1998 Melbourne Storm season

The 1998 Melbourne Storm season was the first in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's inaugural Telstra Premiership and by Round 15 had climbed to the top of the 20-team ladder. They finished the regular season in 3rd place but were knocked out in the preliminary final by eventual premiers, the Brisbane Broncos.

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
CEOJohn Ribot
CoachChris Anderson
Captain
StadiumOlympic Park Stadium
Top scorers
TriesScott Hill & Marcus Bai (14)
GoalsCraig Smith (51)
PointsCraig Smith (110)
< None List of seasons 1999 >

The Melbourne Storm's first-up performance across season 1998 was a major surprise to many, with the new team reaching the top of the ladder in Round 15 and finishing the regular season in 3rd place, only one win behind minor premiers Brisbane. Adopting coach 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.[1]

Fixtures

[2]

Regular season
RoundOpponentResultMel.Opp.DateVenue
1Illawarra SteelersWin141214 MarWIN Stadium
2Western Suburbs MagpiesWin261622 MarCampbelltown Stadium
3Cronulla SharksWin261828 MarToyota Park
4North Sydney BearsWin24163 AprOlympic Park
5Auckland WarriorsLoss121610 AprMt Smart Stadium
6Parramatta EelsWin322219 AprParramatta Stadium
7Penrith PanthersWin221425 AprOlympic Park
8Western Suburbs MagpiesWin54161 MayOlympic Park
9St. George DragonsLoss14188 MayOlympic Park
10South Sydney RabbitohsWin14615 MaySydney Football Stadium
11Illawarra SteelersDraw141424 MayOlympic Park
12Gold Coast ChargersWin62631 MayOlympic Park
13Balmain TigersWin25167 JunLeichhardt Oval
14Adelaide RamsWin24413 JunOlympic Park
15North Queensland CowboysWin10820 JunDairy Farmers Stadium
16Auckland WarriorsLoss212427 JunOlympic Park
17Brisbane BroncosLoss16343 JulQE2 Stadium
18Manly Sea EaglesWin221210 JulOlympic Park
19North Sydney BearsLoss103417 JulNorth Sydney Oval
20Newcastle KnightsWin321624 JulOlympic Park
21Sydney City RoostersWin32202 AugSydney Football Stadium
22Cronulla SharksWin20107 AugOlympic Park
23Canterbury BulldogsLoss4815 AugBelmore Oval
24Canberra RaidersWin161221 AugOlympic Park

Finals
Major Prelim Semi Final
30 August 1998
Melbourne Storm 12 - 26
[3]		 Sydney City Roosters
Tries: Bai
Marquet
Goals: Smith 2/3		 Tries: Barnett
Elsegood
Fittler
Gourley
Goals: Cleary 5/6
Olympic Park Stadium
Attendance: 18,247
Referee: Paul McBlane
Minor Semi Final
5 September 1998
Melbourne Storm 24 - 10
[4]		 Canberra Raiders
Tries: Martin (2)
Bai
Geyer
Hill
Goals: Kimmorley 2/6		 Tries: Mullins
Stuart
Goals: Furner 1/1
McNamara 0/1
Olympic Park Stadium
Attendance: 12,592
Referee: Steve Clark
Elimination Preliminary Final
13 September 1998
Brisbane Broncos 30 - 6
[5]		 Melbourne Storm
Tries: Renouf (2)
Campion
Carroll
Lee
Lockyer
Goals: Lockyer 3/6		 Tries: Geyer
Goals: Kimmorley 1/2
Sydney Football Stadium
Attendance: 20,354
Referee: Bill Harrigan

Ladder
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Brisbane 241815688310+37837
2 Newcastle 241815562381+18137
3 Melbourne 241716546372+17435
4 Parramatta 241716468349+11935
5 North Sydney 241707663367+29634
6 Sydney City 241608680383+29732
7 Canberra 241509564429+13530
8 St. George 2413110486490-427
9 Canterbury 2413011489411+7826
10 Manly-Warringah 2413011503473+3026
11 Cronulla-Sutherland 2412111438387+5125
12 Illawarra 2411112476539-6323
13 Balmain 249114381463-8219
14 Penrith 248214525580-5518
15 Auckland 249015417518-10118
16 North Queensland 249015361556-19518
17 Adelaide 247017393615-22214
18 South Sydney 245019339560-22110
19 Gold Coast 244020289654-3658
20 Western Suburbs 244020371802-4318


1998 Coaching Staff

1998 Squad

List current as of 3 June 2017

(a) - 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.

Further information: List of Melbourne Storm players
Cap Nat. Player name Position First Storm Game Previous First Grade RL club (a)
1 Marcus Bai WG 1998 Gold Coast Chargers
2 Russell Bawden PR 1998 Brisbane Broncos
3 Paul Bell CE 1998 Perth Reds
4 John Carlaw CE 1998 Hunter Mariners
5 Scott Hill FE 1998 Hunter Mariners
6 Rodney Howe PR 1998 Perth Reds
7 Robbie Kearns PR 1998 Perth Reds
8 Brett Kimmorley HB 1998 Hunter Mariners
9 Glenn Lazarus PR 1998 Brisbane Broncos
10 Paul Marquet PR,SR 1998 Hunter Mariners
11 Aaron Moule WG,CE 1998 South Queensland Crushers
12 Tawera Nikau LK 1998 Cronulla Sharks
13 Ben Roarty PR,SR,LK 1998 Melbourne Storm
14 Robbie Ross FB 1998 Hunter Mariners
15 Craig Smith WG 1998 Melbourne Storm
16 Richard Swain HK 1998 Hunter Mariners
17 Danny Williams LK, SR, HK 1998 North Sydney Bears
18 Matt Geyer WG 1998 Perth Reds
19 Ben Anderson FE 1998 Melbourne Storm
20 Wayne Evans SR 1998 Perth Reds
21 Tony Martin WG, CE 1998 London Broncos
22 Anthony Bonus PR 1998 Melbourne Storm
23 Wade Fenton SR, PR 1998 Melbourne Storm
24 John Wilshere CE 1998 Perth Reds
25 Daniel Frame PR,SR 1998 Perth Reds
26 Matt Rua PR,SR 1998 Melbourne Storm
27 Tristan Brady-Smith WG 1998 Perth Reds

Inaugural Team

The first Melbourne Storm team to take to the field in Round 1 of the 1998 NRL season[6]

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

Awards and honours

References
  1. "Melbourne Storm History". melbournestorm.com.au. Melbourne Storm. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  2. http://stats.rleague.com/rl/teams/melbourne/melbourne_by.html#1998
  3. NRL 1998 - Major Prelim Semi Final. Rugby League Project
  4. NRL 1998 - Minor Semi Final. Rugby League Project
  5. NRL 1998 - Elimination Preliminary Final. Rugby League Project
  6. "NRL 1998 Round 1". Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  7. "NRL Honour Board". melbournestorm.com.au. Melbourne Storm. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
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