Can Melbourne climb the mountain again?

Is there still hunger for success at Melbourne?

The southernmost club is unique in the NRL and possibly in world sport. On the one hand it has made the finals in all but three of its 14 seasons in existence, making it at least as far as the semi-finals in every finals year bar one since 2003. On the other hand, the cupboard is almost bare of silverware, after the Storm was stripped of the 2007 and 2009 premiership titles. Does this lack of tangible recent success burn at Melbourne, or is the playing group worn out from the work involved in staying at or near the top for so many successive seasons?

Certainly all of the talk from the Storm indicates there is strong desire for more success – but that sort of bravado is common to all sporting teams in the off-season. In 2011 the Storm peeled off a dozen straight wins and looked a probable grand finalist before losing three of their final four matches and being bundled out. Coach Craig Bellamy has an extraordinary record and will once again use every trick he knows to get peak performance from his men, but it will not be an easy task to climb that mountain once again.

Can the 'big three' still carry the side?

Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk are brilliant players who have been together in the Storm's senior team since 2004. No other team relies so heavily on its best three players. Because they absorb a lot of salary cap room, the club augments the titanic triumvirate with relatively blue-collar colleagues. This scheme has worked spectacularly well, with the big three missing very few games through injury and providing sufficient brilliance to guide Melbourne to perennial success.

Every Storm supporter will hope that Slater, Smith and Cronk can repeat their efforts in 2012. However, Slater will be coming back from a bad collarbone injury, Cronk may be distracted by continuing contract talk, and all three are now 28 and entering the latter portion of their playing days. Their superb efforts must come to an end one day, but we're betting they will be outstanding again in 2012.

How badly will Adam Blair be missed?

Blair was the Storm's next-best player after the big three, but has departed to Wests Tigers for 2012. He is a quality forward, but his form was mediocre in 2011. The club withstood the loss of their fourth superstar Greg Inglis several years ago, and will be hoping pivot Gareth Widdop continues his stellar improvement and becomes the new fourth musketeer.

However, while coaches continually talk about the paramount importance of having quality players in the 1, 6, 7 and 9 jumpers, no team can succeed without a decent forward pack. This is where the loss of Blair could hurt. His departure will be counteracted in part by the emergence of backrower Kevin Proctor (the only Storm player to appear in every game in 2011). Former Storm favourite Ryan Hoffman has also returned to the scene of his greatest success and will provide a replacement for Blair, if not like-for-like (he is less dynamic, but more durable).

Is Jason Ryles a good pick-up?

When the former international was discarded by the Roosters after two seasons he contacted the Storm about a shift to Melbourne. This indicates he has the desire for further success and wants to be at the club. On the plus side he brings the experience of 15 Origins, a dozen Tests and 223 first-grade games. On the downside he is 33 years old. Still, Bellamy has done wonders with less-talented veteran forwards like Adam Woolnough and Troy Thompson, and Ryles should provide sound mentoring for Jesse Bromwich and younger props like Tohu Harris and Kenneath Bromwich.

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