Andrew Johns states that the Melbourne Storm must ‘reinvent themselves’ as they navigate uncharted waters.

Andrew Johns has suggested that the Melbourne Storm may need to undergo a transformation following their fourth consecutive loss.

The Storm suffered a disheartening defeat at home against the Warriors, succumbing to a 38-14 loss, which marked New Zealand’s largest victory over the club.

This grim result follows a disastrous defensive performance the previous week when the Penrith Panthers put 50 points past them.

Brad Fittler labelled the Storm’s defence as “terrible” on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show, while club legend Billy Slater remarked on the team’s “lack of trust and connection.”

“Whether with the ball or without it, defensively they’re rushing in at times and failing to mark their opponents. Players are darting out of the line thinking they’re doing the right thing, compounding discipline issues,” he remarked.

Since their grand final loss against Brisbane, the Storm have lost Ryan Papenhuyzen and Nelson Asofa-Solomona to retirement, while Eli Katoa has been ruled out for the season due to multiple head injuries sustained while playing for Tonga.

Furthermore, Tui Kamikamica had a medical incident in late March and has yet to return to the field.

Slater, who acts as a consultant for the Storm, confirmed that Kamikamica’s return timeline remains “indefinite.”

Johns believes the Storm are “lacking” Asofa-Solomona’s impact off the bench, as well as general forward power.

The Immortal also pointed out the inexperience of the club’s back-row players, with Cooper Clarke still a teenager and Joe Chan only recently establishing himself as a regular starter.

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Chan faced a stern talk from Craig Bellamy at half-time against the Warriors and was subsequently benched.

“The edge defence is very inexperienced in the back-row … it’s a significant challenge, and they’re going to have to truly reinvent themselves,” Johns stated.

Slater echoed the sentiment, emphasising that it isn’t merely about personnel changes but also about improving “actions and attitudes.”

“They have some exceptional talent in key positions, and they possess enough skill to be performing better than their current form,” he noted.

Bellamy himself spoke out after the match, hinting that changes within the club are imminent.

“We might be doing things the same way we’ve been for the last five or six years, so a bit of a shake-up might be in order,” he acknowledged.

“The past few weeks have been incredibly disappointing, and we hope to address the issues at hand.”