2002 Melbourne Storm season
The 2002 Melbourne Storm season was the 5th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2002 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season in 10th place making it their lowest finishing position until 2010, when it was sentenced to finish that season last due to gross salary cap breaches. As of 2019, it is also the most recent time that the Storm missed the finals due to not winning enough games. It was Mark Murray's final season as coach of the club.
In 2002 the Storm returned to Olympic Park. The club secured no big name player signings for the season as it kept under the NRL imposed salary cap.
In an effort to reignite its floundering success the return to its smaller home ground was seen by players and supporters as a positive move. The club though continued to deliver hot and cold performances as the season progressed, leaving them on the fringe of the Top 8.
The club suffered internal turmoil during the season, particularly when the captaincy was removed from Robbie Kearns and given to Rodney Howe. The Storm was also troubled over the renegotiation of club stalwart Richard Swain's contract - he reluctantly signed for Brisbane for 2003 when the Storm failed to make him an offer.
The Storm's season again came down to needing to win its final round game to reach the semi-finals. In a repeat of 2001, Melbourne appeared to lack enthusiasm when it mattered and again lost a crucial match.
Fixture
| Round | Opponent | Result | Mel. | Opp. | Date | Venue |
| 1 | Canberra Raiders | Win | 16 | 12 | Mar 16 | Olympic Park |
| 2 | Cronulla Sharks | Loss | 24 | 30 | Mar 23 | Toyota Park |
| 3 | North Queensland Cowboys | Win | 38 | 10 | Mar 30 | Olympic Park |
| 4 | Parramatta Eels | Win | 32 | 30 | Apr 6 | Parramatta Stadium |
| 5 | Bulldogs | Loss | 6 | 22 | Apr 13 | Olympic Park |
| 6 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Win | 12 | 4 | Apr 20 | Olympic Park |
| 7 | New Zealand Warriors | Loss | 10 | 20 | Apr 27 | Mt. Smart Stadium |
| 8 | Newcastle Knights | Loss | 28 | 36 | May 4 | Olympic Park |
| 9 | Sydney Roosters | Loss | 6 | 34 | May 11 | Sydney Football Stadium |
| 10 | Parramatta Eels | Loss | 20 | 22 | May 18 | Olympic Park |
| 11 | New Zealand Warriors | Loss | 12 | 28 | May 25 | Olympic Park |
| 12 | BYE | |||||
| 13 | Newcastle Knights | Loss | 16 | 37 | Jun 8 | Hunter Stadium |
| 14 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Draw | 30 | 30 | Jun 15 | WIN Stadium |
| 15 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Win | 44 | 6 | June 22 | Olympic Park |
| 16 | Northern Eagles | Loss | 22 | 36 | Jun 29 | Brookvale Oval |
| 17 | Wests Tigers | Win | 26 | 20 | Jul 6 | Olympic Park |
| 18 | Sydney Roosters | Win | 48 | 10 | Jul 13 | Olympic Park |
| 19 | BYE | |||||
| 20 | Penrith Panthers | Loss | 16 | 36 | Jul 27 | Penrith Stadium |
| 21 | Brisbane Broncos | Loss | 20 | 48 | Aug 3 | Olympic Park |
| 22 | North Queensland Cowboys | Win | 40 | 30 | Aug 10 | Dairy Farmers Stadium |
| 23 | Penrith Panthers | Win | 42 | 10 | Aug 17 | Olympic Park |
| 24 | Wests Tigers | Loss | 16 | 26 | Aug 24 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 25 | Bulldogs | Loss | 16 | 24 | Aug 30 | Sydney Showground Stadium |
| 26 | Canberra Raiders | Loss | 16 | 25 | Sep 7 | Bruce Stadium |
Ladder
2002 Coaching Staff
- Mark Murray -Head Coach
- Anthony Griffin - Assistant Coach
2002 squad
Awards and honours
- Player of the year: Rodney Howe
- Rookie of the year: Michael Russo
- Melbourne Storm Rookie of the Year: Matt King
- Melbourne Storm Clubman of the Year: Matt Geyer
- Mick Moore Chairmans Award of the Year: Chris Johns