2003 Melbourne Storm season

• Pre season – Melbourne are one of four clubs fined for salary cap breaches during the 2002 NRL season. Melbourne's fine is $66,698 relating to previous contracts.
• World Sevens – Storm participate in the return of Rugby League World Sevens, losing all three of their pool matches at Aussie Stadium. Steven Bell captained the squad, which included a number of new recruits and players yet to make their NRL debut.[2]
• 14 February – Stephen Kearney is appointed as Melbourne captain.
• 20 February – Reports emerge former trackwork jockey Billy Slater has secured a spot in Melbourne's squad ahead of the 2003 season.[3]
• 27 February – Willie Leyshon announces his retirement from rugby league after a succession of serious knee injuries.[3] Leyshon blaming strength and conditioning coach Alex Corvo and physiotherapist Matt Natusch for ignoring his pleas for an altered training program due to his persistent knee injuries.[4]
• 5 March – A number of Sydney NRL clubs voice their opposition to the NRL's decision to grant salary cap concessions to Melbourne to help support relocated players.
• 12 March – NRL CEO David Gallop throws his support behind the proposal to allow Melbourne salary cap concessions to cover relocation expenses for players.[3] Melbourne had put forward a proposal asking the NRL for a $265,000 concession on top of the $3.25m salary cap.[5]
• Round 1 – Recovering from a 22–0 deficit, Melbourne stage an amazing comeback victory 36–32 over Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Toyota Park. On his NRL debut, Billy Slater scores a stunning try to spark the comeback, with Steven Bell scoring a hat-trick.
• 18 March – Melbourne Executive Director John Ribot withdraws Melbourne's application for salary cap concessions for players living away from home, saying "Melbourne don't want to be the source of division among the other clubs." Parramatta Eels boss Denis Fitzgerald and Penrith Panthers boss Shane Richardson had been outspoken in the days since the proposal was first mooted, with Canberra Raiders also requesting salary cap concessions.[3]
• Round 2 – Prop forward Rodney Howe suffers a serious knee injury as an understrength Melbourne thrash Penrith 42–16. Head coach Craig Bellamy praises rookie Billy Slater who scored two tries in the win, saying "he's got something special about him. I wasn't quite sure when he was going to actually show it, but he's showed it pretty early. He's a special talent."[3]
• 23 April – Aaron Moule announces his retirement from rugby league due to niggling injury problems.
• Round 7 – In his Storm debut, Andrew McFadden is injured again, succumbing to a groin injury in the first half. McFadden's injuries keep him out of the line-up for the rest of the season.
• Round 8 – Returning after a two-week injury break, Matt Orford scores 16 points in Melbourne's dominate 46–6 victory over a depleted Newcastle Knights.[3]
• 9 May – Robbie Ross undergoes surgery on a bulging disc injury, after playing five of the opening eight games of the season.
• Round 9 – Melbourne inflict Canberra Raiders' first defeat of the season 30–10, despite an injury in the warm-up to Junior Langi.
• Round 10 – In the last game of rugby league at Brisbane's ANZ Stadium, an injury to Matt Orford cruels Melbourne's quest for a first win over the Broncos since 2001.
• 6 June – Matt Geyer signs a two-year contract extension, to keep him in Melbourne until the end of the 2005 NRL season.
• 7 June – Scott Hill re-signs with Melbourne, inking a new five-year contract.[3]
• Round 13 – South Sydney Rabbitohs beat Melbourne for the first time, with the league cellar-dwellers stunning Melbourne 41–14.
• Round 14 – Ending a two-game winless streak, Melbourne defeat Penrith 32–12 to end the Panthers' eight-game winning streak.
• Round 15 – Five-eighth Scott Hill suffers a shoulder injury in Melbourne's loss to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Hill had feared his season was over, but subsequent scans cleared him of a serious injury.
• Round 17 – 0–4 at the venue, Melbourne upset Canberra 18–8 to win their first game ever at Bruce Stadium.
• 9 July – Melbourne sign promising fullback Steve Turner to a three-year contract from 2004.[3]
• 11 July – John Ribot is forced to deny rumours the club would merge with Collingwood saying, "I don't think you'll see us merging. I've got more chance of flying to the moon."[3]
• 19 July – Robbie Kearns signs on with Melbourne for a further two seasons.
• Round 19 – Brisbane Broncos pip Melbourne 26–22 in the club's first ever golden point game, after scores were tied 22–all after 80 minutes. Broncos winger Scott Minto scores the winning try three minutes into extra time.
• 27 July – Fan-favourite Marcus Bai announces he will be leaving Melbourne at the end of the season, taking up a two-year contact with Leeds Rhinos.
• Round 21 – Melbourne reclaim the Michael Moore Trophy, winning 14–12 over New Zealand Warriors with a 41-metre penalty goal from Matt Orford the difference.
• Round 23 – After his first game back from injury since June, Scott Hill is ruled out for the rest of the season after re-injuring his troublesome shoulder.[3]
• 4 September – In a dispute with the RLPA, the NRL cancel the annual Dally M Awards. Both Billy Slater and Cameron Smith were among the favourites for the Rookie of the Year Award.
• Round 26 – In a rousing farewell, Marcus Bai scores and converts a try in his farewell appearance at Olympic Park. Melbourne thrash Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 40–10 to finish the season in fifth place, securing the club's first finals appearance since the 2000 NRL season.
• Qualifying Final – In a controversial 30–18 upset win over Canberra, referee Tim Mander cracks down on Melbourne players employing so-called 'grapple tackles' to slow down the play-the-ball. Coach Craig Bellamy accuses Canberra of making complaints to the NRL about the tackling style, claims rejected by both the NRL and Canberra coach Matt Elliott.[3] The controversy overshadows Melbourne's first finals win since the 1999 NRL Grand Final, causing much media talk in the days after the game between Melbourne officials, referee's boss Robert Finch and league pundits.
• Semi Final – Melbourne are eliminated from the finals in a whitewash by Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, held scoreless in a 30–0 defeat. It is the first time in 158 NRL games that Melbourne had failed to score.

Jerseys

2003 home jersey

Melbourne signed up a new apparel partner for the 2003 season, with Canterbury of New Zealand the new manufacturer of club jerseys. The home jersey design was unchanged from the 2001-02 jersey, but for a white collar replacing the gold. The club's clash colours was changed to a mostly white design with a purple chevron and gold thunderbolts, worn with navy shorts.

• Head coach: Craig Bellamy
• Assistant coach: Dean Lance
• Football manager: Greg Brentnall
• Physical Preparation Coach: Alex Corvo
• Physiotherapist: Matt Natusch
• Head trainer: Troy Thompson

[35]

List current as of 6 September 2021

Cap [lower-alpha 1]	Nat.	Player name	Position	First Storm Game	Previous First Grade RL club [lower-alpha 2]
1		Robbie Ross	FB	1998	Hunter Mariners
3		Aaron Moule	WG, CE	1998	South Queensland Crushers
5		Marcus Bai	WG	1998	Gold Coast Chargers
6		Scott Hill	FE	1998	Hunter Mariners
8		Rodney Howe	PR	1998	Perth Reds
9		Danny Williams	LK, SR, HK	1998	North Sydney Bears
10		Robbie Kearns	PR	1998	Perth Reds
18		Matt Geyer	WG	1998	Perth Reds
28		Stephen Kearney	SR	1999	New Zealand Warriors
34		Fifita Moala	WG	2000	Melbourne Storm
37		Glen Turner	SR	2000	Melbourne Storm
38		Peter Robinson	SR	2000	Melbourne Storm
42		Junior Langi	CE	2001	St George Illawarra Dragons
43		Matt Orford	HB	2001	Northern Eagles
44		Steven Bell	CE	2001	Melbourne Storm
48		Semi Tadulala	WG	2001	Melbourne Storm
51		Mitchell Sargent	PR	2002	Melbourne Storm
53		Michael Russo	SR	2002	Melbourne Storm
54		Marty Turner	HB	2002	Melbourne Storm
55		Cameron Smith	HK	2002	Melbourne Storm
56		Kirk Reynoldson	SR	2002	Melbourne Storm
57		Keith Mason	PR	2002	Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
58		Billy Slater	FB	2003	Melbourne Storm
59		David Kidwell	SR	2003	Sydney Roosters
60		Dallas Johnson	LK	2003	Melbourne Storm
61		Jake Webster	WG	2003	Melbourne Storm
62		Ryan Hoffman	SR	2003	Melbourne Storm
63		Andrew McFadden	HB	2003	Parramatta Eels
64		Robert Tanielu	PR	2003	Brisbane Broncos
65		Nathan Sologinkin	SR	2003	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
66		Dustin Cooper	WG	2003	Melbourne Storm
67		Nathan Friend	HK	2003	Brisbane Broncos
68		Antonio Kaufusi	PR	2003	Melbourne Storm
69		Matt King	CE	2003	Melbourne Storm
–		Marc Brentnall	HB	Yet to debut	Melbourne Storm[lower-alpha 3]
–		Cooper Cronk	HB	Yet to debut	Melbourne Storm
–		Brett Finn	HK	Yet to debut	Melbourne Storm[lower-alpha 4]

This table lists all players who have played a representative match in 2003.

This table contains playing statistics for all Melbourne Storm players to have played in the 2003 NRL season.

• Statistics sources:[37][38]

Melbourne Storm reserve players again travelled to Brisbane each week to play with Queensland Cup team Norths Devils. Coached by Gary Greinke, Norths missed the finals for the first time under the affiliation with Melbourne, with Cooper Cronk winning club's player of the year award.

2003 Queensland Cup
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
8	Norths Devils	22	10	1	11	615	589	+26	21