EXCLUSIVE: The unusual reality facing Craig Bellamy's Storm after 'lightning bolt' strike

Phil Gould says the shock retirement of Ryan Papenhuyzen and injuries to key players have hit Melbourne like a "lightning bolt", prompting a transition that's been "forced upon them".

But the rugby league guru is backing the Storm to bounce back under Craig Bellamy – and before the season is done.

The Storm are languishing in 13th on the ladder after losing four games in a row, against the Broncos, Cowboys, Panthers and Warriors.

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They were belted 50-10 by the Panthers in round five and then thrashed 38-14 by the Warriors at AAMI Park in round six.

Melbourne were blindsided in October last year when Papenhuyzen requested to be released with a year to run on his contract. Melbourne granted the Clive Churchill Medal-winning fullback an early release and he has since confirmed he's retired from rugby league.

The Storm have also had their stocks thinned out by injuries to Eliesa Katoa (concussion) and Xavier Coates (Achilles).

"He [Bellamy] has been there a long, long time, and they've had to reinvent themselves a few times," Gould said on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus.

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"But it's usually been reinventing themselves by their own hand, and they've sort of seen players ageing and getting new players ready to take over, and when it's happened it's been a fairly seamless transition from old to new and then graduating players through, they've always had a great system of replacement, they've always had a great mind to developing young talent underneath their top-30 roster and making sure that they were ready to come through and take over the mantle, and they've produced probably three of the greatest spines in history over the course of his time there.

"But this one's been forced upon them. All of a sudden there's been an abrupt end to a little period of time here where we've had these serious injuries and the retirement of Papenhuyzen, and I think it's probably come and shocked them a little bit too early."

Katoa may not play again after the horrific head injury he suffered representing Tonga in the Pacific Championships last November.

Playing in Katoa's absence is Cooper Clarke. The 19-year-old is highly rated by Melbourne but filling in for a back-rower of the calibre of Katoa – a two-time Dally M second-rower of the year – is a massive ask.

Replacing Coates – a Queensland State of Origin star – is Moses Leo.

In brilliant youngster Sualauvi Fa'alogo the Storm have a ready-made NRL-calibre fullback, but they would be better served with Papenhuyzen still playing at fullback and Fa'alogo taking a wing or coming off the bench.

"They'll recover, he [Bellamy] will recover this year, Melbourne Storm will recover this season," Gould said.

"But into the future, they've just had to fast-track, I suppose, a few, and [have] probably [been] caught short in a couple of other areas.

"But the Melbourne Storm will get out of it.

"It's a test because this is the first time it's probably been not of their own doing. In the past when they've gone through transition periods they've had it under their control, they've seen it coming, they've planned for it, they've worked for it over a couple of years, and then all of a sudden a couple of players will come in and just emerge as future superstars and the team rolls on. They've been extremely consistent over that period of time.

"But this has been a bit of a lightning bolt for them and they're gonna have to deal with it, and they will. I'm not panicking at all by the last couple of results."

Melbourne have lost four games in succession for the first time since 2022. They previously lost four in a row in 2015.

The Storm are facing another gruelling test in the Raiders in Canberra on Friday night.

"The NRL is so hard, it's so hard for young players," Gould added.

"If they're not ready they get found out, and that's why you've gotta persevere with them, because it's gonna take some time to get used to that."