2005 Melbourne Storm season explained
| Year: | 2005 |
| Team Colour: | - 6C0094
|
| Font Colour: | - ffd700
|
| League: | NRL |
| League Rank: | 6th |
| League Wins: | 13 |
| League Draws: | 0 |
| League Losses: | 11 |
| Points For: | 640 |
| Points Against: | 462 |
| Playoff Result: | Semi-final Loss |
| Ceo Title: | CEO |
| Coach Title: | Coach |
| Captain: | Robbie Kearns (25 Games)
Matt Orford (1 Game) |
| Avg Attendance: | 8,898 |
| High Attendance: | 12,149 (Round 4) |
| Top Tries: | Billy Slater (20) |
| Top Goals: | Matt Orford (63) |
| Top Points: | Matt Orford (172) |
| List: | yes |
| List Link: | Melbourne Storm#Season summaries |
The 2005 Melbourne Storm season was the 8th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2005 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season 6th out of 15 teams and making the finals. The season began with two big wins over the Knights and Dragons, each by more than 30 points. The form line followed a similar path to the previous season though as the team struggled to string consecutive wins together and hovered around the lower part of the eight for much of the season before ultimately finishing sixth once again. Future star Greg Inglis made his debut in Round 6. Storm finished the season with the second best defence in the competition and again went to Suncorp Stadium in Week One of the finals, producing the same result to defeat the Broncos. However for the third straight season the side was unable to progress past the semi-final stage, losing to the Cowboys. At the end of the season, Storm legends Robbie Kearns and Matt Geyer were inducted as inaugural life members of the Club.[1]
Season Summary
- 22 February – The Supreme Court of New South Wales finds Melbourne and former players Stephen Kearney and Marcus Bai responsible for the spear tackle that ended the career of Jarrod McCracken in the 2000 NRL season.[2] [3]
- Round 1 – Melbourne open their 2005 season at home with a resounding 48-10 win over Newcastle Knights. Leading 22-0 at half time, the Storm extend their lead on the back of a Billy Slater hat-trick. Former Melbourne er Dustin Cooper scores a double for the visitors. Brett White makes his NRL debut.
- Round 4 – Storm thrash Brisbane Broncos 50-4 to inflict the heaviest defeat in the Broncos' 18-year history. The 50 point score against Brisbane also bested the 48 points scored by Melbourne in 1999.[4] Before the game, the club honours 1999 premiership players Glenn Lazarus and Tawera Nikau; by renaming the eastern (Nikau) and western (Lazarus) grandstands.[5]
- 13 April – Melbourne is found to have breached the competition's salary cap in 2004 and are fined $120,000.[6]
- Round 6 – Greg Inglis makes his NRL debut at just 18 years and 91 days, scoring a try.
- 30 April – The Victoria State Government confirms that the Olympic Park precinct will undergo a $100m redevelopment, with a new stadium scheduled for completion in 2008.[7]
- 2 May – Controversy over "grapple tackles" erupts with Cronulla claiming he was choked in a two-man Storm tackle.
- Round 12 – Melbourne breaks a three-game losing streak at home by beating St George Illawarra by 24–16.[8]
- Round 13 – Melbourne win their first game at Leichhardt Oval since 1998, coming from 8-0 down at half time to win 30-14.
- Round 14 – Missing Origin players, Melbourne are awarded a controversial penalty try to Cooper Cronk early in the second half. It wasn't enough for the victory, as the New Zealand Warriors regained the Michael Moore Trophy win a 24-16 victory.
- Round 16 – Melbourne return to form thrashing South Sydney Rabbitohs 48-6, with Billy Slater scoring another hat-trick.
- Round 17 – Melbourne win just their second game in 13 attempts against 2004 premiers Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, with Slater and Inglis both scoring two tries in a 33-6 win.
- Round 18 – In front of the lowest attended Olympic Park home game in club history (6,063), Melbourne hold Canberra Raiders scoreless for the first time.
- 20 July – After weeks of speculation, it's announced Matt Orford has signed a four-year contract with Manly worth nearly $2m.
- Round 23 – Melbourne celebrate the 100th game at Olympic Park by regaining the Michael Moore Trophy, winning 22-10 over the Warriors.
- Round 25 – In his last home game for the club, Robbie Kearns is chaired from the field following a 34-22 win over Wests Tigers. Coach Craig Bellamy saying that Kearns "without a doubt is the heart and soul of this club."
- Round 26 – A penalty try awarded against Billy Slater in a 30-24 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys was part of a controversial night in Townsville with Cowboys forward Carl Webb suspended for punching Ryan Hoffman allegedly in retaliation for a "grapple tackle." The loss drops Melbourne to sixth on the ladder at the end of the regular season, behind the Cowboys in fourth.
- Qualifying Final – Travelling to Brisbane for the second year in a row, Melbourne hang on for a 24-18 win over the Broncos. Injuries to Robbie Kearns (shoulder) and Billy Slater (ankle) complicating things for the club for the remainder of the finals.
- 12 September – Melbourne and North Queensland spark a war of words over the "grapple tackle", with both clubs accusing the other of using the technique ahead of the semi-final between the teams. Melbourne later release video of 20 incidents in which they claim Cowboys players were putting opponents in headlocks.
- Semi-final – For the third year in a row, Melbourne are eliminated in the second week of the NRL finals, this time going down 24-16 to the Cowboys at Aussie Stadium. Down 16-0 at half time, Melbourne were gifted a try by referee Paul Simpkins who failed to consult the video referee when Steven Bell lost control of the ball while attempting to score. A frantic final flurry almost saw Melbourne level the scores led by fill-in captain Matt Orford.
Milestone games
Jerseys
For the 2005 season, Melbourne signed a new apparel contract with Reebok. The home jersey remained largely unchanged from the 2001-02 design, but now with a simple navy blue T-shirt style collar. This meant the home jersey did not feature gold for the first time in team history.
A new white clash jersey was designed, featuring a large gold thunderbolt with purple block shadowing, which was partially obscured by the jersey advertiser Adecco. The clash jersey was worn with different navy blue shorts featuring the thunderbolt design on the right.
The clash jersey was worn on seven occasions during the regular season (rounds 5, 13, 14, 19, 21, 22, 26); with Melbourne only winning on one occasion against Wests Tigers. Both finals games were also played with Melbourne wearing the clash jersey.
Fixtures
Pre Season
| Date | | Opponent | Venue | Result | | | Tries | Goals | Field goals | |
|---|
| 5 February | Trial | Central Comets | Browne Park, Rockhampton | | | 58 | 18 | J Webster (2), M Brentnall (2), J Tatupu, R Shortland, T Metuisela, A Kaufusi, P Robinson | G Inglis (7) | | [9] |
| 19 February | Trial | Brisbane Broncos | Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast | | 24 | 10 | S Turner, S Bell, J Smith, B Slater, G Inglis | S Turner (2) | | [10] |
| 25 February | Trial | North Queensland Cowboys | Barlow Park, Cairns | | 30 | 18 | C Smith, R Kearns, B Slater, R Hoffman, J Webster | M Orford (3), C Smith, G Inglis | | [11] [12] |
|
Regular season
Matches
Source:[13]
| Date | | Opponent | Venue | Result | | | Tries | Goals | Field goals | |
|---|
| 13 March | 1 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 48 | 10 | B Slater (3), M Orford (2), C Cronk, R Hoffman, J Webster, B White | M Orford 4/5, M Geyer 2/2, C Smith 0/2 | | [14] |
| 19 March | 2 | | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | | 46 | 12 | S Bell (2), M Orford (2), R Kearns, M King, B Slater, C Smith | M Orford 4/5, C Smith 3/4 | | [15] |
| 27 March | 3 | | Brookvale Oval, Sydney | | 18 | 25 | S Bell, C Cronk, B Slater | C Smith 3/3 | | [16] |
| 2 April | 4 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 50 | 4 | M Geyer (2), M King (2), B Slater (2), J Webster (2), S Bell, R Hoffman | M Orford 4/7, C Smith 1/3 | | [17] |
| 8 April | 5 | | CUA Stadium, Sydney | | 16 | 36 | S Bell, A Chan, M King | M Orford 1/3, C Smith 1/1 | | [18] |
| 16 April | 6 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 14 | 26 | G Inglis, M King, M Orford | C Smith 1/2, M Orford 0/1 | | [19] |
| 24 April | 7 | | Canberra Stadium, Canberra | | 46 | 10 | M King (2), B Slater (2), M Geyer, S Hill, R Hoffman, J Webster | M Orford 4/5, C Smith 3/4 | | [20] |
| 30 April | 8 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 10 | 30 | P Robinson, D Scott | M Orford 1/2 | | [21] |
| 6 May | 9 | Bye |
| 14 May | 10 | | Aussie Stadium, Sydney | | 38 | 12 | G Turner (2), S Bell, A Chan, M Geyer, G Inglis, D Kidwell, M Orford | C Smith 3/8 | | [22] |
| 21 May | 11 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 16 | 26 | J Graham, R Kearns, D Kidwell | M Orford 2/3 | | [23] |
| 29 May | 12 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 24 | 16 | M King, M Orford, C Smith, G Turner | M Orford 3/4, C Smith 1/1 | | [24] |
| 5 June | 13 | | Leichhardt Oval, Sydney | | 30 | 14 | B Slater (2), S Bell, M Geyer, J Webster | M Orford 3/3, C Smith 2/2 | | [25] |
| 12 June | 14 | | Ericsson Stadium, Auckland | | 16 | 24 | M Geyer (2), C Cronk | M Orford 2/4 | | [26] |
| 18 June | 15 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 14 | 28 | S Bell, M Geyer, M King | M Orford 1/3 | | [27] |
| 25 June | 16 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 48 | 6 | B Slater (3), M Geyer (2), S Bell, D Kidwell, G Turner, J Webster | M Orford 4/7, C Smith 2/2 | | [28] |
| 2 July | 17 | | Sydney Showground, Sydney | | 33 | 6 | G Inglis (2), B Slater (2), G Turner | M Orford 6/7 | M Orford | [29] |
| 9 July | 18 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 20 | 0 | J Webster (2), S Bell | M Orford 2/3, C Smith 2/2 | | [30] |
| 17 July | 19 | | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | | 15 | 28 | D Johnson, M Orford | M Orford 3/4 | M Orford | [31] |
| 24 July | 20 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 24 | 10 | D Johnson, D Kidwell, M King, B Slater | M Orford 3/4, C Smith 1/1 | | [32] |
| 30 July | 21 | | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle | | 18 | 37 | C Cronk, D Scott, B Slater | M Orford 2/2, C Smith 1/1 | | [33] |
| 6 August | 22 | | Toyota Park, Sydney | | 16 | 40 | S Bell, A Kaufusi, J Webster | M Orford 1/1, C Smith 1/2 | | [34] |
| 13 August | 23 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 22 | 10 | M King (2), M Orford, B Slater | M Orford 3/4 | | [35] |
| 20 August | 24 | Bye |
| 27 August | 25 | | Olympic Park, Melbourne | | 34 | 22 | S Bell, M Geyer, G Inglis, A Kaufusi, M Orford, C Smith | M Orford 5/5, C Smith 0/1 | | [36] |
| 3 September | 26 | | Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville | | 24 | 30 | S Bell, R Hoffman, G Inglis, D Scott | M Orford 2/2, C Smith 4/5 | | [37] | |
Finals
----
Ladder
See main article: 2005 NRL season.
2005 Coaching Staff
2005 squad
List current as of 28 September 2021
| width=5% | Cap | width=1% | Nat. | width=30% | Player name | width=15% | Position | width=10% | First Storm Game | width=35% | Previous First Grade RL club |
|---|
| 6 |  | Scott Hill | FE, LK | 1998 | Hunter Mariners |
| 10 | | Robbie Kearns | PR | 1998 | Perth Reds |
| 18 | | Matt Geyer | WG | 1998 | Perth Reds |
| 37 |  | Glen Turner | SR | 2000 | Melbourne Storm |
| 38 | | Peter Robinson | SR | 2000 | Melbourne Storm |
| 43 | | Matt Orford | HB | 2001 | Northern Eagles |
| 44 | | Steven Bell | CE | 2001 | Melbourne Storm |
| 55 | | Cameron Smith (c) | HK | 2002 | Melbourne Storm |
| 58 | | Billy Slater | FB | 2003 | Melbourne Storm |
| 59 | | David Kidwell | SR, LK | 2003 | Sydney Roosters |
| 60 | | Dallas Johnson | SR, LK | 2003 | Melbourne Storm |
| 61 | | Jake Webster | WG | 2003 | Melbourne Storm |
| 62 | | Ryan Hoffman | SR, LK | 2003 | Melbourne Storm |
| 64 | | Robert Tanielu | PR | 2003 < | -- Tanielu did not feature in first grade in 2005, but played for Norths Devils, next playing first grade in 2006 for Cowboys --> | Brisbane Broncos |
|---|
| 67 | | Nathan Friend | HK | 2003 | Brisbane Broncos |
| 68 | | Antonio Kaufusi | PR | 2003 | Melbourne Storm |
| 69 | | Matt King | CE | 2003 | Melbourne Storm |
| 71 | | Alex Chan | PR | 2004 | Parramatta Eels |
| 72 | | Steve Turner | FB, WG | 2004 | Penrith Panthers |
| 73 | | Cooper Cronk | HB | 2004 | Melbourne Storm |
| 74 | | Jeremy Smith | LK | 2004 | Melbourne Storm |
| 75 | | Dennis Scott | SR | 2005 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
| 76 | | Brett White | PR | 2005 | Melbourne Storm |
| 77 | | Ian Donnelly | PR | 2005 | Manly Sea Eagles |
| 78 | | Jamie McDonald | PR | 2005 | North Queensland Cowboys |
| 79 | | Greg Inglis | CE, FB | 2005 | Melbourne Storm |
| 80 | | Jamie Feeney | SR, LK | 2005 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
| 81 | | Josh Graham | CE | 2005 | Melbourne Storm |
| 82 | | Tevita Metuisela | PR | 2005 | Sydney Roosters |
| - | | Ryan Shortland | FE, CE | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | | Scott Anderson | PR | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | | Sam Tagataese | SR, PR | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | | Jeremiah Pai | FE, HB | Yet to Debut | New Zealand Warriors | |
Player movements
Losses
Gains
Representative honours
This table lists all players who have played a representative match in 2005.
| Player | | | | | | Tri-Nations |
|---|
| – | Country | – | – | – | – |
| New Zealand | – | – | – | – | New Zealand |
| – | Country | New South Wales | New South Wales | New South Wales | Australia |
| – | – | Queensland | Queensland | – | – |
| – | – | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | – |
| – | – | – | – | – | New Zealand | |
Statistics
This table contains playing statistics for all Melbourne Storm players to have played in the 2005 NRL season.
| Name | Appearances | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Points |
|---|
| 26 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 48 |
| 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 23 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | 11 | 63 | 2 | 172 |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 21 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
| 23 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 72 |
| 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 24 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 26 players used | — | 122 | 95 | 2 | 680 | |
|---|
Scorers
Most points in a game: 16 points
- Round 1 – Matt Orford (2 tries, 4 goals) vs Newcastle Knights
- Round 2 – Matt Orford (2 tries, 4 goals) vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Most tries in a game: 3
- Round 1 – Billy Slater vs Newcastle Knights
- Round 16 – Billy Slater vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Winning games
Highest score in a winning game: 50 points
- Round 4 vs Brisbane Broncos
Lowest score in a winning game: 20 points
- Round 18 vs Canberra Raiders
Greatest winning margin: 46 points
- Round 4 vs Brisbane Broncos
Greatest number of games won consecutively: 3
Losing games
Highest score in a losing game: 24 points
- Round 26 vs North Queensland Cowboys
Lowest score in a losing game: 10 points
- Round 8 vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Greatest losing margin: 24 points
- Round 22 vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Greatest number of games lost consecutively: 2
- Round 5 - Round 6
- Round 14 - Round 15
- Round 21 - Round 22
Feeder Teams
Under a new affiliation agreement, Melbourne split their reserve players between two feeder clubs during the 2005 season. The agreement with Norths Devils continued for an eighth season, with players who were dual-registered in Queensland travelling to Brisbane each week to play with in the Queensland Cup. Melbourne also formed an affiliation with foundation New South Wales Rugby League club North Sydney Bears for some players to play in the NSWRL Premier League.
In a repeat of the 2004 season, the Devils finished second on the ladder, but were bundled out of the finals in straight sets.
See main article: 2005 Queensland Cup.
Coached by Gary Freeman, the Bears finished tenth and missed the finals, with Alex Chan, Ian Donnelly, Jamie Feeney and Tevita Metuisela attracting praise from Freeman for their efforts.[42]
Awards and honours
Melbourne Storm Awards Night
- Dally M Top Try Scorer (regular season only): Billy Slater 19 (with Shaun Berrigan)
Additional Awards
Greg Inglis
Notes and References
- Web site: History Melbourne Storm. melbournestorm.com.au. 9 January 2017.
- Web site: McCracken wins fight for spear tackle damages . smh.com.au . Fairfax Media . 27 September 2021.
- Web site: Mccracken v Melbourne Storm Rugby League Football Club and 2 Ors [2005] NSWSC 107 (22 February 2005) ]. AustLII . 28 September 2021.
- News: de Kroo . Karl . An awesome Storm . Herald-Sun . Nationwide News Pty Ltd . 3 April 2005 . Melbourne, Victoria . 73.
- Web site: Storm stands to honour ex-players . theage.com.au . Fairfax Media . 15 October 2021 . 30 March 2005.
- Book: Middleton . David . 2005 Official Rugby League Annual . News Magazines . Surrey Hills.
- Web site: New stadium for Olympic Park . theage.com.au . Fairfax Media . 27 September 2021 . 30 April 2005.
- Web site: Storm back on song at home. ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Joel. Zander. 29 May 2005. 10 June 2022.
- Web site: FIRST TRIAL GAME, DONE AND DUSTED . melbournestorm.com.au . 28 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050209112534/http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news.php?id=581 . 9 February 2005 . 7 February 2005.
- News: Ricketts . Steve . He's our No.1...for now - Hodges starts at fullback for beaten Broncos . The Courier-Mail . Nationwide News Pty Ltd . 20 February 2005 . Brisbane, Queensland . 108.
- News: Storm swamp Cowboys in Cairns . AAP Sports News Wire . 25 February 2005.
- News: Greenwood . Emma . Cowboys collapse under Storm surge . The Cairns Post . Nationwide News Pty Ltd . 26 February 2005 . Cairns, Queensland . 168.
- Web site: Rugby League Tables - Melbourne. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 1. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 2. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 3. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 4. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 5. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 6. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 7. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 8. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 10. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 11. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 12. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 13. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 14. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 15. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 16. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 17. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 18. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 19. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 20. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 21. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 22. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 23. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 25. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: NRL 2005 - Round 26. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: Coach Profile . melbournestorm.com.au . 21 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050615134731/http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.asp?sec=2&ssec=3 . 15 June 2005.
- Web site: Brian Smith . Brian Smith (rugby league, born 1954) . SMITHY: A Sharp mind and a fine coach . theroar.com.au . 14 March 2022 . 2 July 2014 . Showing how highly rated he was in the wider coaching community, Melbourne Storm snapped him up for two seasons as an assistant immediately after the five year stint on Sydney’s north shore..
- Web site: 2005 Melbourne Point Scorers. afltables.com. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: Melbourne Storm - NRL 2005. rugbyleagueproject.org. 6 October 2021.
- Web site: Little . Steve . BEARS PLAY OUT SEASON IN FRONT OF BIG LOCAL CROWD . . 28 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051103184857/http://www.northsydneybears.com.au/Bears%20Den/Match%20Reports/Reports/20050828%20-%20Bears%20Play%20Out%20Season%20in%20Front%20of%20Big%20Local%20Crowd.htm . 3 November 2005 . 28 August 2005 . “Thanks for the effort you’ve put in this year boys. I hope you enjoyed the year and learnt a lot. I hope it gave you a good grounding for the future. Thanks to Alex Chan, Ian Donnelly, Jamie Feeney and Tevita Metuisela for coming back from Melbourne to do what is required..
- Web site: NRL Honour Board . melbournestorm.com.au . . 10 February 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130928161940/http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.aspx?s=nrl-honour-board . 28 September 2013 .
- Web site: STORMY, STORMY NIGHT . melbournestorm.com.au . 10 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051121012649/http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.asp?sec=12&ssec=1 . 21 November 2005.
