LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The Storm had significant motivations for their Friday matchup against the Roosters, highlighted by legendary coach Craig Bellamy reaching the milestone of coaching his 600th game. Additionally, prop forward Stefano Utoikamanu was set to celebrate his own milestone at AAMI Park.
Utoikamanu joined the Storm this season following a turbulent exit from the Wests Tigers. Remarkably, he has already matched his win tally for this year with the total wins he achieved in his first five seasons in the NRL.
The transition has been beneficial for Utoikamanu, who has participated in two games off the bench for the Blues and is on the verge of competing in his first finals series, with Bellamy playing a crucial role in unlocking his potential.
"He keeps it pretty simple for me. (He tells me) to stick to my strengths," Utoikamanu remarked.
"This is a pretty big defensive team and I felt like that was something I was lacking when I came here. Just to see my defence and game on the field improve under him, I'm pretty grateful for that.
"He always gets the boys up for milestones, so he doesn't need to say anything to us to get up for this game. I'm pretty keen to go out there and play for him."
While it took some time for Utoikamanu to acclimate to the Storm's system, his performance in the middle has noticeably improved over the past month, contributing significantly to their near-certain top-two finish.