Storm legend Cooper Cronk is tipping master mentor Craig Bellamy to "sprinkle that magic dust" to ensure Melbourne remain NRL title forces despite suffering an alarming exodus of class and experience.
Melbourne enter the 2023 season without the services of representative big guns Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, Brandon Smith and Felise Kaufusi, who between them boasted some 791 games at the club.
Most believe the quartet's absence will leave a huge void in the Storm's forward pack.
But not Cronk, who won four grand finals from six appearances in the season climax with the Storm and has seen more than enough from Bellamy to trust the super coach to weave his recruitment magic once again.
"There's a lot of changeovers in terms of the starting forward pack but you've got to remember that the Bromwich boys and Kaufusi and Brandon Smith weren't household names when they first started," Cronk told AAP at the Fox Sports and Kayo season launch in Sydney.
"So he'll apply the same ingredients and recipes that he did with other players and Trent Loiero, Josh King, Harry Grant's already a star.
"(With the arrival of) Tariq Sims, Eliesa Katoa, he'll sprinkle that Melbourne Storm magic dust of hard work and intensity and they'll fill a role.
"They'll be role players and be great."
Then superstars Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Grant can do the rest, according to Cronk.
"As long as they can be consistent in that forward pack and give a decent platform for arguably one of the best spines in the competition in Papenhuyzen, Grant, Munster, Hughes, don't worry. They'll be right," he said.
While insisting he has "no intel" on Bellamy's future, Cronk suspects the 63-year-old's 21st season at Melbourne will be his last.
But he does not agree with suggestions the five-times grand final-winning coach is facing his greatest challenge post not only the exit of his four star forwards but also that the Storm's so-called 'big four' of Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith and Cronk himself have also long moved on.
"He doesn't buy into the 'challenge' sort of aspect," Cronk said.
"His greatest strength is that he coaches now and he coaches tomorrow.
"What happens two weeks from now is really irrelevant and he stays in the moment."
Melbourne face 2022 grand finalists Parramatta in the season opener at Commbank Stadium next Thursday night, then host Canterbury in their first home game of the year in round two.
