Coach Craig Bellamy says he always knew he would need to be patient with his new-look, inexperienced Melbourne side, which he believes is the least-experienced of his tenure.
Externally, alarm bells began to ring when the Storm dropped two of their first four games, conceding 64 points in a pair of losses to teams that missed finals last year.
But after scoring an unconvincing win over Wests Tigers, Melbourne resembled their usual selves more closely on Friday night, edging South Sydney with a gutsy defensive performance.
The Storm endured a Rabbitoh onslaught in the second half but banded together with the kind of team defence which has ensured consistent success across the 20 previous years of Bellamy's tenure.
"We want to be a good defensive side first and foremost and, with all due respect, this year we haven't been that," Bellamy said.
"It's a thing we've always prided ourselves on at the Storm.
"I just thought tonight there was a lot of desperate effort out there."
Melbourne's status as perennial heavyweights costs them star players each year but the most recent off-season was particularly grim, the Storm losing important forwards Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi and Brandon Smith.
The reinforcements have been lower-profile players, mostly from within the club's ranks, and Bellamy said the side was always going to take some time to adjust.
"Without a doubt," he said.
"We've had a big changeover in the last couple of years, especially in our leadership and experienced players.
"This year is probably the least experienced team I've ever coached at the Storm.
"We've got a lot of new combinations so we'll keep working on that."
Second-rowers Kaufusi and Kenny Bromwich had been mainstays on the edges since before the Storm's 2020 premiership season but they've been replaced by 22-year-old Trent Loiero and ex-Warrior Eliesa Katoa.
"It's hard enough to change one,' Bellamy said.
"That was just an example of what we had to go through and hopefully get those combinations going.
"There's still work to be done but they're real good kids and they want to learn. They're working hard at it."
Bellamy, who is set to step down as coach at the end of the season, said he had welcomed the change of pace that came with mentoring a greener side.
"When Cameron (Smith), Billy (Slater), Cooper (Cronk) and those guys were there, with all due respect, I probably didn't do a whole heap of coaching. It was just sort of managing the side," he said.
"It has been a little bit different, without a doubt, but I've quite enjoyed it."
