The Melbourne Storm have ruled out any chance of making a play for Thomas Hazelton as a potential replacement for Christian Welch.

The former Storm captain and Queensland Maroons State of Origin player retired due to medical reasons earlier this week.

Citing his latest concussion in January, as well as other issues which were causing him pain with simple, every day tasks, the veteran forward and Storm life member made the call to hang up the boots.

The Storm are in a position where they don't need to sign an immediate middle third replacement for Welch.

Craig Bellamy's side have already added Stefano Utoikamanu to their engine room for 2025, and Welch may well have struggled to hang onto a bench spot during the season ahead with the likes of Alec MacDonald and 2024 breakout star Lazarus Vaalepu sitting outside the best 17.

One of those two will likely now come into calculations for Round 1, and given Hazelton is set for a major pay upgrade from the start of 2026, he is not a player the Storm are interested in per a Wide World of Sports story.

"He will not be coming here - there is nothing to it," Storm recruitment manager Paul Bunn told the publication.

"At no stage has the Club reached out to Hazelton, his management or the Cronulla Sharks about recruiting the prop to Melbourne" a published statement from the Storm read on Friday afternoon.

"The Club will be making no further comment."

Hazelton, who the Sharks desperately want to retain, has reportedly been pursued by as many as seven clubs in recent weeks, with the St George Illawarra Dragons sitting at the head of the queue, and the Newcastle Knights and Dolphins also among the named clubs.

There is no surprise the forward, who has quickly risen to cult hero status in the Shire, is being pursued, with limited players left on the open market for 2026.

Despite the interest and Melbourne ruling out making a play, Hazelton's manager Gavin Orr was quoted by The Mole in the Wide World of Sports report as interested in a move to Melbourne, potentially straight away.

"The Storm is such a great organisation and Tom would learn so much there and if he signs a long-term deal with Melbourne, Cronulla may even let him go now," Orr said.

"You never knowโ€ฆ stranger things have happened."

There has been no suggestion from Cronulla would be open to releasing Hazelton, although they are overloaded with middle third forwards following the off-season signing of Addin Fonua-Blake.

Fonua-Blake is likely to start at prop alongside Oregon Kaufusi, with Hazelton, Toby Rudolf, Jesse Colquhoun, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Tuku Hau Tapuha and ex-Raider Hohepa Puru battling for two, or potentially three, spots on the interchange bench.

Cronulla launch their 2025 season in Las Vegas against the Penrith Panthers on Sunday, March 2 (AEDT).