The Melbourne Storm had their pants pulled down during the 2023 finals series, and without a great deal of talent on the way in for 2024, it could be November 1 which paves the way for the club to add the pieces they need.

Salary cap, as with any club hosting a massive big four like the Storm do, is going to be an issue.

But if there is any club that have a track record of being able to sign players without prior success and turn them into stars playing well above their value, then it is the Storm.

Their own recruitment, as it seemed to be last year, and has been again over the last 12 months, has seemingly been impacted though by the lingering doubt which hangs over Craig Bellamy, who is on a year to year deal to remain coach of the successful Victorian-based outfit.

But what can the Storm realistically hope to achieve, and what do they desperately need when the clock strikes November 1?

In this series, Zero Tackle are running the rule over every club and their top five targets for November 1

Current squad for 2025
Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Xavier Coates, Sua Fa'alogo, Bronson Garlick, Harry Grant, Jack Howarth, Jahrome Hughes, Tui Kamikamica, Eliesa Katoa, Josh King, Trent Loiero, Alec MacDonald, Cameron Munster, Justin Olam, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jonah Pezet, Lazarus Vaalepu, Will Warbrick, Christian Welch, Tyran Wishart

Current best 17 for 2025
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen
2. Xavier Coates
3. Justin Olam
4. Jack Howarth
5. Will Warbrick
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jahrome Hughes
8. Nelson Asofa-Solomona
9. Harry Grant
10. Tui Kamikamica
11. Eliesa Katoa
12. Trent Loiero
13. Josh King
14. Bronson Garlick
15. Tyran Wishart
16. Alec MacDonald
17. Christian Welch

Players not in 17: Jonah Pezet, Sua Fa'alogo

Players off-contract at end of 2024
Tom Eisenhuth, Nick Meaney, Aaron Pene, Marion Seve, Reimis Smith

Here are five players available to negotiate on November 1 from outside of the club the Storm could target for 2025 and beyond.

EVERY PLAYER OFF-CONTRACT AT THE END OF 2024

Next

1. Taylan May

All the talk heading into the 2024 campaign is that Taylan May's return from an ACL injury will see him shift into the centres at the foot of the mountains, with Brian To'o and rookie Sunia Turuva hanging onto their wing positions.

And it makes plenty of sense.

May is built like a house and has all the skills and attributes to make a successful move into the centres.

And that could well speak to the Storm, who have had almost as many issues in the centres over the last 12 months as they have in the forwards.

While Justin Olam is still pencilled in to be at the club in 2025, the whispers around his future seemingly get louder by the week after 2023 which saw him dropped from first grade.

The rest of the clubs centres haven't lived up to the billing, and Reimis Smith is also off-contract at the end of 2024.

While Aitken's ability to play both positions was a tick, May playing a year at centre in the Panthers system before shifting to the Storm could be exactly what's needed in the Victorian capital.

Next