Melbourne Storm Round 1 record: Will Craig Bellamy’s winning run be eventually ended by Penrith Panthers?

Penrith has completed the arduous voyage back from the north of England without the piece of silverware that has plagued the club for the entirety of its existence weighing down their aircraft.

The Panthers, who had been defeated by St Helens at the base of the Himalayas a year before, lost to Wigan last week in the World Club Challenge.

Even their golden generation has not been able to secure the club’s first WCC title as Penrith continues to lose in the showcase match against the finest of Super League. They now have a record of 0–4.

Though they haven’t had much time to remove the thick layer of muck from their skins, Ivan Cleary’s team has a difficult task ahead of them when they travel to AAMI Park to play Melbourne Storm in their NRL season opener.

The Victorian powerhouse has won 21 straight games under Craig Bellamy, and they are yet to taste defeat in Round 1.

The last time Melbourne lost their season’s opening match under Chris Anderson’s leadership of the emerging team dates all the way back to 2001.

But the Storm have never had to contend with a challenger as formidable as Bellamy, who might put an end to his amazing two-decade unbeaten run.

Penrith has taken drastic measures to get revenge after the Storm defeated them in the 2020 grand final, early in their ascent to the top of the game.

Cleary’s team has swept over every opponent in its path, including the Storm on several occasions, and won three straight premierships.

Penrith has won four of their last five encounters as their dominance has been firmly established.

praised and illuminated throughout Western Sydney.

Their previous meeting, a preliminary final from the previous season, ended with the Panthers defeating the Storm 38–4. It was one of their three victories against rivals in 2023.

Even the Panthers, who have only won once in their previous eight trips to AAMI Park, have found the place to be a tomb.

In front of slightly more than 15,000 spectators at the Etihad in 2001, the Canterbury Bulldogs defeated Melbourne 14–10.

After being undefeated in the first round, the Storm went on to defeat the Dogs twice in the following years, but Bellamy’s teams had a significant upset against the Dragons four times.

Prior to Harry Grant’s game-winning play last season, Parramatta had put them in golden point, meaning that during the run, 11 of their victories had come by a margin of six points or fewer.