Storm vs Tigers Prediction: Melbourne set for a special night in the name of Bellamy

| Saturday 9th May 2026, 7:00

Saturday 9th May 2026, 7:00

The Melbourne Storm end one of the most emotional weeks in the club’s history with a Sunday NRL Premiership clash with Wests Tigers at AAMI Park (14:00 local, 05:00 BST, Watch NRL).

News of Craig Bellamy’s battle with a neurodegenerative disease has seen the rugby league world come out in support of the Melbourne coach, but it’s now time to try to end a seven-game skid. Here are my Storm vs Tigers predictions, plus team news and Betfred’s match odds.

Storm vs Tigers Betting Tips

Storm by 1-12 @ 11/5
Tigers Under 22.5 Points @ 20/21

*odds correct at time of publishing

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Storm vs Tigers Odds

Despite their long losing run, the Storm are Betfred’s favourites to win the game at 8/15.

The Tigers can be backed outright at 13/8, with the draw 16/1.

Melbourne give up 6.5 points in the two-way handicap and are 10/11 to overcome the gap. The Tigers are 5/6 to keep it closer than that.

Team News

Tyran Wishart is out for the Storm having picked up an ankle issue in the loss to the Dolphins last Friday, but the good news is that Jahrome Hughes is back after a head injury and directly replaced Wishart in the halves.

Otherwise, Bellamy runs with the same side following an improved performance at Suncorp.

Rugby League Odds

There are plenty of alterations for Benji Marshall’s Wests following their 52-10 loss to the Sharks.

Out go Faaletino Tavana, Starford To’a, Adam Doueihi, Samuela Fainu and Tony Sukkar, with Heath Mason, Patrick Herbert, Kai Pearce-Paul, Jock Madden and Sione Fainu coming in as starters.

There’s still no Jahream Bula, who continues to have issues with a shoulder injury.

Storm by 1-12 @ 11/5

It’s hard not to think about the emotional aspect of this game.

Were you just looking at relative form, perhaps you would see the Tigers’ heavy loss in Cronulla last week as a one-off given their 5-2 record before that. And with the Storm on a seven-game winless run, there’s little compelling you to back them at the moment.

But we all know that Melbourne will find form sooner or later, and the revelation about ace coach Bellamy’s health may just bring together the Storm as a unit in a way nothing else could.

They have way too much quality to go on losing much longer, and with everything that has happened over the past 10 days this could well be their moment.

Melbourne are not just fighting for personal and professional pride anymore, and I can well see them coming out of their tough run at an emotionally-charged AAMI Park.

Storm vs Tigers - Winning Margin 1-12

Storm by 1-12

11/5

Bet Here

Odds correct at time of publishing.

Tigers Under 22.5 Points @ 20/21

If the Storm are to come out on top, they’re going to need to tighten up defensively.

For spells last week against the Dolphins, they looked like a tougher nut to crack. And while the game got away from them in the end, it was at least a step in the right direction.

There ought to be a greater compulsion to put bodies on the line on Sunday, and against that setting I find the 22.5 marker for Tigers to be slightly on the high side.

The 20/21 price for Storm to keep them short of that carries a 51.2% implied probability.

Storm vs Tigers - Tigers Total Points 22.5-25.5

Under 22.5

20/21

Bet Here

Odds correct at time of publishing.

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