Frustration is brewing for Storm coach Craig Bellamy as he acknowledges the urgent need for his team to maintain focus for the entire match in their Round 8 encounter against the Rabbitohs this Saturday night.
Melbourne's last victory dates back to a convincing win against the Dragons on March 14, marking a significant downturn as they have since faced losses against the Broncos, Cowboys, Panthers, Warriors, and Raiders.
This marks the first time since 2012 that the Storm has recorded five consecutive defeats, leaving them in unfamiliar territory, currently positioned 15th on the leaderboard.
Bellamy is eager to reverse this trend before it's too late. "We just seem to find ways of not playing for the 80 minutes, we're playing 50 or 60 minutes," he expressed on Friday.
Referencing last week's match, he added, "During the game last week, Cameron Smith made the point, 'You don't win games in this competition playing 50 or 60 minutes'. That's basically what we've been doing. We're just picking a different time each week of the 50-60 minutes."
He emphasized the necessity of consistent effort, insisting, "We just need to put that effort in that we're putting in at the other times and make sure we do it for 80 minutes. Obviously, there's going to be stages in the game where your backs are to the wall and things are going to happen where you're going to be on the back foot, but that's when you've got to really stiffen up and harden up."
Concluding his thoughts, Bellamy stated, "It's important we get the jobs done for 80 minutes and hopefully the team can get their job done for 80 minutes."
Interestingly, the Storm remains undefeated against the Rabbitohs in Melbourne, boasting an impressive record of 20-0 since April 24, 1999.