New Melbourne Storm captain Christian Welch has backed Nick Meaney to take his sport to “a new level” as the total impression of the membership’s harm catastrophe is laid naked.
Meaney is ready to fill the function of celebrity Ryan Papenhuyzen for a lot of the season after he confirmed his return from a shattered kneecap he suffered final season would go away him out of motion for longer than first thought.
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Storm’s backline harm woes had been compounded on Wednesday with winger Dean Ieremia dominated out for the remainder of the season after struggling an ACL harm whereas ahead Tui Kamikamica will miss six weeks with a tendon concern in his foot.
Welch, who was appointed sole captain for 2023 with Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant as his deputies, mentioned Meaney would step up within the absence of Papenhuyzen and others would rise to the problem of filling different roles.
“Nick Meaney has had a great pre-season, he’s played well in the trials. We saw last year as a utility his ability to play in a variety of positions,” Welch mentioned.
“We’ve got young Sua (Fa’alogo), a Victorian lad who a few of you would’ve seen the week before with some big line breaks.
“So we’ve got some really exciting players coming through, and I think it’s a testament to the club that while Paps is out that next crop coming through are being developed.
“Every year we lose three, four of five players, and the club does a really great job of developing homegrown players and young 18, 19-year-olds to rise up and take those spots.”
New recruit Tariq Sims’ imminent return from a calf harm would bolster the Storm’s top-end expertise, Welch mentioned.
“He’s going to come in and add a lot to our group,” he mentioned.
“We’ve lost a bit, but we’ve also picked up a lot, and these guys we have in the room (Munster, Hughes and Grant), our spine players, they are the best in the competition, so we’ve just got to stay healthy I think and we should be right.”
Welch will take the helm on the Storm after sharing the captaincy in 2022 with departed veteran Jesse Bromwich, however solely led the aspect within the opening spherical earlier than a ruptured Achilles introduced his season to an finish.
The 28-year-old prop is coming into his ninth season with the Storm, having performed 119 matches since his debut in 2015.
Ryan Papenhuyzen and Tom Eisenhuth spherical out the Storm’s six-player management group after being promoted from the membership’s rising leaders’ crew.
“It’s a huge honour to be captain … it’s really something that I’ll cherish for a long time,” Welch mentioned.
“But as I said to the boys today in the meeting, it’s a group effort … we’re all working hard to set the standards off the field and also on the field.
“We’ve got a great group of guys, senior guys and rep players who have been around for a long time, and it’s time for us to really take the club forward.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au