Storm boost forward pack

Melbourne Storm has bolstered its forward ranks by extending the contracts of two current top 30 squad members and adding a new face.

Back-rower Eliesa Katoa will join Storm from the Warriors on a two-year contract, while Tui Kamikamica and Tepai Moeroa will continue with deals that will expire at the end of next season.

Katoa, 22, has played 42 NRL games for the Warriors after making his debut in round one of the 2020 competition.

He was one of the standout rookies of that season, lining up in 13 games and scoring six tries as a hard-running edge forward.

Katoa played 18 games last season and another 11 so far in 2022.

He will link up with his new cub at the start of pre-season.

Kamikamica (Storm player #181) has become one of the mainstays of Storm’s forward pack, logging a career tally of 65 NRL games, half of those coming in the last two seasons.

The 28-year-old, who first came to Storm via feeder club Sunshine Coast Falcons, has also played 13 times for Fiji.

Moeroa (Storm player #215) joined Storm from the NSW Waratahs midway through the 2021 season and has now played 12 matches in the purple jersey to take his NRL total to 124 games.

He made a strong start to 2022, playing in the opening eight rounds before being sidelined by a fractured scapula.

It’s hoped that Moeroa, who has resumed contact training, will be back on the field before the end of August.