season
NRL rugby league season
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The 2026 Melbourne Storm season is the 29th in the club's history, competing in the 2026 NRL season. The team is coached by Craig Bellamy, coaching the club for a 24th consecutive season. Harry Grant continued as club captain for a third season.[1]
| 2026 Melbourne Storm season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL Rank | 11th (as at round 26) | |||
| 2026 record | Wins: 10; losses: 13 | |||
| Points scored | For: 570; against: 556 | |||
| Team information | ||||
| CEO | Justin Rodski | |||
| Coach | Craig Bellamy | |||
| Captain |
| |||
| Stadium | AAMI Park – 30,050 | |||
| High attendance | 28,245 (Round 3) | |||
| Top scorers | ||||
| Tries | Will Warbrick (15) | |||
| Goals | Nick Meaney (38) | |||
| Points | Nick Meaney (84) | |||
| ||||
The club will also field teams in the New South Wales Rugby League competitions, including women's teams for the first time.
Season summary
- Preseason – Joining the NRL squad during the preseason were uncapped development players Suli Pole, Angus Hinchey, Preston Conn and Mitchell Jennings.[2]
- 5 January – It was reported that Melbourne were interested in signing former Parramatta Eels player Zac Lomax who had been conditionally released from his contract following the end of the 2025 season.[3] As part of his conditional release, Lomax could not join another NRL club until the end of the 2028 NRL season.[4]
- 6 January – Video is published of Eliesa Katoa undertaking a club preseason training session following surgery to relieve pressure on his brain in November 2025. Katoa had been ruled out of returning to the field for the entire 2026 season after suffering three head knocks while on international duty with Tonga.[5]
- 9 January – Melbourne confirm the impending departures of both Nick Meaney and Tyran Wishart at the end of the 2026 season.[6] Both players had signed with expansion team Perth Bears for their inaugural season in 2027.[7]
- 13 January – It was reported that club CEO Justin Rodski turned down an approach to become the next CEO of the Essendon Football Club. Rodski had previously been an executive at the AFL club before joining the Storm.[8]
- 6 February – The club announces that coach Craig Bellamy had signed a contract extension that will see him remain at the club until the end of the 2028 NRL season. Bellamy had previously had a rolling contract with the club as he entered his 24th season as head coach of the Storm, having coached the club in over 600 NRL matches.[9][10][11]
- 13 February – In their first match of the 2026 NRL Pre-season Challenge, a youthful Storm team captained by Trent Loiero, but missing a host of first grade regulars, struggled against the Canberra Raiders at Queanbeyan's Seiffert Oval, going down 32–6. Melbourne's only try was scored by Liam Williams late in the second half.[12]
- 20 February – Melbourne confirm that winger Xavier Coates will miss at least the first three months of the season after requiring Achilles tendon surgery. It was the same injury that forced Coates to miss the 2025 Kangaroo tour of England.[13][14]
- 21 February – Melbourne fail to score in the second half of their final Pre-season Challenge match against the Gold Coast Titans, going down 42–12 at Sunshine Coast Stadium.[15]
- 26 February – The club announced that it had entered into a pathways partnership with Mounties, for players from that club to play in the NSW Cup competition with Melbourne, and Victorian players to play in the Ron Massey Cup competition with Mounties.[16]
- 27 February – Melbourne confirm that Harry Grant will continue as captain for a third season, heading an unchanged leadership group from the previous season. The club expanded its emerging leadership development program with Stefano Utoikamanu, Alec MacDonald and Ativalu Lisati joining Trent Loiero and Tyran Wishart in that group.[1]
- 3 March – An out of court settlement was reached between Parramatta, Zac Lomax and Melbourne Storm following litigation commenced by Parramatta in the New South Wales Supreme Court to enforce their conditional release entered into with Lomax. It was reported that Melbourne paid A$250,000 to Parramatta to avoid further litigation and for Lomax to be available to join another NRL club without Parramatta's consent from November 2027. Melbourne were not able to come to an agreement with Parramatta to sign Lomax for the 2026 season, with Eels forward Ryan Matterson not entertaining a move to Melbourne to enable his contract payments to be removed from the Eels salary cap.[17][18] There were also reports that Melbourne had offered Josiah Pahulu or Lazarus Vaalepu to Parramatta in order to facilitate the signing of Lomax.[19]
- Round 1 – Melbourne score a dominant 52–4 win against the Parramatta Eels to extend the club's round 1 winning streak to 24 matches. Captain Harry Grant scored two tries, as did Sualauvi Fa'alogo. Rookies Cooper Clarke and Preston Conn made their NRL debuts after being members of the club's 2025 Jersey Flegg Cup premiership winning squad. Forward Davvy Moale made his club debut after joining the Storm for the 2026 season.
- Round 2 – Sua Fa'alogo scored his first NRL hat trick, scoring three tries in the second half of Melbourne's 46–20 win against the St. George Illawarra Dragons.[20] In the same match, forward Angus Hinchey made his NRL debut, coming off the bench to score a late conversion attempt,[21] while Jack Hetherington made his club debut, appearing for the Storm as his fifth NRL club.
- Round 3 – Previously winless Brisbane handed Melbourne their first defeat of the season, coming from a 14–0 deficit at half time to take a 18–14 win, holding the Storm scoreless in the second half. Referee Todd Smith awarded a dozen set restarts in the first 51 minutes of the match, with none in a frantic finish. It was the Broncos first victory at AAMI Park since 2016. The official attendance of 28,245 marked the second highest attended regular season fixture at AAMI Park.
- Round 4 – Three late tries to the North Queensland Cowboys hand them a 28–24 win over Melbourne. The Storm had lead 24–12 midway through the second half, meaning it was the sixth time since the start of the 2025 season that the club had failed to defend a lead of more than 10 points.[22]
- 30 March – Fijian international forward Tui Kamikamica was rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected stroke while at home.[23] Kamikamica was discharged from Royal Melbourne Hospital a few days later to begin rehabilitation.[24][25]
- 30 March – It was confirmed that the 2026 season will be the last for Will Warbrick in Melbourne.[26] The New Zealand international signing a three-year deal to move back to New Zealand from the 2027 season.[27]
- 1 April – Weeks after making his NRL debut, rookie Cooper Clarke signed a new contract with the club until the end of the 2029 season.[28][29]
- Round 5 – Penrith Panthers became the first team since the 2003 season to put 50 points on the Melbourne Storm, scoring a 50–10 win at CommBank Stadium. It was the Panthers biggest win against Melbourne and the Storm's heaviest defeat since the 2008 NRL Grand Final.[30]
- Round 6 – Melbourne hand over the Michael Moore Trophy for the first time since 2016, losing 38–14 to the New Zealand Warriors at AAMI Park.[31] It was the first time in 3,927 days that the Warriors had beaten Melbourne, ending a run of 17 straight defeats.[32] Melbourne conceded six tries in the loss, their heaviest against the Warriors, with their losing streak stretching to four matches, the longest since the 2022 season.[33]
- Round 8 – South Sydney defeat Melbourne for the first time in Victoria, ending a 20-match losing streak. The 48–6 loss was Melbourne's worst at AAMI Park and the club's heaviest defeat since 2003. Melbourne's only try coming from a piece of individual brilliance from Sua Fa'alogo in the second half.[34]
- 30 April – It was revealed that Storm head coach Craig Bellamy had been diagnosed with a form of neurodegenerative disorder after recent testing.[35] Storm chairman Matt Tripp said "despite our recent results, I firmly believe Craig is still coaching at an elite level and I have no doubt he is the right person to drive the club forward. Craig has the full support of the board, players, coaches, and staff to continue leading the club as he has done for the last 24 seasons."[36]
- Round 9 – Despite leading 10–4 at half time, Melbourne slump to a seventh straight defeat, losing 28–10 to the Dolphins. The loss setting a new club record losing streak, eclipsing the previous longest losing streak set in 2002.[37][38][39]
- Round 10 – Melbourne finally snap their losing streak in a 44–16 win over the Wests Tigers at AAMI Park.[40] Cameron Munster scored two tries, his first in 364 days after last scoring on the same weekend against the Tigers in 2025.[41][42]
- 5 June – On the verge of returning from injury, it was announced that winger Xavier Coates had again ruptured his Achilles tendon at training and would require surgery that would see him miss the entire 2026 season.[43][44][45]
- 29 June – With a number of injuries impacting the squad, the club signs Oryn Keeley from the Dolphins before the transfer deadline. Keeley had previously signed a two-year contract with Melbourne to start ahead of the 2027 season.[46][47] Lazarus Vaalepu left the Storm the following day effective immediately to take up an opportunity with Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League.
Milestone games

| Round | Player | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Davvy Moale | Storm debut |
| Cooper Clarke | NRL debut | |
| Preston Conn | ||
| Round 2 | Jack Hetherington | Storm debut |
| Angus Hinchey | NRL debut | |
| Round 4 | Manaia Waitere | Storm debut |
| Round 7 | Nick Meaney | 1000 NRL points |
| Round 9 | Hugo Peel | NRL debut |
| Trent Toelau | Storm debut | |
| Round 10 | Stanley Huen | NRL debut |
| Round 12 | Gabriel Satrick | NRL debut |
| Round 13 | Jack Hetherington | 100th NRL match |
| Round 16 | Cameron Munster | 250th match |
Fixtures
Pre-season Challenge
Source:[48]
| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Mel. | Opp. | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 February | Trial | Canberra Raiders | Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan | Lost | 6 | 32 | L Williams | A Murgha 1/1 | [49] | |
| 21 February | Trial | Gold Coast Titans | Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast | Lost | 12 | 42 | H Peel, S Fa'alogo | T Wishart 2/2 | [50] |
Regular season
Result by round
Matches
Source:[51]
- (g.p.) – Golden Point extra time
- (pen) – Penalty try
| Date | Rd | Opponent | H/A | Venue | Result | Mel. | Opp. | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 March | 1 | Parramatta Eels | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 52 | 4 | H Grant (2), S Fa'alogo (2), W Warbrick, J Howarth, J Chan, M Leo, A Lisati | N Meaney 8/9 | [52] | |
| 14 March | 2 | St George Illawarra Dragons | A | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | Won | 46 | 20 | S Fa'alogo (3), W Warbrick, J Howarth, H Grant, J Hughes, M Leo | N Meaney 6/8, A Hinchey 1/1 | C Munster 0/1 | [53] |
| 20 March | 3[i] | Brisbane Broncos | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Lost | 14 | 18 | S Fa'alogo, J Chan | H Grant 3/3 | [54] | |
| 28 March | 4 | North Queensland Cowboys | A | QCB Stadium, Townsville | Lost | 24 | 28 | W Warbrick (4), S Fa'alogo | H Grant 2/5 | [55] | |
| 3 April | 5 | Penrith Panthers | A | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | Lost | 10 | 50 | M Waitere, S Fa'alogo | N Meaney 1/2 | [56] | |
| 11 April | 6 | New Zealand Warriors | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Lost | 14 | 38 | C Clarke, J Howarth | N Meaney 3/3 | [57] | |
| 17 April | 7 | Canberra Raiders | A | GIO Stadium, Canberra | Lost | 22 | 26 | N Meaney (2), S Fa'alogo, W Warbrick | N Meaney 3/4 | [58] | |
| 25 April | 8[ii] | South Sydney Rabbitohs | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Lost | 6 | 48 | S Fa’alogo | N Meaney 1/1 | [59] | |
| 1 May | 9 | Dolphins | A | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost | 10 | 28 | T Wishart, S Fa’alogo | N Meaney 1/2 | [60] | |
| 10 May | 10 | Wests Tigers | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 44 | 16 | W Warbrick (2), C Munster (2), S Fa'alogo, J Hughes, H Grant, A Lisati | N Meaney 6/8 | [61] | |
| 16 May | 11[iii] | Parramatta Eels | N | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Won | 34 | 8 | M Leo, J Howarth, C Munster, C Clarke, H Grant, J King | N Meaney 5/6 | ||
| 22 May | 12 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | A | Accor Stadium, Sydney | Lost | 20 | 30 | M Leo (2), J King | N Meaney 4/4 | [62] | |
| 30 May | 13 | Sydney Roosters | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 18 | 4 | H Grant, W Warbrick, M Leo | S Fa'alogo 3/5 | H Grant 0/1, J Hughes 0/1 | [63] |
| 5 June | 14 | Newcastle Knights | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 32 | 30 | S Utoikamanu, M Waitere, W Warbrick, J Hughes, M Leo, T Loiero | S Fa'alogo 4/6 | [64] | |
| 13 June | 15 | Bye | |||||||||
| 21 June | 16 | Canberra Raiders | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 42 | 20 | W Warbrick (3), A Lisati, C Munster, M Leo, S Fa'alogo, T Toelau | S Fa'alogo 4/6, H Grant 0/1, C Munster 1/1 | [65] | |
| 27 June | 17 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | A | 4 Pines Park, Sydney | Lost | 4 | 30 | W Warbrick | S Fa'alogo 0/1 | ||
| 4 July | 18 | Bye | |||||||||
| 12 July | 19 | Gold Coast Titans | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | |||||||
| 17 July | 20[iv] | Sydney Roosters | A | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | |||||||
| 24 July | 21 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | A | Accor Stadium, Sydney | |||||||
| 31 July | 22 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | |||||||
| 8 August | 23[v] | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | N | HBF Park, Perth | |||||||
| 15 August | 24[v] | Bye | |||||||||
| 20 August | 25 | Penrith Panthers | H | AAMI Park, Melbourne | |||||||
| 27 August | 26 | Brisbane Broncos | A | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | |||||||
| 5 September | 27 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | A | Ocean Protect Stadium, Sydney | |||||||
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 697 | 388 | +309 | 40 | Advance to finals series | |
| 2 | 23 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 645 | 337 | +308 | 40 | ||
| 3 | 23 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 638 | 486 | +152 | 38 | ||
| 4 | 23 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 599 | 451 | +148 | 38 | ||
| 5 | 23 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 652 | 499 | +153 | 34 | ||
| 6 | 23 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 644 | 561 | +83 | 32 | ||
| 7 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 633 | 591 | +42 | 32 | ||
| 8 | 23 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 538 | 602 | −64 | 32 | ||
| 9 | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 593 | 493 | +100 | 28 | ||
| 10 | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 456 | 502 | −46 | 28 | ||
| 11 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 570 | 556 | +14 | 26 | ||
| 12 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 531 | 596 | −65 | 26 | ||
| 13 | 23 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 475 | 654 | −179 | 24 | ||
| 14 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 435 | 661 | −226 | 22 | ||
| 15 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 437 | 657 | −220 | 20 | ||
| 16 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 457 | 639 | −182 | 18 | ||
| 17 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 3 | 368 | 695 | −327 | 14 |
Rules for classification: 1) competition points; 2) points differential; 3) percentage;[i] 4) tries scored;[ii][66]
(Q) Qualified for finals series; (X) Cannot qualify for finals
Coaching staff
- Craig Bellamy – Head Coach[67]
- Marc Brentnall – Assistant Coach
- Aaron Bellamy – Assistant Coach
- Ryan Hinchcliffe – Assistant Coach
- Todd Lowrie – Development Coach[68][69]
2026 squad
List current as of 29 June 2026
Player movements
Source:[70]
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Representative honours
This table lists all players who have played a representative match in 2026.
- (c) = Captain
- (vc) = Vice-captain
| Player | NRL All Star match | State of Origin 1 | State of Origin 2 | State of Origin 3 | Internationals/World Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Chan[89] | Māori | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a |
| Harry Grant[90][91][92][93] | N/a | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | N/a |
| Trent Loiero[90][92][93] | N/a | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | N/a |
| Cameron Munster[90][92][93] | N/a | Queensland (c) | Queensland (c) | Queensland (c) | N/a |
| Trent Toelau[89] | Māori | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a |
| Manaia Waitere[89] | Māori | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a |
Additionally the following Melbourne Storm junior players were selected for Queensland in the under-19s State of Origin match: Alize Clark, Kobi Floro, Frank Howarth, Joseph Litidamu, Jett Ryan, and Hayden Watson.[94] Watson was appointed captain, leading the Queensland team which included Clark, Howarth, Litidamu, and Ryan in the final squad.
Statistics
This table contains playing statistics for all Melbourne Storm players to have played in the 2026 NRL season.
| Name | Appearances | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn Blore | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Chan | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Cooper Clarke | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Preston Conn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sualauvi Fa'alogo | 16 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 74 |
| Harry Grant | 15 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 34 |
| Jack Hetherington | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Angus Hinchey | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Jack Howarth | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Stanley Huen | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahrome Hughes | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Tui Kamikamica | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh King | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Moses Leo | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| Ativalu Lisati | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Trent Loiero | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Alec MacDonald | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Meaney | 12 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 84 |
| Davvy Moale | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Munster | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Hugo Peel | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keagan Russell-Smith | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gabriel Satrick | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trent Toelau | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stefano Utoikamanu | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Manaia Waitere | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| William Warbrick | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 60 |
| Tyran Wishart | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 28 players used | — | 70 | 56 | 0 | 392 |
Scorers
Most points in a game: 16
- Round 1 – Nick Meaney (8 goals) vs Parramatta Eels
Most tries in a game: 4
- Round 4 – Will Warbrick vs North Queensland Cowboys
Winning gamesHighest score in a winning game: 52 points
Lowest score in a winning game: 18 points
Greatest winning margin: 48
Greatest number of games won consecutively: 3
|
Losing gamesHighest score in a losing game: 24 points
Lowest score in a losing game: 4 points
Greatest losing margin: 42 points
Greatest number of games lost consecutively: 7[b]
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NRL Judiciary
A number of Melbourne players were cited by the match review committee for incidents through the 2026 season, with the following results from the NRL Judiciary.
| Round | Player | Offence & grade | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 4 | Manaia Waitere | High tackle — Careless (grade 1) | fined $1,000 | [97] |
| Round 5 | Trent Loiero | Dangerous contact (grade 1) | fined $3,000 | |
| Round 6 | Trent Loiero | High tackle – Careless (grade 1) | fined $3,000 | |
| Jahrome Hughes | High tackle – Careless (grade 1) | fined $1,800 | ||
| Round 7 | Manaia Waitere | High tackle — Careless (grade 1) | fined $1,800 | |
| Round 8 | Nick Meaney | High tackle — Careless (grade 1) | fined $1,000 | |
Note: Harry Grant was fined seven percent of his match payment for a high tackle – careless (grade 1) during the first State of Origin match.[98]
Jerseys
Home |
Away |
In November 2023, Melbourne Storm announced a new sponsorship and apparel partnership agreement with Irish sportswear company O'Neills.[99] In March 2025, major sponsor RedZed extended their partnership with the club until the end of the 2028 season, with their logo to remain on the club's jersey for a seventh season.[100] Insurance company Budget Direct joined the club as a new sponsorship partner, with the logo added to the sleeves of all jerseys.[101]
- Home
Unveiled in November 2025, the club's refreshed jersey sees purple return as the predominant colour of the home jersey design. The design featured a gold chevron beneath a navy blue yoke, while the shoulder panels and sleeves were both purple. A new addition were gold lightning bolts inside the sleeve cuffs.[102]
- Away
Also released for sale in November 2025, the club's away jersey also was refreshed for 2026. Predominantly white and worn with white shorts, the jersey features a simple design with purple, navy blue and gold chevrons across the top of the chest. A subtle pattern through the design was said to be "inspired by the topography of Melbourne," while the sleeve cuffs also featured a lightning bolt motif similar to the home jersey.[103]
- ANZAC Day
In April, the club released a special jersey worn against South Sydney in their annual Anzac Day match at AAMI Park. The design was in honour of the 85th anniversary of the The Rats of Tobruk, when Australian-led troops defended the Allied garrison during the Siege of Tobruk in Libya in 1941. The jersey features a desert-like camouflage design in the club colours of navy blue and purple and features the words of 9th Division commanding officer Leslie Morshead on the jersey collar "there is to be no surrender and no retreat," as well as the Anzac Appeal logo and the insignia of the Rats of Tobruk.[104]
NSW Cup team
After ending their Queensland Cup affiliations during 2025, Melbourne reinstated a team in the New South Wales Rugby League's New South Wales Cup competition. It will be the first time since the 2010 season that the club had a reserve grade team operating out of Melbourne.[105]
2025 Jersey Flegg Cup premiership coach Mark Russell took the reigns as coach of the team.[105][106]
Results
| H | Home match |
|---|---|
| A | Away match |
| N | Neutral venue match |
Statistics
Most points in a game: 18
- Round 13 – Josh Durkin (9 goals) vs Sydney Roosters
Most tries in a game: 4
- Round 6 – Hugo Peel vs Warriors
Leading tryscorer (season):
- Hugo Peel – 7
Leading pointscorer (season):
- Josh Durkin – 47 (1 try, 21 goals, 1 field goal)
Junior Representatives
The club entered teams in the 2026 New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) male junior representative competitions with the following coaching staff:
- Jersey Flegg Cup (Under-21s): Dan Murphy (coach), Nate Myles (assistant)
- S.G. Ball Cup (Under-19s): Matt Duffie (coach), Justin O'Neill (assistant), Ryan Hoffman (assistant)
- Harold Matthews Cup (Under-17s): Caine Sinclair (coach)
Todd Lowrie was appointed the club's Head of Development in addition to his role with the NRL squad.[106]
In a first for the Melbourne Storm, the club entered teams into the NSWRL's female junior representative competitions, the Under-19s Tarsha Gale Cup and the Under-17s Lisa Fiaola Cup.[106] Former Cronulla Sharks development coach Jack Gould was appointed the coach of both teams, under female pathways manager Pauline Poloai.[108] Janan Billings would take the role as coach of the Under-17s squad before the start of the season, leaving Gould in charge of just the Under-19s squad.
Most home matches for each of the junior representative squads were played at Seabrook Reserve in Broadmeadows, the home of NRL Victoria. Some matches were also scheduled for Gosch's Paddock, the training venue for the NRL team and Casey Fields.
In their first season, the under-17s girls squad won four and had one draw from their eight matches to qualify for the finals of the Lisa Fioala Cup. The boys under-19s squad won seven of their eight matches to qualify in second place, making the finals for the second successive season in the S.G. Ball Cup.
Awards
Junior representative awardsHeld at AAMI Park in May, for members of the club's Harold Matthews Cup (U17s) and S.G. Ball Cup (U19s) teams,[109] and in June for the Lisa Fioala Cup (U17s) and Tarsha Gale Cup (U19s) squads:
Additional awards
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