The Storm boast a perfect 20-0 record against the Rabbitohs in Melbourne, but it’s 20-minute periods during games that have plagued them this season and left them languishing near the foot of the table heading into Anzac Day.

Melbourne entered the 2026 season as one of the premiership favourites after making back-to-back grand finals, but they might struggle to even make the top eight after losing five games in a row for the first time in 14 years.

They recovered to eventually win the comp in 2012, but long-term injuries to stars like Eli Katoa and Xavier Coates have compounded the off-season loss of Ryan Papenhuyzen, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jonah Pezet.

Melbourne started the season with a bang by piling on 98 points in the opening two rounds, but they haven’t won since then and have struggled defensively.

It’s not like they’ve been awful for entire games, with club legend Cameron Smith recently highlighting how they’ve been let down by 20-minute periods.

The Storm led the Broncos in the grand final rematch but gave up three costly tries in 17 minutes, they conceded three tries in six minutes late on against the Cowboys, and then allowed Canberra to score twice in quick succession in both halves last week.

“We just seem to find ways of not playing for the full 80 minutes; we’re only playing for 50 or 60 minutes,” coach Craig Bellamy said.

“Cameron Smith made the point (last week) that you don’t win games in this competition by playing for 50 or 60 minutes, and that’s basically what we’ve been doing.

“We’re just picking a different time each week of (when to play) the 50 or 60 minutes. It’s important that we get our jobs done for 80 minutes, and hopefully the team can get their jobs done for 80 minutes.

“We just need to put that effort in that we’re putting in at other times and make sure we do it for 80 minutes.

“There are going to be stages in the game where your backs are against the wall and things are going to happen that put you on the back foot, but that’s when you’ve got to stiffen up, toughen up and get through that period.

“You’ll know at some stage that it’s going to end, but you’ve just got to keep turning up.”

Their impeccable record against South Sydney in Melbourne faces its biggest test on Saturday night, with the visitors likely to spend most of the game attacking down their left edge.

Alex Johnston has 17 tries in 15 games against the Storm, while Latrell Mitchell is fresh off scoring four tries against the Dragons last week.

“I’d like to think that our right hand side will be up for it,” Bellamy said.

“We know with Latrell and Alex how good a player they are and what they can do to you. If you don’t aim up, they can make a mess of us.”

Originally published as ‘They can make a mess of us’: The worrying trend Storm must fix if they want to extend crazy streak against the Rabbitohs