# 2012 Melbourne Storm season

The 2012 Melbourne Storm season was the club's 15th NRL season. Coached by Craig Bellamy and captained by Cameron Smith, they competed in and won the NRL's 2012 Telstra Premiership. The first nine weeks of the season were very successful, with the club winning all games for what was at the time their best start to a season. From round 10 to round 21 they won only three games and lost seven, including a five-game losing streak between rounds 16 and 21, their second worst ever. From round 22 onward they recovered their winning form and finished the regular season with five straight wins, finishing in second place. The Storm then went on to defeat South Sydney and Manly in the finals series before going on to face minor premiers, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the 2012 NRL Grand Final, winning 14–4 to claim the Premiership.

## Season summary

* 19 January – Will Chambers returns to the club after two seasons playing rugby union.
* Pre-season – Melbourne play Queensland Cup affiliate team Easts Tigers for the Darren Bell Cup in a pre-season trial fixture at Langlands Park. Bell, who was the recruitment manager at the club died of a heart attack late in 2011. Melbourne win the match 36–8 scoring seven tries to two. Will Chambers scoring the first try in his return to rugby league.
* 10 February – The Australian Rugby League Commission announces that they have guaranteed $26.5m in funding for the club as part of an agreement with News Limited, with the competition gaining their independence from the media conglomerate.
* 18 February – In front of 11,752 fans at the North Hobart Oval in Tasmania, Melbourne defeat the Brisbane Broncos 34–30 in their final trial match before the start of the season. Fullback Billy Slater scoring a double in his first action for the year. Melbourne had led 34–16 until late in the game, with Ryan Hinchcliffe stretchered from the field with seven minutes left following an ugly tackle from Petero Civoniceva.
* Round 1 – Melbourne continue the round 1 winning streak, defeating the Canberra Raiders 24–19 at Canberra Stadium. Raiders coach David Furner unhappy with the tackling technique of the Melbourne players dubbed the "chin strap." The victory was Melbourne's ninth straight round 1 victory under Craig Bellamy. The victory secured by a late try to Billy Slater after Josh Dugan had put the Raiders in front via a field goal with seven minutes remaining.
* Round 3 – Billy Slater scored two tries against the Gold Coast Titans to take his career total to 130, going past Rhys Wesser to become the highest try scoring fullback in Australian Rugby League history.
* Round 4 – With his fourth consecutive double, Billy Slater makes premiership history as the first player to complete four try doubles to start a season, with Melbourne the only undefeated team.
* 29 March – Cooper Cronk re-signs with the club for a further four seasons.
* Round 5 – Melbourne celebrated their 15th anniversary with a win against the Newcastle Knights, coming in Ryan Hinchcliffe's 100th NRL match and Bryan Norrie's 50th match for the club.
* Round 6 – A dominant performance from Cooper Cronk helps Melbourne to a 42–18 win over the North Queensland Cowboys, despite the Cowboys scoring the first try of the match.
* Round 7 – Melbourne equal the club's best start to a season (2007) with their seventh straight win, winning a tight 12–6 match against the Bulldogs.
* Round 8 – On ANZAC Day, Melbourne record an eighth straight win for the season, outlasting the New Zealand Warriors 32–14 after scores were level with 20 minutes remaining. The victory completing the best start to a season in the club's history.
* Round 9 – Justin O'Neill scores a hat trick in the club's 44–10 thrashing of Penrith Panthers.
* Round 10 – Cronulla end Melbourne's winning streak at nine matches, defeating the Storm 12–10 at Toyota Park with former Storm player Jeremy Smith scoring the match-winning try after Melbourne had taken a 10–6 lead into half time.
* Round 12 – Melbourne hand the Brisbane Broncos a 34–10 defeat at AAMI Park on the Friday night after Origin I. Will Chambers played his 50th match, while Todd Lowrie played his 50th match for the Storm. Michael Greenfield makes his club debut, but is knocked out by a shoulder charge from Ben Te'o. With a history of neck issues, Greenfield never plays again after undergoing neck surgery.
* Round 13 – In Todd Lowrie's 150th NRL appearance, Melbourne retain the Michael Moore Trophy, coming from 12–0 down to defeat the Warriors in Auckland.
* 6 June – Will Chambers is hospitalised with a rare blood disorder that could have proved fatal if left untreated.
* Round 14 – With several players absent through Origin duty, Wests Tigers upset Melbourne to win their first ever game in Victoria. Ryan Hoffman captains the team in the absence of Cameron Smith, in what was coach Craig Bellamy's 250th match in charge. It is Melbourne's first loss on a Friday night in Victoria for 11 years.
* 14 June – Billy Slater is ruled out of action for up to six weeks due to a knee injury.
* Round 15 – Missing Slater, Melbourne defeat Manly 26–22 at Brookvale Oval, winning there for the first time since 2009.
* Round 16 – Video referee Shaun Hampstead controversially denies a try to Ryan Hinchcliffe in what proves to be a turning point in the club's 20–4 loss to the Bulldogs in Mackay.
* Round 18 – With defence described by Craig Bellamy as "downright embarrassing," Canberra hand Melbourne a 40–12 defeat at AAMI Park.
* Round 19 – North Queensland win their first match in Melbourne in 11 years, handing Melbourne a third straight defeat in Cooper Cronk's 200th NRL game.
* Round 20 – Days after announcing they were parting ways with coach Stephen Kearney, wooden spoon favourites the Parramatta Eels shock Melbourne 16–10. With their fourth consecutive loss, the Storm equalled their second worst losing streak in club history. Craig Bellamy describing his team as "pathetic."
* Round 21 – Despite the return of Billy Slater, the Storm record a new second-worst losing streak with their fifth consecutive loss, with the Dragons sending Melbourne home from Wollongong 26–18 losers. It was the Storm's longest losing streak during Craig Bellamy's ten-year tenure. The match was Anthony Quinn's 100th appearance for the club.
* Round 22 – With a try after 35 seconds to Sisa Waqa, Melbourne end their losing streak with a 46–6 defeat of the Penrith Panthers. The 46 points was also the Storm's highest score of the season.
* Round 23 – Mahe Fonua becomes the first born and bred Victorian to play NRL for the Storm, making his debut in a 24–16 win over the Gold Coast Titans at AAMI Park. Melbourne had trailled 10–0 at half time, before getting on top of the visitors in the second half. Jessie Bromwich also played his 50th game for the Storm.
* Round 24 – Cooper Cronk scores the match-winning field goal with six minutes remaining to secure a 19–18 win over the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. With his second conversion of the match, Cameron Smith scored his 1300th career point.
* Round 25 – Down 18–10 with three minutes remaining, Melbourne score two late tries to come from behind to win 20–18 against the Sharks. Will Chambers scoring the match winner with just 24 seconds remaining. The result meant that the Storm's overall wins percentage increased to 63.64%, elevating the Storm to first place on the 'all-time' score table for the first time, ahead of the Brisbane Broncos.
* Round 26 – Melbourne end the regular season with a 26–6 victory over the Wests Tigers to secure second position on the NRL ladder. After winning the NRL Club Championship in 2011, Melbourne finish third behind the Bulldogs, with the Toyota Cup team finishing in 9th position.
* Qualifying final – The Storm began their finals campaign with a 24–6 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, earning them a week's break and a home preliminary final. Melbourne had blown the visitors off AAMI Park in the first half, taking an 18–0 lead.
* 13 September – Melbourne announce the signing of Lagi Setu who last played for the Brisbane Broncos in 2010 before embarking on missionary work. The club also announcing the signing of Junior Moors from the Wests Tigers, with both players joining the club for the 2013 season.
* Preliminary final – two tries each to Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk help Melbourne complete a 40–12 defeat of Manly to secure a spot in the Grand Final against the Bulldogs. Ryan Hinchcliffe plays his 100th match for the club.
* Grand Final – Melbourne defeat the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14–4 to claim the 2012 NRL premiership. Halfback Cooper Cronk is awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as player of the match. Melbourne were first to score and would take a 14–4 lead into half time, with the second half remaining scoreless. Bulldogs forward James Graham is alleged to have bitten the ear of Billy Slater during a first half melee, with Graham later suspended by the NRL Judiciary for 12 matches. Cameron Smith, while having a bad night with the boot (1 from 5 attempts), kicked his 600th career goal.

### Milestone games

| Round | Player | Milestone |
| Round 1 | Siosaia Vave | Storm debut |
| Round 2 | Jason Ryles | Storm debut |
| Round 5 | Ryan Hinchcliffe | 100th game |
| Round 12 | Michael Greenfield | Storm debut |
| Round 12 | Will Chambers | 50th game |
| Round 13 | Todd Lowrie | 150th NRL game |
| Round 14 | Craig Bellamy | 250th game coached |
| Round 18 | Anthony Quinn | 200th game |
| Round 19 | Cooper Cronk | 200th game |
| Round 20 | Richard Fa'aoso | Storm debut |
| Round 23 | Jesse Bromwich | 50th game |
| Round 23 | Mahe Fonua | NRL debut |
| Round 25 | Gareth Widdop | 50th game |

### Jerseys

In 2012 the Storm jerseys were made by Kooga. They retained their predominantly purple home jersey, and predominantly white away jerseys from the previous two seasons.
Heritage
In round 5 for the NRL's heritage round, Melbourne again wore a replica of the original 1998 home jersey.
Special
For the round 12 home game against the Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne again wore a special "battle" jersey similar to the one wore in 2011 featuring a silver chevron design with a purple camouflage motif.
In round 19 against the North Queensland Cowboys at AAMI Park, the players wore a one-off promotional jersey was worn to promote The Dark Knight Rises. The jersey was predominantly black with the Batman logo on the front and back.
Indigenous
For the first time in club history, Melbourne wore an indigenous design in the round 22 match against the Penrith Panthers. The promotion was a part of the NRL's Close the Gap round, a campaign the NRL had begun supporting in partnership with Oxfam in 2010. The jersey was mostly orange, a colour never worn previously by the club, and featured the Storm’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) logo which was designed by Lenny Briggs and Dixon Patten.

### Attendance averages

| | Total | Matches | Average |
| Home | 152,217 | 12 | 12,685 |
| Away | 180,710 | 12 | 15,059 |
| All regular season games | 332,927 | 24 | 13,872 |
| Finals | 128,269 | 3 | 42,756 |
| All Games | 461,196 | 27 | 17,081 |

## Fixtures
### Pre season

| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Mel. | Opp. | Tries | Goals |
| 4 February | Trial | Easts Tigers | Langlands Park, Brisbane | Won | 36 | 8 | M Fonua (2), Y Tonumaipea (2), W Chambers, S Waqa, R Pooley | |
| 11 February | Trial | Canberra Raiders | Lavington Sports Ground, Albury | Lost | 18 | 27 | T Lowrie, M McGahan, R Hinchcliffe, R Hoffman | L Kelly |
| 18 February | Trial | Brisbane Broncos | North Hobart Oval, Hobart | Won | 34 | 30 | B Slater (2), C Cronk (2), G Widdop, M Fonua | C Smith 5/6 |

### Regular season
#### Result by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | A | – | H | A | H | A | A | – | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A |
| Result | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | L | B | W | W | L | W | L | B | L | L | L | L | W | W | W | W | W |
| Position | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Points | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 |

#### Matches

Source:
* (g.p.) – Golden Point extra time
* (pen) – Penalty try
| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Mel. | Opp. | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Ref |
| 3 March | 1 | Canberra Raiders | Canberra Stadium, Canberra | Won | 24 | 19 | B Slater (2), C Cronk, J O'Neill | C Smith 4/4 | | |
| 11 March | 2 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 24 | 10 | D Nielsen (2), B Slater (2), M Duffie | C Smith 2/5 | | |
| 18 March | 3 | Gold Coast Titans | Skilled Park, Gold Coast | Won | 30 | 6 | M Duffie (2), B Slater (2), S Manu, A Quinn | C Smith 2/5, G Widdop 1/1 | | |
| 24 March | 4 | Sydney Roosters | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 44 | 4 | B Slater (2), C Cronk (2), D Nielsen, K Proctor, R Hoffman, W Chambers | C Smith 5/7, G Widdop 1/1 | | |
| 31 March | 5 | Newcastle Knights | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 34 | 22 | G Widdop, M Duffie, R Hoffman, B Slater, W Chambers, T Lowrie | C Smith 5/6 | | |
| 8 April | 6 | North Queensland Cowboys | Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville | Won | 42 | 18 | M Duffie (2), K Proctor (2), W Chambers (2), R Hinchcliffe, J Ryles | C Smith 5/8 | | |
| 14 April | 7 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 12 | 6 | R Hinchcliffe, R Hoffman | C Smith 2/2 | C Cronk 0/1 | |
| 25 April | 8 | New Zealand Warriors | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 32 | 14 | W Chambers (3), D Nielsen (2), J O'Neill | C Smith 4/6 | | |
| 5 May | 9 | Penrith Panthers | Centrebet Stadium, Sydney | Won | 44 | 10 | J O'Neill (3), M Duffie, C Cronk, R Hoffman, W Chambers, R Hinchcliffe | C Smith 5/7, G Widdop 1/1 | | |
| 13 May | 10 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | Toyota Stadium, Sydney | Lost | 10 | 12 | D Nielsen, M Duffie | C Smith 1/2 | | |
| 20 May | 11 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 25 May | 12 | Brisbane Broncos | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 34 | 10 | T Lowrie (2), B Slater (2), W Chambers, J O'Neill | G Widdop 5/6 | | |
| 3 June | 13 | New Zealand Warriors | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland | Won | 22 | 10 | G Widdop, J Lowe, W Chambers, C Smith | C Smith 3/5 | | |
| 8 June | 14 | Wests Tigers | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Lost | 6 | 10 | D Nielsen | G Widdop 1/2 | | |
| 18 June | 15 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | Brookvale Oval, Sydney | Won | 26 | 22 | T Lowrie, C Smith, B Norrie, M Duffie | C Smith 5/5 | | |
| 24 June | 16 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | Virgin Australia Stadium, Mackay | Lost | 4 | 20 | A Quinn | C Smith 0/1 | | |
| 30 June | 17 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 July | 18 | Canberra Raiders | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Lost | 12 | 40 | J O'Neill (2) | G Widdop 2/2 | | |
| 14 July | 19 | North Queensland Cowboys | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Lost | 16 | 20 | M Duffie, A Quinn, G Widdop | C Smith 2/3 | | |
| 21 July | 20 | Parramatta Eels | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Lost | 10 | 16 | R Kostjasyn, R Hoffman | C Smith 1/2 | | |
| 27 July | 21 | St George-Illawarra Dragons | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | Lost | 18 | 26 | W Chambers, R Hinchcliffe, K Proctor | C Smith 3/3 | | |
| 4 August | 22 | Penrith Panthers | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 46 | 6 | C Cronk (2), J O'Neill (2), S Waqa (2), J Bromwich, S Manu | C Smith 7/8 | | |
| 10 August | 23 | Gold Coast Titans | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 24 | 16 | B Slater, C Cronk, R Hoffman, G Widdop | C Smith 4/4 | | |
| 17 August | 24 | Brisbane Broncos | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Won | 19 | 18 | S Waqa (2), C Cronk | C Smith 3/3 | C Cronk 1/1 | |
| 27 August | 25 | Cronulla Sharks | AAMI Park, Melbourne | Won | 20 | 18 | R Hoffman (2), S Waqa, W Chambers | C Smith 2/4 | | |
| 1 September | 26 | Wests Tigers | Leichhardt Oval, Sydney | Won | 26 | 6 | R Hoffman, S Manu, B Norrie, K Proctor, S Waqa | C Smith 3/5 | | |
* ↑ Heritage Round
* ↑ ANZAC Day

### Finals

* Saturday, 8 September 17:45 AEST (UTC+10)
| Melbourne Storm | 24 – 6 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| Tries: 4 Hoffman 7' Slater 24' Fonua 35' Waqa 46' Goals: 4 Smith 9', pen 12', 26', 48' (4/5) | 1st: 18–0 2nd: 6–6 Report | Tries: 1 Pettybourne 72' Goals: 1 Reynolds 73' |
* AAMI Park, Melbourne Attendance: 19,750 Referee: Shayne Hayne, Jason Robinson
* Friday, 21 September 19:45 AEST (UTC+10)
| Melbourne Storm | 40 – 12 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles |
| Tries: 7 Cronk 5', 44' Slater 9', 66' Chambers 19' J Bromwich 60' Proctor 76' Goals: 6 Smith 45', pen 51', 62', 67', pen 73' (5/8) Widdop 78' (1/1) | 1st: 12–6 2nd: 28–6 Report | Tries: 2 Lyon 37', 52' Goals: 2 Lyon 38', 53' (2/2) |
* AAMI Park, Melbourne Attendance: 25,543 Referee: Tony Archer, Matt Cecchin
* Sunday, 30 September 17:00 AEST (UTC+10)
| Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 4 – 14 | Melbourne Storm |
| Tries: 1 Perrett 25' Goals: Inu (0/1) | 1st: 4–14 2nd: 0–0 Report | Tries: 3 Hoffman 7' Slater 32' O'Neill 39' Goals: 1 Smith 32' (1/3) |
* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 82,976 Referees: Tony Archer, Ben Cummins Clive Churchill Medal: Cooper Cronk (Melbourne)

## Ladder

2012 NRL seasonvte :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 568 | 369 | +199 | 40 |
| 2 | Melbourne Storm (P) | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 579 | 361 | +218 | 38 |
| 3 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 559 | 438 | +121 | 36 |
| 4 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 497 | 403 | +94 | 36 |
| 5 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 597 | 445 | +152 | 34 |
| 6 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 545 | 536 | +9 | 30 |
| 7 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 24 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 445 | 441 | +4 | 29 |
| 8 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 481 | 447 | +34 | 28 |
| 9 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 405 | 438 | -33 | 26 |
| 10 | Wests Tigers | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 506 | 551 | -45 | 26 |
| 11 | Gold Coast Titans | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 449 | 477 | -28 | 24 |
| 12 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 448 | 488 | -40 | 24 |
| 13 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 462 | 626 | -164 | 21 |
| 14 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 497 | 609 | -112 | 20 |
| 15 | Penrith Panthers | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 409 | 575 | -166 | 20 |
| 16 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 431 | 674 | -243 | 16 |

## 2012 Coaching Staff
### NRL

* Head coach: Craig Bellamy
* Assistant coaches: David Kidwell & Kevin Walters
* Development coach: Adam O'Brien
* Specialist coach: Robbie Kearns
* Tackling Coach: John Donohue
* Performance coach: Mick Martin
* Strength and conditioning Coach: Alex Corvo
* Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coaches: Adrian Jiminez & Dan Di Pasqua
* Head physiotherapist: Kieran Morgan
* Assistant physiotherapist: Andrew Nawrocki
* Head Trainer: Craig Sultana
* General Manager Football Operations: Frank Ponissi
* Recruitment manager: Paul Bunn

### NRL Under 20s

* Head coach: Dean Pay
* Assistant coach: Troy Thompson
* Development coaches: Tony Adam & Chad Buckby
* High Performance Manager: Chris Jones
* Physiotherapist: Aaron Howlett
* Strength and conditioning Coach: Adrian Jiminez

## 2012 Squad

| Cap | Player name | Position | First Storm game | Previous First Grade RL club |
| 55 | Cameron Smith (c) | HK | 2002 | Melbourne Storm |
| 58 | Billy Slater | FB | 2003 | Melbourne Storm |
| 62 | Ryan Hoffman | SR,LK | 2003 | Melbourne Storm |
| 73 | Cooper Cronk | HB | 2004 | Melbourne Storm |
| 91 | Anthony Quinn | WG,CE | 2007 | Newcastle Knights |
| 97 | Will Chambers | CE | 2007 | Queensland Reds |
| 98 | Sika Manu | SR | 2007 | Melbourne Storm |
| 104 | Dane Nielsen | WG,CE | 2008 | Melbourne Storm |
| 105 | Kevin Proctor | SR | 2008 | Melbourne Storm |
| 110 | Ryan Hinchcliffe | HK,LK | 2009 | Canberra Raiders |
| 116 | Luke Kelly | FE,HB | 2009 | Melbourne Storm |
| 119 | Jesse Bromwich | PR | 2010 | Melbourne Storm |
| 120 | Rory Kostjasyn | HK,LK | 2010 | Melbourne Storm |
| 121 | Todd Lowrie | SR,LK | 2010 | Parramatta Eels |
| 123 | Bryan Norrie | PR | 2010 | Cronulla Sharks |
| 124 | Matt Duffie | WG,CE | 2010 | Melbourne Storm |
| 125 | Gareth Widdop | HB | 2010 | Melbourne Storm |
| 127 | Justin O'Neill | WG | 2010 | Sydney Roosters |
| 130 | Jaiman Lowe | PR,SR | 2011 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| 134 | Maurice Blair | WG,CE | 2011 | Penrith Panthers |
| 136 | Sisa Waqa | CE,WG | 2011 | Sydney Roosters |
| 138 | Jack Afamasaga | PR | 2011 | Cronulla Sharks |
| 139 | Siosaia Vave | PR | 2012 | Cronulla Sharks |
| 140 | Jason Ryles | PR | 2012 | Sydney Roosters |
| 141 | Michael Greenfield | SR,LK | 2012 | St George Illawarra Dragons |
| 142 | Richard Fa'aoso | PR,SR | 2012 | Newcastle Knights |
| 143 | Mahe Fonua | CE | 2012 | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Kirisome Auva'a | WG | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Kenny Bromwich | PR,LK | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Mitch Garbutt | PR,SR | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Slade Griffen | HK | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Ben Hampton | HB | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Tohu Harris | SR | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Matt McGahan | HB,FE | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Jordan McLean | PR | Yet to Debut | Melbourne Storm |
| - | Shea Moylan | WG,FB | Yet to Debut | Brisbane Broncos |

## Representative honours

The following players have played a representative match in 2012.
* (C) = Captain
| Player | 2012 All Stars match | City Vs Country | 2012 ANZAC Test | State of Origin 1 | State of Origin 2 | State of Origin 3 | Test match |
| Cooper Cronk | NRL All Stars | — | Australia | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | Australia |
| Ryan Hoffman | — | City | — | — | — | — | Australia |
| Ryan Hinchcliffe | — | Country | — | — | — | — | — |
| Billy Slater | — | — | Australia | Queensland | Queensland | | Australia |
| Cameron Smith | — | — | Australia (C) | Queensland (C) | Queensland (C) | Queensland (C) | Australia (C) |
| Jesse Bromwich | — | — | New Zealand | — | — | — | New Zealand |
| Dane Nielsen | — | — | — | — | — | Queensland | — |
| Kevin Proctor | — | — | — | — | — | — | New Zealand |

## Statistics

This table contains playing statistics for all Melbourne Storm players to have played in the 2012 NRL season.
* Statistics sources:
| Name | Appearances | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Points |
| Maurice Blair | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jesse Bromwich | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Will Chambers | 18 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| Cooper Cronk | 26 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 41 |
| Matt Duffie | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Richard Fa'aoso | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mahe Fonua | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Michael Greenfield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Hinchcliffe | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Ryan Hoffman | 27 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| Luke Kelly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rory Kostjasyn | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Jaiman Lowe | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Todd Lowrie | 23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Sika Manu | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Dane Nielsen | 22 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Bryan Norrie | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Justin O'Neill | 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| Kevin Proctor | 23 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Anthony Quinn | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Jason Ryles | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Billy Slater | 21 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| Cameron Smith | 25 | 2 | 78 | 0 | 164 |
| Siosaia Vave | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sisa Waqa | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Gareth Widdop | 26 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 40 |
| 26 players used | – | 119 | 90 | 1 | 657 |

### Scorers

Most points in a game: 14
* Round 15 – Cameron Smith (1 try, 5 goals) vs Manly Sea Eagles
* Round 22 – Cameron Smith (7 goals) vs Penrith Panthers
Most tries in a game: 3
* Round 8 – Will Chambers vs New Zealand Warriors
* Round 9 – Justin O'Neill vs Penrith Panthers

### Winning games

Highest score in a winning game: 46 points
* Round 22 vs Penrith Panthers
Lowest score in a winning game: 12 points
* Round 7 vs Canterbury Bulldogs
Greatest winning margin: 40 points
* Round 22 vs Penrith Panthers
Greatest number of games won consecutively: 9
* Round 1 – Round 9

### Losing games

Highest score in a losing game: 18 points
* Round 21 vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Lowest score in a losing game: 4 points
* Round 16 vs Canterbury Bulldogs
Greatest losing margin: 28 points
* Round 18 vs Canberra Raiders
Greatest number of games lost consecutively: 5
* Round 16 – Round 21

## NRL Under-20s

In the fifth season of the NRL's National Youth Championship, Dean Pay continued as coach for a third season, with Melbourne finishing the regular season in 9th place on the ladder, meaning the club would not qualify for the finals for the first time since the 2008 season. Ben Hampton was selected as halfback and captain for Queensland in the mid-season Under-20s Origin match, with Young Tonumaipea selected on the wing for the winning New South Wales team.
In October, Hampton and Mahe Fonua would be selected for the Junior Kangaroos team that would defeat a Junior Kiwis team that included fellow Storm teammate Tohu Harris.

### Ladder

2012 National Youth Competition seasonvte :
| Pos. | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Canterbury Bulldogs | 24 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 774 | 517 | +257 | 39 |
| 2 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 680 | 516 | +164 | 39 |
| 3 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 766 | 599 | +167 | 36 |
| 4 | Wests Tigers (P) | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 666 | 514 | +152 | 34 |
| 5 | Penrith Panthers | 24 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 694 | 501 | +193 | 33 |
| 6 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 734 | 592 | +142 | 33 |
| 7 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 694 | 570 | +124 | 32 |
| 8 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 638 | 553 | +85 | 31 |
| 9 | Melbourne Storm | 24 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 547 | 556 | −9 | 30 |
| 10 | Cronulla Sharks | 24 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 619 | 684 | −65 | 28 |
| 11 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 646 | 574 | +72 | 25 |
| 12 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 629 | 790 | −161 | 22 |
| 13 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 545 | 732 | −187 | 20 |
| 14 | Manly Sea Eagles | 24 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 519 | 811 | −292 | 18 |
| 15 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 558 | 814 | −256 | 14 |
| 16 | Gold Coast Titans | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 424 | 810 | −386 | 14 |

### Statistics

Source:

#### Scorers

Most points in a game: 20 points
* Round 24 – Jack Joass (1 try, 8 goals) vs Brisbane Broncos
Most tries in a game: 4
* Round 19 – Kirisome Auva'a vs North Queensland Cowboys
Most points (season): 106
* Jack Joass (6 tries, 41 goals)
Most tries (season): 19
* Kirisome Auva'a

## Feeder clubs

Melbourne continued their relationships with both the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Easts Tigers to send any reserve players to play in their respective state cup competitions. Both teams would miss the finals in 2012.
2012 New South Wales Cup :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 10 | Cronulla Sharks | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 541 | 717 | -176 | 28 |
In the Queensland Cup, Easts Tigers coached by Troy McCarthy fell just short of making the finals. Needing a win and other results to go their way in the final round of the season, the Tigers thrashed the Central Queensland Capras 68–12, missing out on making the finals on points difference of just 20 points. The team had been a strong chance of making the finals through the season, but consecutive losses late in the season proved costly.
2012 Queensland Cup :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 6 | Easts Tigers | 22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 621 | 496 | 125 | 26 |

## S. G. Ball Cup

Melbourne's junior representative team in the New South Wales Rugby League under-18s competition S. G. Ball Cup again missed the finals in their fourth season in the competition. Coached by club high performance manager Kim Williams, the team would win only two and draw one of their nine matches for the season, finishing in 13th place on the ladder out of the 18 teams competing.