Melbourne Storm looking for new players amid injury crisis with Will Warbrick unable to train due to linger concussion issues
With an international winger sidelined by a troubling concussion and a long injury list Melbourne Storm is looking to other clubs for players.
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy says the club is actively “looking” to bring in some new players from other clubs amid a “testing” time with injuries which includes troubling ongoing concussion issues for star winger Will Warbrick.
While Storm powerhouse Nelson Asofa-Solomona will be “playing somewhere” in his return from injury this weekend and centre Nick Meaney comes back for the Anzac Day clash with South Sydney, Bellamy said getting 17 fit players was becoming difficult.
Captain Harry Grant remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, Jack Howarth is also out after dislocating his shoulder and Warbrick hasn’t even started training as he deals with “complicated” concussion issues.
Melbourne has money in the salary cap to bring in some more players after the pre-season retirement of former captain Christian Welch.
But Bellamy said getting deals done was becoming problematic in the current climate with other clubs also feeling the injury pinch.
“It has been testing but there’s other clubs in the same boat. we’re just struggling to put a 17 out there at the moment,” he said.
“We’ve already been looking at (bringing in players) since Christian retired. I’m not quite sure why we haven’t got someone in. There’s not too many clubs willing to release players.
“We need to make sure we get the best out of what we’ve got.”
Bellamy said Kiwi international Warbrick, who has only played two games this season, was still feeling the delayed effects of a concussion suffered in the All Stars game in February and didn’t know when he’d be back.
“To be quite honest I don’t really understand it, it’s fairly complicated with the head knock,” he said.
“He got the head knock in the Indigenous and Maori All-Stars game and he played a week or two after that and then he had delayed symptoms.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure what is happening. He hasn’t even started training yet. It hasn’t been great for us or Will.”
Melbourne gave up 40-straight points in a first-ever loss to the Dolphins last week and Bellamy knows the main area they need to address against Souths, as he looks to continue a nine-year winning streak against coaching rival Wayne Bennett.
“Our completion rate has been a bit of a problem brushed under the carpet a little bit because we’ve been winning games,” he said.
“But our completion rate has been really poor to be quite honest so that’s something that’s come into view this week.”
“We need, as a team, to defend better and as individuals to defend better.”
South Sydney have never beaten the Storm in Melbourne in 19 attempts since they joined the NRL in 1998.
