2011 Melbourne Storm season
The 2011 Melbourne Storm season was the 14th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2011 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season in first place, taking out the minor premiership.
| 2011 Melbourne Storm season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL Rank | 1st (Minor Premier) | |||
| Play-off result | Preliminary Final Loss | |||
| 2011 record | Wins: 19; Draws: 0; Losses: 5 | |||
| Points scored | For: 521; Against: 308 | |||
| Team information | ||||
| CEO | Ron Gauci | |||
| Coach | Craig Bellamy | |||
| Captain | ||||
| Stadium | AAMI Park – 30,050 | |||
| Top scorers | ||||
| Tries | Billy Slater (12) Cooper Cronk (12) Matt Duffie (12) | |||
| Goals | Cameron Smith (78) | |||
| Points | Cameron Smith (164) | |||
| ||||
Storm enjoyed a strong start to the season with a 7-3 record from the opening 10 rounds. Their run of stellar form continued, losing just two games for the remainder of the season. Both of those came on the eve of the finals but the team was still able to win the Minor Premiership, finishing two points clear of Manly. After beating Newcastle 18-8 in the Qualifying final, Storm’s season was prematurely ended with a home preliminary final loss to the Warriors. Melbourne again finished the season with the competition’s best defence.[1] At the Dally M awards, the Club featured prominently. Gareth Widdop also enjoyed a breakout season, playing 25 games while making 16 line breaks and providing 16 try assists.
Jersey and Sponsors
In 2011 the Storm jerseys were made by Kooga. They retained their predominantly purple home jersey from 2010 and also their predominantly white away jersey from 2010.
Special Jerseys
- For the NRL Heritage round, (Round 5), the Storm wore a replica of their original 1998 jersey.
- In Round 20 the Storm wore a special "Platinum" jersey against the Brisbane Broncos.[2]
On 4 February 2011 Crown Casino was named the naming rights sponsor of the Storm in 2011[3] and chest sponsor on the jersey. Suzuki is also continuing as major sponsors as well with their name appearing on the sleeves. There is no sponsorship on the back of the jersey.[4] Makita also announced a continuation of their sponsorship and their name will continue to appear on the shorts.[5]
Season summary
- The Storm played 9 of their first 13 games at AAMI Park.
- The Storm's 2011 season and revival commenced with their Round 1 clash with bitter rivals, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, and Melbourne won 18-6.
- In Round 5 the Storm played the Parramatta Eels where their original 1998 jersey was worn by the players. This match had extra significance because it was the first time that coaches Craig Bellamy and Stephen Kearney faced off since Kearney departed the Storm as assistant at the end of 2010, to take on the Eels senior position. The Storm won convincingly, 38-0, for their first win over Parramatta since the 2009 Grand Final.
- The Anzac Day clash saw one of the Storm's largest home crowds with just over 22,000 attending the match, but the match was lost to the New Zealand Warriors by a narrow scoreline of 18-14.
- In Round 12 the Storm hosted the Cronulla Sharks at AAMI Park, in what was Cameron Smith's 200th NRL Game. The storm won 14-8 after a scoreless first half.
- In Round 19 the Storm traveled to Canberra Stadium to take on the Raiders. The Storm won 26-0; the scoreline was significant because it marked the first time in the Raiders history that they had been held scoreless on their own home ground.[6]
- In Round 20 the Storm hosted the Brisbane Broncos at AAMI Park almost 23,000 spectators attended the match which the Storm won 26 - 6. Cameron Smith notched up his 500th goal during this match, also the team wore a special jersey which was mostly Navy blue with a large grey and white V on the front, it also had the word "Melbourne" printed across the upper back. This jersey was to symbolise Victoria following the City of Melbourne's sponsorship of the match.
- Round 21 saw the Storm stage a remarkable win away at Parramatta Stadium by coming back from 18 - 0 down at the 54 minute mark to win 22 - 18.
- In Round 24 the Storm broke their winning streak record defeating the St George Illawarra Dragons 8-6 to win their 12th consecutive match. They also had their highest home crowd of the season and their 4th highest home crowd of all time, with 24,081 watching the match. Billy Slater also played his 200th game.
- In Round 25 the Storm lost 18–4 to the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in a violent match informally known as the "Battle of Brookvale". Adam Blair received a five-match suspension for his role in the match, meaning he had played his last game for the club.[7]
- The Melbourne Storm completed the regular season in first place winning the minor premiership.
- Billy Slater was crowned Dally M Player of the Year at the Dally M Awards on 6 September 2011. Craig Bellamy also won coach of the year and Cameron Smith won the Representative player of the year award.
- The Storm qualified for the 2011 NRL finals series and played the Newcastle Knights in Week 1, winning 18-8. This win gave them a one-week break and a home Preliminary Final against the New Zealand Warriors. The Storm lost this final 20-12 ending their season.
Milestone games
| Round | Player | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Jaiman Lowe | Storm debut |
| Round 1 | Troy Thompson | Storm debut |
| Round 2 | Beau Champion | Storm debut |
| Round 4 | Atelea Vea | Storm debut |
| Round 4 | Adam Woolnough | Storm debut |
| Round 9 | Maurice Blair | Storm debut |
| Round 9 | Sisa Waqa | Storm debut |
| Round 10 | Dane Chisholm | NRL debut |
| Round 12 | Cameron Smith | 200th game |
| Round 24 | Billy Slater | 200th game |
| Round 26 | Jack Afamasaga | Storm debut |
Melbourne Storm 2011 season crowd averages
| Total Crowd | Total Games | Crowd Average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 170,932 | 12 | 14,244 |
| Away | 172,966 | 12 | 14,414 |
| All regular season games | 343,898 | 24 | 14,329 |
| Finals | 43,415 | 2 | 21,707 |
| All Games | 387,313 | 26 | 14,897 |
Fixtures
Regular season - Rounds 1 to 12
Round 1 12 March 2011 7:30pm Local |
 |
18 - 6 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Stanley, Duffie, Nielson Goals: Smith 2/2 Field Goal |
Tries: Robertson Goals: Lyon Field Goal |
Round 2 19 March 2011 5:30pm Local |
|
40 - 12 | Gold Coast Titans  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries:Slater (2), Quinn, Manu, Smith, O'Neill, Cronk Goals: Smith 6/7 Field Goal |
Tries: Capewell, Zillman Goals: Prince 2/2 Field Goal |
Round 3 28 March 2011 6:00pm Local |
 |
34 - 6 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Graham (2), Bowen (2), Sims, Tupou Goals: Thurston 5/6 Field Goal |
Tries: Widdop Goals: Smith Field Goal |
Round 4 4 April 2011 7:00pm Local |
|
30 - 16 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Duffie (2), Proctor, Neilsen, Bromwich Goals: Smith 5/6 Field Goal |
Tries: Turner, Ryan, Keating Goals: Goodwin 2/3 Field Goal |
Round 5 (Heritage Round) 10 April 2011 2:00pm local |
|
38 - 0 | Parramatta Eels  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Champion (2), Cronk, Slater, Blair, Quinn, Duffie Goals: Smith 4/6, Widdop 1/1 Field Goal |
Tries: Goals: Field Goal |
Round 6 17 April 2011 3:00pm local |
 |
10 - 25 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Earl, Tahu Goals: Gordon 1/2 Field Goal: |
Tries: Cronk, Norrie, Slater, Duffie Goals: Smith 4/5 Field Goal: Cronk 1/1 |
Round 7 (ANZAC Day/Easter) 25 April 2011 7:00pm local |
|
14 - 18 | New Zealand Warriors  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Champion, Cronk Goals: Smith 3/3 Field Goal |
Tries: Inu, Lillyman, Luck Goals: Maloney 3/4 Field Goal |
Round 8 30 April 2011 7:30pm local |
|
42 - 12 | Newcastle Knights  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Champion, Duffie, Lowrie, Nielson, Norrie, Slater, Quinn Goals: Smith 7/7 Field Goal |
Tries: Hilder, Uate Goals: Gidley 2/2 Field Goal |
Round 9 7 May 2011 7:30pm local |
 |
22 - 29 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Beale (2), Gagai, Reed Goals: Parker 3/4 Field Goal: |
Tries: Cronk, Hinchcliffe, Nielsen, Quinn, Waqa Goals: Smith 4/5 Field Goal: Cronk 1/2 |
Round 10 14 May 2011 5:30pm local |
|
12 - 20 | Canberra Raiders  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Duffie, Proctor Goals: Smith 2/2 Field Goal: |
Tries: Robinson, McCrone, Ferguson Goals: Croker 4/4 Field Goal: |
Round 11 |
| . | Bye | . |
|---|---|---|
Round 12 29 May 2011 2:00pm local |
|
14 - 8 | Cronulla Sharks  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Nielsen, Waqa Goals: Smith 3/3 Field Goal |
Tries: Gordon Goals: Porter 2/2 Field Goal |
Regular season - Rounds 13 to 26
Round 13 5 June 2011 3:00pm Local |
 |
6 - 16 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Taylor Goals: Sandow 1/1 Field Goal: |
Tries: Blair, Bromwich, Smith Goals: Smith 1/2, Widdop 1/1 Field Goal: |
Round 14 13 June 2011 7:00pm Local |
|
21 - 4 | Sydney Roosters  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: O'Neill (2), Champion Goals: Widdop 4/5 Field Goal: Widdop 1/1 |
Tries: Leilua Goals: Anasta 0/1 Field Goal: |
Round 15 19 June 2011 3:00pm Local |
 |
4 - 12 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ryan Goals: Marshall 0/1 Field Goal |
Tries: Hinchcliffe, Proctor Goals: Duffie 1/1, Smith 1/1 Field Goal |
Leichhardt Oval, Balmain, New South Wales Attendance: 20,486 Referee: Adam Devcich, Ashley Klein Report:[22] |
Round 16 26 June 2011 2:00pm Local |
|
8 - 16 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Hohaia Goals: Maloney 2/2 Field Goal: |
Tries: Slater (2), Widdop Goals: Smith 2/3 Field Goal |
Round 17 |
| . | Bye | . |
|---|---|---|
Round 18 9 July 2011 7:30pm Local |
|
18 - 28 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Barba, Stagg, Turner Goals: Turner 3/3 Field Goal |
Tries: Cronk (2), Bromwich, Waqa, Duffie Goals: Widdop 1/1, Smith 3/4 Field Goal |
Round 19 17 July 2011 2:00pm Local |
|
0 - 26 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Goals: Field Goal |
Tries: Duffie (2), Bromwich, Cronk, Hinchcliffe Goals: Widdop 0/1, Smith 3/4 Field Goal |
Round 20 22 July 2011 7:35pm Local |
|
26 - 6 | Brisbane Broncos |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: M Blair (2), C Cronk, J O'Neill Goals: Smith 5/5 Field Goal |
Tries: Yow Yeh Goals: Parker 1/1 Field Goal |
Round 21 1 August 2011 7:00pm Local |
|
18 - 22 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Maitua, Lasalo Goals: Burt 5/5 Field Goal |
Tries: Waqa, Slater, O'Neill, Nielsen Goals: Smith 3/4 Field Goal |
Round 22 6 August 2011 5:30pm Local |
|
26 - 6 | Penrith Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Hinchcliffe, Manu, Slater, Proctor Goals: Smith 5/5 Field Goal |
Tries: Purtell Goals: Walsh Field Goal |
Round 23 13 August 2011 7:30pm Local |
|
16 - 40 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Michaels, Thompson, Mead Goals: Campbell 2/4 Field Goal |
Tries: Cronk (3), Slater (2), Quinn, Manu Goals: Smith 6/7 Field Goal |
Round 24 19 August 2011 7:35pm Local |
|
8 - 6 | St. George Illawarra Dragons  |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Quinn Goals: Smith 2/2 Field Goal |
Tries: Stanley Goals: Soward 1/1 Field Goal |
Round 25 26 August 2011 7:35pm Local |
|
18 - 4 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Williams (2), Foran Goals: Lyon 3/4 Field Goal Cherry-Evans 0/1 |
Tries: Slater Goals: Widdop 0/1 Field Goal |
Round 26 4 September 2011 7:00pm Local |
|
40 - 8 | Melbourne Storm |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Leilua (3), Carney, Guerra, Minichiello, Pearce Goals: Anasta 6/7 Field Goal |
Tries: Champion, Duffie Goals: Widdop 0/1, Cronk 0/1 Field Goal |
Finals
Qualifying Final - Week 1 11 September 2011 4:00pm Local |
|
18 - 8 | Newcastle Knights |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Duffie, Champion, Manu Goals: Smith 3/4 Field Goal |
Tries: Gidley, Uate Goals: Gidley 0/2 Field Goal |
Preliminary Final - Week 3 24 September 2011 7:45pm Local |
|
12 - 20 | New Zealand Warriors |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Champion, Manu Goals: Smith 2/2 Field Goal |
Tries: Brown, Maloney, Tupou Goals: Maloney 4/4 Field Goal |
Ladders
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2011 Squad
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Awards
Trophy Cabinet
Melbourne Storm Awards Night
- Melbourne Storm Player of the Year: Cameron Smith[34]
- Melbourne Storm Rookie of the Year: Gareth Widdop & Jesse Bromwich
- Darren Bell U20s Player of the Year: Slade Griffin
- Mick Moore Club Person of the Year: Robbie Kearns
Dally M Awards Night
- Dally M Medal: Billy Slater
- Dally M Fullback of the Year: Billy Slater
- Dally M Captain of the Year: Cameron Smith
- Dally M Hooker of the Year: Cameron Smith
- Dally M Representative Player of the Year: Cameron Smith
- Dally M Halfback of the Year: Cooper Cronk
- Dally M Coach of the Year of the Year: Craig Bellamy
RLIF Awards
- RLIF Player of the Year: Billy Slater
- RLIF Fullback of the Year: Billy Slater
- RLIF Hooker of the Year: Cameron Smith
Additional Awards
- Wally Lewis Medal: Cameron Smith
References
- "History Melbourne Storm". melbournestorm.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- "The Bai Stand - View topic - 'Platinum' Melbourne Storm Jersey v Broncos (22 July 2011)". Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- "Storm announce major sponsorship with Crown - Melbourne Storm". Archived from the original on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- "Suzuki drives forward with Storm - Melbourne Storm". Archived from the original on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- "Makita drills in their support for Storm - Melbourne Storm". Archived from the original on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- Rugby League | Canberra Raiders | Melbourne Storm
- Jackson, Glenn (27 August 2011). "Battle of Brookie set to take toll on big guns' title assault". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
- Rugby League Tables / Season 2011
- "2011 Match Centre - NRL.com". Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
- Ruthless Storm spoil Preston's party - NRL.com
- "2011 Match Centre - NRL.com". Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
- Angry Dogs lick their wounds after being set upon by rejuvenated Storm pack
- Storm hits peak with ominous look for rivals
- Melbourne Storm too good for Penrith Panthers | Herald Sun
- Bellamy accuses players of a half-hearted effort on day reserved for warriors
- Cronk in Test mix as Gids damages shoulder
- Brave Broncos fall short | Courier Mail
- Canberra Raiders upset Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park | Herald Sun
- Cronulla gallant but season now on line | Courier Mail
- Rugby League | NRL | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Melbourne Storm
- Melbourne Storm bt Sydney Roosters | NRL Rugby League | Photos
- Rugby League | Wests Tigers | Melbourne Storm
- Rugby League | New Zealand Warriors | Melbourne Storm
- NRL Game Report | Live Scores and Breakdowns | thetelegraph.com.au
- Broncos get reality check | Courier Mail
- Melbourne Storm pull off amazing comeback to down Parramatta Eels 22-18 | thetelegraph.com.au
- Melbourne Storm blow away Panthers | Herald Sun
- Cooper's triple treat in Storm cakewalk | Herald Sun
- Storm beat Dragons in tight tussle | Herald Sun
- Manly maintain unbeaten home record with gutsy win over Melbourne | Herald Sun
- Craig Bellamy says freshened Melbourne Storm will be fine for finals | Herald Sun
- http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/live-storm-v-knights/story-e6frexnr-1226134153327
- http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/live-warriors-v-storm/story-e6frf9if-1226145402828
- "NRL Honour Board". melbournestorm.com.au. Melbourne Storm. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
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