1998 Melbourne Storm season

1998 Melbourne Storm season
NRL Rank3rd
Play-off resultSemi-final Loss
1998 recordWins: 17; draws: 1; losses: 6
Points scoredFor: 546; against: 372
Team information
ChairmanJohn Ribot
CoachChris Anderson
Captain
StadiumOlympic Park
Avg. attendance12,716[a]
High attendance20,522 (Round 4)[b]
Top scorers
TriesScott Hill & Marcus Bai (14)
GoalsCraig Smith (51)
PointsCraig Smith (110)
List of seasons 1999 →

The 1998 Melbourne Storm season was the first in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's inaugural Premiership with the new team reaching the top of the ladder in round 15 and finishing the regular season in third place, only one win behind minor premiers Brisbane.

Their first season was a major surprise to many, with critics such as The Sydney Morning Herald's rugby league writer Paul Kent saying in March of their prospects: "with their purple chests, the slash of gold, the Storm form one of the more strikingly visible outfits in the competition. Kind of like a Violet Crumble. Their performances won't be nearly as tasty."[1][2]

Adopting coach Chris Anderson's new "flat-line" attack, the big Storm forwards laid a platform for their young halves Scott Hill and Brett Kimmorley to wreak havoc on opposing teams. Melbourne's front-rowers Glenn Lazarus, Robbie Kearns and Rodney Howe were all selected to play for New South Wales in the 1998 State of Origin series. A late season injury to captain Lazarus combined with a lack of finals experience saw the Storm knocked out in the play-offs. The club though had proven they were to be taken seriously, and they had easily produced the best debut season of any new team in the game's history.[3]

Season summary

This is an historic occasion for rugby league.
Everybody in rugby league believed the game would one day come to Melbourne and I'm just proud to be part of the organisation which finally made that hope come through.

— John Ribot, Melbourne Storm launch, 1998[13]
  • 12 February – At the club's season launch, John Ribot reveals the official uniform of navy blue jerseys with a stylised white and purple chevron design, worn with navy blue shorts and socks.[14][15] It was reported that Ribot was looking to sell up to 51% of his ownership in the club back to News Limited in order to "share around the bills."[16] Ribot later said that his intention was always to form a consortium to run the club.[17] At the launch, former News Limited chairman Ken Cowley was appointed the Storm's foundation chairman.[13]
  • 28 February – In their final preseason match in front of 6,000 spectators at Albury, Melbourne were level at 12-all against the Canberra Raiders at half time, before the experienced Raiders team scored a 34–16 victory.[18] Five-eighth Scott Hill suffered an arm injury in the match, but was later cleared of serious injury.[19]
  • Round 1 – Melbourne upset Illawarra Steelers to record their inaugural premiership victory, with Scott Hill scoring the club's first tries. Hill's second try, converted by winger Craig Smith with two minutes remaining in the match, gave Melbourne their first lead of the match.[20] The Storm were only the fourth non-foundation team to win on debut, and only the second to win away from home.[8][21][22] Brett Kimmorley would later receive a warning letter from the NRL Judiciary following a high tackle on Illawarra's Craig Wilson, while Aaron Moule suffered a dislocated shoulder which kept him out for two months.[23]
  • Round 3 – Melbourne extend their undefeated start to the season, earning a 26–18 win against the 1997 Super League runners-up Cronulla Sharks. Interchange forward Russell Bawden scored two tries in the match, while hooker Danny Williams was reported for a reckless tackle on Dean Treister.[24][25] Williams was later suspended for three matches.[26]
  • Round 4 – A record crowd of 20,522 watch unbeaten Melbourne play their first home game at Olympic Park. With chaotic scenes outside the ground, fans are allowed to sit on the running track after half time due to overcrowding.[27][28][29] Paul Marquet scored the first try for the club at their redeveloped home venue.[30]
  • Round 5 – On Good Friday, the Auckland Warriors inflict the Storm's first defeat of the season in a 16–12 victory in New Zealand.[31] Melbourne had led early after referee Bill Harrigan missed a forward pass from Tawara Nikau to Marcus Bai for the Storm's first try.[32] The Storm had a chance late in the match to steal the win after the Warriors were penalised, only for Melbourne to lose possession.[33]
  • Round 6 – Late tries to Marcus Bai and Rodney Howe saw Melbourne break a 22–all tie after 65 minutes, to defeat Parramatta 32–22.[34] Following the match, prop forwards Glenn Lazarus and Rodney Howe were selected in the Australia squad for the match against New Zealand.[35]
  • Round 7 – Returning to Olympic Park, Melbourne hold out against a depleted Penrith team, scoring a 22–14 victory. John Carlaw scored two tries in the first half, while both Rodney Howe and Glenn Lazarus backed up from their appearances for Australia against New Zealand the previous evening's test match in Auckland.[36] Howe had been rushed to hospital following the test match with suspected broken ribs, but played through the pain.[37]
  • Round 8 – Melbourne thrash the lowly Western Suburbs Magpies 54–16 at Olympic Park, with Robbie Ross scoring two tries and Craig Smith converting all nine tries to score 18 points. The Storm led 30–4 at half time after the visitors scored the opening try of the match.[38][39]
  • Round 9 – In the last of three straight home matches, two length of the field intercept tries to Dragons winger Nathan Blacklock helped St George to an upset 18–14 win over Melbourne to end the club's unbeaten run at Olympic Park. Melbourne led 14–12 at half time after tries to Russell Bawden and Danny Williams, but were shut out in the second half.[40][41][42] Disappointed club executives later meeting with broadcaster Nine Network after the match was not shown live or replayed on either free-to-air or pay television.[43][44]
  • Round 10 – Aaron Moule returned from injury, scoring a try in the club's 14–6 win over South Sydney.[45]
  • Round 11 – Melbourne and Illawarra Steelers play out a 14–all draw, with Melbourne denied four second half tries after leading 14–4 at half time. Illawarra goalkicker Rod Wishart had a chance to win the match in the dying minutes, but his conversion attempt was waved away. Glenn Lazarus scored his first try of the season, meaning every member of the club's inaugural team had scored at least one try during the season.[46] Steelers player Shaun Timmins was sent off for a high tackle on Melbourne fullback Robbie Ross during the second half.[47] Referee Paul Simpkins was later dropped from the next weekend of matches after a number of errors, including denying Melbourne a late try to Danny Williams, instead ruling that Williams was held up over the line without consulting his in-goal touch judge.[8][48][49]
  • Round 12 – Melbourne record the biggest win by a debut team in premiership history, thrashing Gold Coast Chargers 62–6 in that club's heaviest defeat in their history. Melbourne running in 11 tries to one in the match,[50] with Robbie Ross and Scott Hill both scoring two tries.[51] In a bid for more television coverage, Melbourne moved the start time of the match forward to 12:30pm after the club's previous four matches were not broadcast.[52]
  • Round 13 – Missing key forwards Rodney Howe and Glenn Lazarus after their efforts for NSW in State of Origin, Brett Kimmorley kicks the club's first field goal, in a 25–16 win over Balmain Tigers at Leichhardt Oval.[53][54] Anthony Bonus became the twenty-second player used by the club, the former Parramatta Eels player last played first grade in 1996. Bonus had been living in Brisbane and playing for Norths Devils and only met the bulk of the Storm squad the day before the match.[55] Forward Robbie Kearns had spent a day in hospital in the lead-up to the match after suffering a bout of tonsillitis.[56]
  • Round 14 – Melbourne take home the "Southern States Cup,"[57][58] defeating the Adelaide Rams 24–4.[59] Playing into a strong breeze in the first half, Scott Hill scored two tries, with Marcus Bai adding another for an 18–0 lead at the break.[60] Papua New Guinea rookie John Wilshere made his debut for the club after impressing for Norths Devils where he was the leading points scorer in the Queensland Cup competition.[57]
  • Round 15 – After defeating North Queensland Cowboys 10–8 in Townsville, Melbourne finish the weekend on top of the NRL ladder for the first time.[9][61] Melbourne led 8–6 at halftime, with both teams only adding penalty goals in the second half.[62] Craig Smith slotting a pressure penalty goal to break an 8–8 score with 10 minutes to go.[63]
  • 26 June – Rodney Howe is revealed as the third NRL player in 1998 to test positive to a banned substance.[8][64][65][66]
  • Round 16 – A controversial try after the final siren to Tony Tatupu hands the Auckland Warriors a 24–21 victory at Olympic Park. Video referee Peter Filmer watched the replay more than eight times, taking five minutes to make the decision, missing two offside Warriors players and a forward pass in the movement. The Warriors had led 14–4 at half time, after referee Moghseen Jadwat denied Melbourne a try to Robbie Ross due to a supposed forward pass.[67][68]
  • Round 17 – Brisbane Broncos defeat Melbourne 34–16 in front of a crowd of 35,119 — the highest attendance to watch Melbourne, and the second highest crowd in the 1998 regular season. Brisbane scored three tries in the final 10 minutes to put away the Storm after the match had been evenly poised for much of the contest.[69]
  • 7 July – It's confirmed that Aaron Moule will miss the remainder of the season after he was forced to have surgery on his injured shoulder. Moule had missed two months of matches earlier in the season with the injury, returning to play seven matches through the middle of the season.[70]
  • 9 July – Rodney Howe is suspended for 22 matches by the ARL drugs tribunal for taking two performance-enhancing drugs. Howe received the maximum penalty available under the ARL policy.[71] Howe was accused of taking the anabolic steroid stanozolol to aid the recovery of a knee injury.[8][72][73][74][75]
  • Round 18 – After back-to-back losses, Melbourne bounce back with a 22–12 win against Manly. In the face of a lopsided amount of possession and penalties, the Storm were able to walk off with the two competition points, though Robbie Kearns (arm) and Glenn Lazarus (groin) both picked up injuries in the match. Kearns was also put on report by referee Brian Grant for a high tackle on Manly's Russell Gartner.[76] Kearns was later cleared by the match reviewers. Earlier, the match had started over 20 minutes later than advertised due to heavy traffic delaying fans access to Olympic Park.[77] Following the match, club CEO Chris Johns was assaulted by a Manly supporter while celebrating the result at Crown Casino while talking with Manly players.[78]
  • Round 19 – Missing six players through injury or suspension, Melbourne suffered their worst defeat of the season so far, losing 34–10 to the North Sydney Bears. The match had been tied 10–all at half time, before the Bears ran away with it in the second half, scoring six tries to none.[79][80]
  • July 23 – Melbourne were forced to deny that a second player had tested positive to performance-enhancing drugs in the lead up to their match against the Newcastle Knights.[81] The club had come under fire for allowing Rodney Howe to continue training with the playing group and paying him while suspended.
  • Round 20 – Marcus Bai scores the first hat-trick in club history in a 32–16 win against 1997 ARL premiers the Newcastle Knights, to cement a top four spot on the NRL ladder. Bai scoring two tries in the second half as the fog rolled in at Olympic Park with temperatures dropping.[82] Unfortunately for the Storm, both Robbie Ross and Glenn Lazarus picked up hamstring injuries in the match.[83][84] Following the match, the club received a warning from the NRL after suspended forward Rodney Howe was seen sitting with the Storm players and officials on the bench.[85]
  • 26 July – Storm physiotherapist Tony Ayoub confirms that both Robbie Ross and Glenn Lazarus had underwent hyperbaric compression chamber treatment on their injured hamstrings, with Lazarus' injury confirmed as more serious than first suspected.[86]

They just recruited very, very well.
They picked some very good players and recruited an excellent coach, Chris Anderson. I rate him very highly.
The other thing is — and I know this sounds strange in light of recent events — but the fact they signed Rodney Howe was also a key. With him, and Lazarus and Robbie Kearns, who also played rep football last year, they had the front-rowers who could go forward all day.
And their halves, Scotty Hill and Brett Kimmorley, were also very highly rated.

— Former Australian coach Arthur Beetson discussing the Storm's first season success, 1 August 1998[87]
  • Round 21 – Ignored by key broadcasters with the match between two top eight teams not broadcast on free-to-air television or radio, Melbourne exhibit a level of control against the Sydney City Roosters, comfortably winning 32–20 at the Sydney Football Stadium. Robbie Kearns scored a try on fulltime to seal the result.[88] Melbourne were without injured captain Glenn Lazarus and moved to equal first on the ladder with Brisbane and Newcastle following the result.[89]
  • 3 August – Marcus Bai met with Australian Prime Minister John Howard to hand over $15,000 worth of donations raised by the club and supporters in aid of the Papua New Guinea earthquake which had caused devastation to Bai's home country in July.[90]
  • Round 22 – Storm players sitting on the bench controversially hold up a paper mask of suspended prop forward Rodney Howe during the club's 20–10 win over the Cronulla Sharks at Olympic Park.[91] John Ribot later apologising for the "childish stunt,"[92] with NRL board member and Parramatta CEO Denis Fitzgerald calling for A$5,000 fines for each of the players.[93] The NRL later took no action against the club or the players involved.[94]
  • Round 23 – In diabolical weather conditions including torrential rain, and the Belmore Sports Ground field resembling a swimming pool, Melbourne were almost held scoreless for the first time, with a late try to stand-in captain Tawera Nikau the only points for the Storm. Halfback Brett Kimmorley was injured in the first half, not returning to the field after half time.[95][96]
  • Round 24 – Melbourne secure a home final by finishing third on the NRL ladder, ending the regular season with a 16–12 win over Canberra Raiders. Brett Kimmorley, who was in doubt with concussion for the match, scored a try in the second half, leading the Storm around the field in a man of the match performance. Matt Geyer, filling in for the suspended Robbie Ross was also a key performer, fielding a number of kicks from Ricky Stuart in the windy conditions.[97][98][99]
  • 23 August – In a poll conducted of 100 NRL players, Melbourne coach Chris Anderson received 83 votes to be the clear choice as the coach of the year.[100]
  • 27 August – Chris Anderson wins the Dally M Coach of the Year award, with Marcus Bai (wing) and Tawera Nikau (lock forward) making the Team of the Year.[101] Brett Kimmorley finished second behind Newcastle halfback Andrew Johns in the count for the Dally M Medal.[102][103]
  • Preliminary qualifying final – Without captain Glenn Lazarus due to injury,[104] a second half masterclass from Brad Fittler hands Melbourne a 26–12 loss in their NRL finals debut. The Storm had led 12–8 at half time, but struggled to contain Fittler in the second half.[64][105][106][107] Before the game, Melbourne announce their first ever jersey sponsorship deal with the Honda logo appearing on player's sleeves, the deal reported to be worth A$1.5m over three years.[108]
  • Elimination quarter final – Melbourne win their first finals game, defeating Canberra Raiders 24–10 to advance to the third week of the five-week finals series.[64] The Storm were again without captain Glenn Lazarus, with the veteran unable to shake a troublesome hamstring injury.[109] Melbourne jumped out to a 16–0 lead during the first half, and extended their advantage early in the second half.[110][111] Young centre Tony Martin scored two tries, fresh off signing a new contract to stay with the club.[112]
  • 6 September – Despite the first year successes, it was revealed the club was poised to lose A$15m due to start-up costs. The club was not expected to be profitable for some time.[113]
  • Elimination semi final – Eventual premiers Brisbane Broncos knock Melbourne out of the 1998 NRL finals, in a game played at the Sydney Football Stadium. Melbourne putting in their worst performance of the season were down 10–2 at half time and were never in the contest, Matt Geyer crossing for a late consolation try.[64][114][115] Glenn Lazarus was still unavailable for the match, despite hope that he would be play when named in the team before the match.[116] Also unavailable was first choice goalkicker Craig Smith.[117]
  • 19 September – Storm feeder team Norths Devils win the 1998 Queensland Cup Grand Final, featuring a number of players who played for Melbourne in 1998.[118][119]

Milestone games

RoundPlayerMilestone
Round 1See inaugural teamStorm debuts
Ben RoartyNRL debut
Round 2Robbie Ross50th game
Matt GeyerStorm debut
Round 4Wayne EvansStorm debut
Ben AndersonNRL debut
Round 7Tony MartinStorm debut
Round 13Anthony BonusStorm debut
Wade FentonNRL debut
Round 14John WilshereStorm debut
Round 15Daniel FrameNRL debut
Round 16Matt RuaNRL debut
Round 19Chris Anderson200th NRL game coached
Round 20Tristan Brady-SmithStorm debut
Preliminary qualifying finalPaul Marquet150th game

Jerseys

1998 home jersey

Melbourne's inaugural jerseys were navy blue jerseys with a stylised white and purple chevron design, with gold trim and collars, worn with navy blue shorts and socks. Until late in the season, there were no advertising logos, except that of manufacturer Nike. Unusually, Melbourne carried on the Super League innovation of having player names on the back of jerseys, ostensibly to assist new fans to identify players. The team wore the predominately blue jerseys in every game in 1998, except for the round 15 game against North Queensland Cowboys, when a predominately white jersey was worn with white shorts and socks. Midway through the season, the club signed a sponsorship deal with Fila worth an estimated A$1.5m over three years.[120]

Fixtures

Preseason

Date Rd Opponent Venue Result Mel. Opp. Tries Goals Field goals Ref
7 FebruaryTrial Adelaide RamsNorth Hobart Oval, HobartWon2622J Wilshere (2), T Brady-Smith, B Kimmorley, M BaiM Geyer 3/5[121][15][122][123][124]
28 FebruaryTrial Canberra RaidersLavington Sports Ground, AlburyLost1634S Hill, R Swain, P MarquetM Geyer 2/3

Regular season

Result by round

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324
GroundAAAHAAHHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH
ResultWWWWLWWWLWDWWWWLLWLWWWLW
Position1054444324333221222432243
Points2468810121414161719212325252527272931333335
Source: Rugby League Tables
A = Away; H = Home; N = Neutral; B = Bye; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

Date Rd Opponent Venue Result Mel. Opp. Tries Goals Field goals Ref
14 March1 Illawarra SteelersWIN Stadium, WollongongWon1412S Hill (2)C Smith 3/3[125]
22 March2 Western Suburbs MagpiesCampbelltown Stadium, SydneyWon2616M Bai, P Bell, R Kearns, R Ross, D WilliamsC Smith 3/8[126]
28 March3 Cronulla-Sutherland SharksShark Park, SydneyWon2618R Bawden (2), M Bai, S Hill, R SwainC Smith 3/5[127]
3 April4 North Sydney BearsOlympic Park, MelbourneWon2416M Bai, S Hill, P Marquet, C SmithC Smith 4/5[128]
10 April5 Auckland WarriorsEricsson Stadium, AucklandLost1216M Bai, P BellC Smith 2/2[129]
19 April6 Parramatta EelsParramatta Stadium, SydneyWon3222M Bai, J Carlaw, R Howe, B Kimmorley, T Nikau, R RossC Smith 4/6[130]
25 April7 Penrith PanthersOlympic Park, MelbourneWon2214J Carlaw (2), P Bell, R KearnsC Smith 3/6[131]
1 May8 Western Suburbs MagpiesOlympic Park, MelbourneWon5416R Ross (2), R Bawden, J Carlaw, S Hill, R Kearns, P Marquet, B Roarty, D WilliamsC Smith 9/10[132]
8 May9 St George DragonsOlympic Park, MelbourneLost1418R Bawden, D WilliamsC Smith 3/4[133]
15 May10 South Sydney RabbitohsSydney Football Stadium, SydneyWon146P Bell, A MouleC Smith 3/3[134]
24 May11 Illawarra SteelersOlympic Park, MelbourneDraw1414G Lazarus, R RossC Smith 3/3[135]
31 May12 Gold Coast ChargersOlympic Park, MelbourneWon626S Hill (2), R Ross (2), M Bai, R Bawden, B Kimmorley, P Marquet, T Martin, T Nikau, D WilliamsT Martin 6/8, B Kimmorley 2/3[136]
7 June13 Balmain TigersLeichhardt Oval, SydneyWon2516R Bawden (2), A Moule, B RoartyB Kimmorley 2/4, T Martin 2/2B Kimmorley[137]
13 June14 Adelaide RamsOlympic Park, MelbourneWon244S Hill (2), M Bai, B RoartyJ Wilshere 3/4, B Kimmorley 1/1[138]
20 June15 North Queensland CowboysMalanda Stadium, TownsvilleWon108R BawdenC Smith 3/4[139]
27 June16 Auckland WarriorsOlympic Park, MelbourneLost2124S Hill, T Martin, T Nikau, R RossC Smith 2/5B Kimmorley[140]
3 July17 Brisbane BroncosANZ Stadium, BrisbaneLost1634M Bai, B Kimmorley, R RossC Smith 2/3[141]
10 July18 Manly Warringah Sea EaglesOlympic Park, MelbourneWon2212P Bell, W Evans, T Martin, C SmithC Smith 2/2, B Kimmorley 1/2[142]
17 July19 North Sydney BearsNorth Sydney Oval, SydneyLost1034J Carlaw, R SwainB Kimmorley 1/2[143]
24 July20 Newcastle KnightsOlympic Park, MelbourneWon3216M Bai (3), S Hill, B Kimmorley, R SwainB Kimmorley 4/7[144]
2 August21 Sydney City RoostersSydney Football Stadium, SydneyWon3220P Bell, T Brady-Smith, J Carlaw, S Hill, R Kearns, P MarquetB Kimmorley 4/6[145]
7 August22 Cronulla-Sutherland SharksOlympic Park, MelbourneWon2010D Williams (2), M Bai, P BellB Kimmorley 2/4[146]
14 August23 Canterbury-Bankstown BulldogsBelmore Sports Ground, SydneyLost48T NikauT Martin 0/1[147]
21 August24 Canberra RaidersOlympic Park, MelbourneWon1612S Hill, B Kimmorley, T MartinB Kimmorley 2/3[148]

Source:[149]

Finals

Preliminary qualifying final
Sunday, 30 August
15:00 AEST (UTC+10)
Melbourne Storm 12 – 26 Sydney City Roosters
Tries: 2
Marquet rugby ball 24'
Bai rugby ball 34'
Goals: 2
Smith rugby goalposts icon 25', 35' (2/3)
 1st: 12–8
2nd: 0–18
Report
 Tries: 4
Fittler rugby ball 17'
Gourley rugby ball 42'
Elsegood rugby ball 58'
Barnett rugby ball 64'
Goals: 5
Cleary rugby goalposts icon pen 3', 18', 43', 59', 65' (5/6)
Olympic Park, Melbourne
Attendance: 18,247
Referee: Paul McBlane
Elimination quarter final
Saturday, 5 September
15:00 AEST (UTC+10)
Melbourne Storm 24 – 10 Canberra Raiders
Tries: 5
Martin rugby ball 24', 74'
Geyer rugby ball 2'
Hill rugby ball 17'
Bai rugby ball 35'
Goals: 2
Kimmorley rugby goalposts icon pen 5', 17' (2/6)
 1st: 20–0
2nd: 4–10
Report
 Tries: 2
Mullins rugby ball 56'
Stuart rugby ball 76'
Goals: 1
Furner rugby goalposts icon 57' (1/1)
McNamara (0/1)
Olympic Park, Melbourne
Attendance: 12,592
Referee: Steve Clark
Elimination semi final
Sunday, 13 September
15:00 AEST (UTC+10)
Brisbane Broncos 30 – 6 Melbourne Storm
Tries: 6
Renouf rugby ball 50', 64'
Campion rugby ball 26'
Lockyer rugby ball 28'
Carroll rugby ball 59'
Lee rugby ball 73'
Goals: 3
Lockyer rugby goalposts icon 29', 60', 74' (3/6)
 1st: 10–2
2nd: 20–4
Report
 Tries: 1
Geyer rugby ball 77'
Goals: 1
Kimmorley rugby goalposts icon pen 14' (1/2)
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 20,354
Referee: Bill Harrigan

Ladder

1998 NRL season
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Brisbane Broncos (P) 24 18 1 5 688 310 +378 37
2 Newcastle Knights 24 18 1 5 562 381 +181 37
3 Melbourne Storm 24 17 1 6 546 372 +174 35
4 Parramatta Eels 24 17 1 6 468 349 +119 35
5 North Sydney Bears 24 17 0 7 663 367 +296 34
6 Sydney City Roosters 24 16 0 8 680 383 +297 32
7 Canberra Raiders 24 15 0 9 564 429 +135 30
8 St. George Dragons 24 13 1 10 486 490 −4 27
9 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 13 0 11 489 411 +78 26
10 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 24 13 0 11 503 473 +30 26
11 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24 12 1 11 438 387 +51 25
12 Illawarra Steelers 24 11 1 12 476 539 −63 23
13 Balmain Tigers 24 9 1 14 381 463 −82 19
14 Penrith Panthers 24 8 2 14 525 580 −55 18
15 Auckland Warriors 24 9 0 15 417 518 −101 18
16 North Queensland Cowboys 24 9 0 15 361 556 −195 18
17 Adelaide Rams 24 7 0 17 393 615 −222 14
18 South Sydney Rabbitohs 24 5 0 19 339 560 −221 10
19 Gold Coast Chargers 24 4 0 20 289 654 −365 8
20 Western Suburbs Magpies 24 4 0 20 371 802 −431 8
Source: [150]
(P) Premiers

1998 Coaching Staff

1998 squad

List current as of 21 July 2021[151]

Cap[c] Nat. Player name Position First Storm Game Previous First Grade RL club[d]
1 Australia Robbie Ross FB 1998 Australia Hunter Mariners
2 Australia Craig Smith WG 1998 Australia Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs[e]
3 Australia Aaron Moule WG, CE 1998 Australia South Queensland Crushers
4 Australia Paul Bell CE 1998 Australia Perth Reds
5 Papua New Guinea Marcus Bai WG 1998 Australia Gold Coast Chargers
6 Australia Scott Hill FE 1998 Australia Hunter Mariners
7 Australia Brett Kimmorley HB 1998 Australia Hunter Mariners
8 Australia Rodney Howe PR 1998 Australia Perth Reds
9 Australia Danny Williams LK, SR, HK 1998 Australia North Sydney Bears
10 Australia Robbie Kearns PR 1998 Australia Perth Reds
11 Australia Paul Marquet PR, SR 1998 Australia Hunter Mariners
12 Australia Ben Roarty PR, SR, LK 1998 Australia Melbourne Storm[f]
13 New Zealand Tawera Nikau LK 1998 Australia Cronulla Sharks
14 Australia Glenn Lazarus PR 1998 Australia Brisbane Broncos
15 New Zealand Richard Swain HK 1998 Australia Hunter Mariners
16 Australia Russell Bawden PR 1998 England London Broncos
17 Australia John Carlaw CE 1998 Australia Hunter Mariners
18 Australia Matt Geyer WG 1998 Australia Perth Reds
19 Australia Wayne Evans SR 1998 Australia Perth Reds
20 Australia Ben Anderson FE 1998 Australia Melbourne Storm[g]
21 Australia Tony Martin WG, CE 1998 England London Broncos
22 Australia Anthony Bonus PR 1998 Australia Illawarra Steelers[h]
23 Australia Wade Fenton SR, PR 1998 Australia Melbourne Storm
24 Papua New Guinea John Wilshere CE 1998 Australia Perth Reds
25 Australia Daniel Frame PR, SR 1998 Australia Melbourne Storm[i]
26 New Zealand Matt Rua PR, SR 1998 Australia Melbourne Storm[j]
27 Australia Tristan Brady-Smith WG 1998 Australia Perth Reds
N/a Australia Ryan Baker SR Yet to debut –[k]
N/a Australia Ryan Gundry PR Yet to debut –[l]
N/a New Zealand Chris McCausland FE Yet to debut –[l]
N/a Tonga David Palavi HK Yet to debut –[m]

Inaugural Team

The first Melbourne Storm team to take to the field in Round 1 of the 1998 NRL season[152]

Melbourne Storm
Inaugural Team Interchange Coach

Head coach


Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)

Updated: 23 July 2020
Source(s): NRL 1998 Round 1

Representative honours

This table lists all players who have played a representative match in 1998.

Player1998 ANZAC TestState of Origin 1State of Origin 2State of Origin 3October Test Matches
Rodney HoweAustraliaNew South WalesNew South WalesN/aN/a
Robbie KearnsN/aN/aN/aNew South WalesAustralia
Glenn LazarusAustraliaN/aNew South WalesNew South WalesN/a

Statistics

This table contains playing statistics for all Melbourne Storm players to have played in the 1998 NRL season.

NameAppearancesTriesGoalsField goalsPoints
Ben Anderson40000
Marcus Bai27140056
Russell Bawden2780032
Paul Bell2570028
Anthony Bonus10000
Tristan Brady-Smith31004
John Carlaw2460024
Wayne Evans171004
Wade Fenton20000
Daniel Frame70000
Matt Geyer112008
Scott Hill26141058
Rodney Howe121004
Robbie Kearns2640016
Brett Kimmorley27522266
Glenn Lazarus181004
Paul Marquet2750020
Tony Martin2168040
Aaron Moule82008
Tawera Nikau2740016
Ben Roarty2530012
Robbie Ross2190036
Matt Rua60000
Craig Smith172510110
Richard Swain2530012
Danny Williams2060024
John Wilshere10306
27 players used–104852588

Scorers

Most points in a game: 18 points

  • Round 4 – Craig Smith (9 Goals) vs Western Suburbs Magpies

Most tries in a game: 3

  • Round 20 – Marcus Bai vs Newcastle Knights

NRL Judiciary

A number of Melbourne players were cited by the match review committee for incidents through the 1998 season, with the following results from the NRL Judiciary.

RoundPlayerOffence & gradeResult[n] Ref
Round 1Brett KimmorleyHigh tackleWarning[23]
Round 3Danny WilliamsReckless tackle (Grade 3)3 matches (375 demerit points)[26][8]
Round 12Glenn LazarusCareless tackle (Grade 3)0 matches (99 demerit points)[8][155]
Round 15Danny WilliamsCareless tackle4 matches (425 demerit points)[8][156]
Round 16Scott HillCareless tackle (Grade 3)1 match (150 demerit points)[8][157]
Round 18Ben RoartyCareless tackle (Grade 2)2 matches (250 demerit points)[8][158]
Round 23Robbie RossDangerous throw (Grade 1)1 match (125 demerit points)[8][159]
Elimination semi finalTawera NikauStriking (Grade 2)1 match[8][160]
N/ARodney HoweDoping22 matches[8][73]

Feeder team

Upon entry to the NRL, Melbourne Storm signed an affiliation agreement with Queensland Cup team Norths Devils to act as a feeder club and to provide Melbourne players who were not selected to play first grade a match each weekend.[161] Players would fly to Brisbane each week after training in Melbourne to play Queensland Cup, with a number of other junior players also moving to Brisbane to play with the club. The arrangement bore immediate results as the side coached by Mark Murray won the minor premiership. Featuring a number of players who had played for Melbourne in 1998, Norths Devils would go on to win the 1998 Queensland Cup Grand Final 35–18 against Wests Panthers, with Matt Geyer scoring three tries in the match.[162]

1998 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Norths Devils (P) 221615872394+47833

Awards and honours

Notes

  1. ↑ Regular season home matches in Melbourne only
  2. ↑ Regular season home matches in Melbourne only
  3. ↑ Players are listed with the cap number as they appear on the Melbourne Storm honour board. Additional squad members do not have a cap number.
  4. ↑ This column denotes the previous RL club the player was signed to and played first grade RL for. If they are yet to debut then this is stipulated. If they were merely signed to the club but did not play then it is not counted.
  5. ↑ Reserve grade 1997, previous first grade experience with North Sydney Bears in 1994
  6. ↑ Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs reserve grade 1997
  7. ↑ Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs juniors 1997
  8. ↑ Previously released at the end of the 1996 ARL season by Parramatta, played reserve grade for Illawarra in 1997.
  9. ↑ Woy Woy Roosters
  10. ↑ Manly Warringah Sea Eagles reserve grade 1997
  11. ↑ Perth junior, played for Australian Schoolboys rugby league team in 1997
  12. 1 2 Perth Reds junior in 1997
  13. ↑ Canberra Raiders junior, former Australian Schoolboys rugby union team player
  14. ↑ 100 demerit points equals one match suspension.

References

  1. ↑ Kent, Paul (9 March 1998). "How your team rates — League 98". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales: Fairfax Media. p. 37 (Sport).
  2. ↑ Magnay, Jacquelin (7 August 1998). "Kicking up a Storm". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. p. 4 (Sport).
  3. ↑ "Melbourne Storm History". melbournestorm.com.au. Melbourne Storm. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  4. ↑ Toohey, Barry (11 January 1998). "Storm's $3m Mariners coup". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 56.
  5. ↑ Weidler, Danny (11 January 1998). "Kimmorley poised to join Storm". Sun Herald. Sydney, New South Wales: Fairfax Media. p. 93.
  6. ↑ "Lazarus to miss pre-season". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. 21 January 1998. p. 71.
  7. ↑ Rothfield, Buzz (25 January 1998). "Wooden spoon odds - What's the Buzz". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 142.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Middleton, David (October 1998). Rugby League 1999. Sydney: Harper Sports. ISBN 0732267773.
  9. 1 2 2002 Melbourne Storm Info Guide. Melbourne Storm. p. 112.
  10. ↑ "League novices play up a Storm". Sunday Tasmanian. Hobart, Tasmania. 8 February 1998. p. 39.
  11. ↑ Ritchie, Dean (3 February 1998). "Nikau named Storm skipper". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 62.
  12. ↑ Chung, Colin (7 February 1998). "Storm players in day of mixed feelings". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. p. 41.
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  14. ↑ Westlake, Michael (13 February 1998). "Club to rally Vics behind tradition". Courier Mail. Brisbane, Queensland: News Corporation Australia. p. 37.
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  16. ↑ Ritchie, Dean (12 February 1998). "Ribot looks to offload". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 88.
  17. ↑ "Sell talk is storm in a cup, says Ribot". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 13 February 1998. p. 55.
  18. ↑ DeKroo, Karl (1 March 1998). "Raiders Finish With A Flurry". Canberra Times. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. p. 18.
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  37. ↑ Adams, Tony (26 April 1998). "Bai of the STORM". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 59.
  38. ↑ "Melbourne run riot again". The Australian. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: News Corporation Australia. 2 May 1998. p. 63.
  39. ↑ Hinds, Richard (2 May 1998). "Sorry Magpies blown away by one hell of a Storm". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales: Fairfax Media. p. 63.
  40. ↑ Magnay, Jacquelin (9 May 1998). "Dragons' fire calms Storm". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. p. 21 (Sport).
  41. ↑ "Saints weather Storm". Illawarra Mercury. Wollongong, New South Wales. 9 May 1998. p. 80.
  42. ↑ Hadfield, Warwick (9 May 1998). "Saints rain on Storm parade". The Australian. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: News Corporation Australia. p. 68.
  43. ↑ Magnay, Jacquelin (10 May 1998). "Clouds gather over lack of TV exposure". Sun Herald. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. p. 115.
  44. ↑ Zwar, Adam (10 May 1998). "Storm strikes television snub". Courier Mail. Brisbane, Queensland: News Corporation Australia. p. 140.
  45. ↑ "Melbourne storm home". The Australian. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: News Corporation Australia. 16 May 1998. p. 68.
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  47. ↑ "Rivals left to rue errors". Courier Mail. Brisbane, Queensland: News Corporation Australia. 25 May 1998. p. 28 (Sport).
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  52. ↑ Westlake, Michael (31 May 1998). "Stone denies Storm over TV". Courier Mail. Melbourne, Victoria: News Corporation Australia. p. 157.
  53. ↑ "The Storm shows it's not out of its depth". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. 8 June 1998. p. 6 (Sport).
  54. ↑ Cowley, Michael (8 June 1998). "The Storm boys blow in to batter the pride of the city". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales: Fairfax Media. p. 23 (Sport).
  55. ↑ "Melbourne bonus for Anthony". Illawarra Mercury. Wollongong, New South Wales. 8 June 1998. p. 22 (Sport).
  56. ↑ "Kearns to play against Tigers". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. 7 June 1998. p. 8 (Sport).
  57. 1 2 Saltau, Chloe (12 June 1998). "New man in Storm". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. p. 4 (Sport).
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  62. ↑ "Referee booed as Storm hangs on". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria. 21 June 1998. p. 4 (Sport).
  63. ↑ Prentice, Tim. "Late pressure goal gives Storm victory". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 69.
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  66. ↑ Frilingos, Peter (26 June 1998). "Howe in drugs shock". Courier Mail. Brisbane, Queensland: News Corporation Australia. p. 48.
  67. ↑ Magnay, Jacquelin (28 June 1998). "Another shock for Storm". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. p. 7 (Sport).
  68. ↑ "Warriors' last-ditch video try". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. 28 June 1998. p. 66.
  69. ↑ Magnay, Jacquelin (4 July 1998). "Broncos' late stampede blows away Storm thunder". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria. p. 15 (Sport).
  70. ↑ Ricketts, Steve (8 July 1998). "Clubs in struggle as trio put out". Courier Mail. Brisbane, Queensland: News Corporation Australia. p. 50 (Sport).
  71. ↑ "Howe gets 22 weeks". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. 10 July 1998. p. 1(Sport).
  72. ↑ "Howe tells: why I took drugs - Steroids a quick fix for knee injury". Illawarra Mercury. Wollongong, New South Wales. 27 June 1998. p. 96.
  73. 1 2 Mascord, Steve (27 June 1998). "Howe: I took it for knee injury". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales: Fairfax Media. p. 58.
  74. ↑ "Prop gets 22 weeks as drug storm rages". Courier Mail. Brisbane, Queensland. 10 July 1998. p. 1.
  75. ↑ Frilingos, Peter (10 July 1998). "HOWE'S THAT — Maximum 22 weeks for third drug cheat". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 128.
  76. ↑ Westlake, Michael (11 July 1998). "Storm front row in crisis". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 145.
  77. ↑ Magnay, Jacquelin (11 July 1998). "Fired-up Storm batters Manly". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. p. 18 (Sport).
  78. ↑ Weidler, Danny (19 July 1998). "The last word". Sun Herald. Sydney, New South Wales: Fairfax Media. p. 111.
  79. ↑ Adams, Tony (18 July 1998). "BLOWN AWAY — Bears send Storm crashing to worst ever loss". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 144.
  80. ↑ Mascord, Steve (18 July 1998). "Bears hand weak Storm worst defeat". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales: Fairfax Media. p. 58.
  81. ↑ Dunne, Jeff (24 July 1998). "Storm query players over drug rumour". The Australian. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: News Corporation Australia. p. 22 (Sport).
  82. ↑ Keeble, Brett (27 July 1998). "It's a long road to batter AFL battlements". Newcastle Herald. Newcastle, New South Wales. p. 58.
  83. ↑ Magnay, Jacquelin (25 July 1998). "Storm lashes Newcastle". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media. p. 17 (Sport).
  84. ↑ Westlake, Michael (25 July 1998). "Storm smash the Knights' hopes". Courier Mail. Brisbane, Queensland: News Corporation Australia. p. 78.
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  93. ↑ Rothfield, Phil (9 August 1998). "Slug them $5000 — Fitz". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 59.
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  96. ↑ Prentice, Tim (16 August 1998). "Dogs win battle of Belmore — Storm fail in the wet". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 61.
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  164. ↑ "Kearns takes Storm award". Illawarra Mercury. Wollongong, New South Wales. 3 October 1998. p. 74.
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