Melbourne are hoping the saying "the more things change the more they stay the same" rings true in 2022 in the wake of further key personnel changes at the powerhouse NRL club.
The Storm are confident they can maintain their status as a NRL competition front-runner despite the loss of three stars in lock Dale Finucane, speedster Josh Addo-Carr and playmaker Nicho Hynes, who have all shifted north.
And they have representative forwards Jesse Bromwich and his brother Kenny as well as Brandon Smith and Felise Kaufusi all departing at the end of this season leading to rumblings about a Storm rebuild.
Newly-appointed skipper Christian Welch said history had proven they could stay strong, just as they did after the loss of the original "Big Three" in Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater.
"We're so used to it," Welch told AAP.
"Each year one of the big three left people said we'd drop off and it's the same this season.
"We're confident in our pre-season and our ability to play well and compete at the top of the table and I think that'll be the same this year."
Coach Craig Bellamy, set to oversee his 500th NRL game in round two at AAMI Park against South Sydney, said the club's mentality was to focus on their strengths rather than weaknesses.
"Those players that we've lost, we have missed them without a doubt, but we've always tried not to worry too much about what we haven't got and just worry about what we have got," Bellamy said.
"Losing Dale, Josh and Nicho is pretty tough and we're going to lose a lot of experience next year.
"But we're not worried about 2023, we're just concerned about 2022 ... while those players are here I'm sure they're going to give their all and that's all we're going to concern ourselves with."
Dolphins-bound Jesse Bromwich, who made his Storm debut back in 2010, said he would do all he could to win another premiership in purple before his departure.
"We're not done yet - I'm just trying to pass on as much knowledge as I can and help out where I can," the 32-year-old said.
"I'm trying to have really big year because I owe it to the club to leave it all out on the field this year."
Welch had no doubt his fellow captain and the other departing players would give their all.
"They're fully committed to our club and legends of our club so there's no doubt about their commitment to the Storm and how badly they want to win this year's premiership," Welch said.
Bellamy and his troops are still trying to get over their preliminary final loss to Penrith, which was arguably their worst performance of the season.
Before that the minor premiers had equalled the greatest Australian rugby league winning streak of 19 consecutive victories, and even more impressively did it while living interstate for the second straight year.
Another record held by Bellamy, heading into his 20th season, is that Melbourne have never lost a round one match on his watch.
Taking on Wests Tigers they will be missing Cameron Munster and Harry Grant through suspension while gun fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen is under an injury cloud.
"That record is a really nice record to have but it's about preparing the best we can to play the best we can," Bellamy said.
"We need everyone's mind on the job."
