His time in Melbourne is almost over, but Josh Addo-Carr is going out with a bang and has encouraged Xavier Coates to make the move south if he wants to be the best footy player he can be.
The Storm winger became the first man in 71 years to score six tries in a game as Melbourne embarrassed South Sydney 50-0 on Thursday night.
He bagged four in the first half and crossed for the final two tries to confirm his status as the best finisher in the NRL. In doing so, he became the first Storm player to score more than four tries in a game and moved to equal-fifth on the club’s try-scoring list.
“I’m blown away,” he said after the game, pointing to the fact he hadn’t scored so many since the under-6s.
“If it wasn’t for the team, that wouldn’t have been possible.
“It’s something that you don’t think about. You just try to do your job for the team each week, and when those opportunities come up, you try to do the best job you can. I’m just so happy that the team played so well, and the six tries are a bonus for me.”
Addo-Carr joined the Storm in 2017 and has since won two premierships, represented his state and country and developed into one of the most engaging characters in the game.
But his time in Melbourne is drawing to a close, with the Foxx set to join Canterbury next season in what was one of the toughest decisions of his glittering career.
“I think about it all the time, but life’s too short,” he said as he prepares to move from the defending premiers to the team currently running last.
“I’ve got a family to look after and I’ve got family to spend time with, so that’s the whole reason why I made that decision.
“I’m super blessed to be a part of this team and this organisation. It’s a special team and I’m so happy to be a part of it. They’ve changed my life around and it’s a special journey I’ve been on.
“I’m definitely going to miss it, but I’ll always have that connection.”
The Storm have shown it’s possible to replace club greats, with the club maintaining their success after legends Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith all left in recent years.
Finding someone as quick as Addo-Carr is virtually impossible, but the Storm are in the box seat to lure high-flyer Xavier Coates from the Broncos on a two-year deal that could take his came to even greater heights.
“He’s a super talent,” the Blues winger said.
“Whatever decision he makes, I’m sure he’ll make the right one. I say to everyone wherever I go and whenever I talk in front of people, I always say if you get an opportunity with Melbourne, take it.
“They’ll turn you into the footy players you always dreamt of being. You learn how to play rugby league when you go to the Melbourne Storm.
“Back in the day, I used to get the ball and run, but when you come here, they teach you the one-percenters, and those one per-centres add up to big parts in games.”
The Storm star has matured over the years, with coach Craig Bellamy paying tribute to his leadership skills after Thursday’s win.
It didn’t happen overnight, but it’s something Addo-Carr embraces and is keen to take further when he makes the move to Belmore, stressing he’s excited for the challenge and is confident they are heading in the right direction.
“I think it’s taken four or five years,” he said.
“I was a bit embarrassed to talk in front of the boys that you hang out with every day. It was tough, but it feels so comfortable being around the leaders we have here.
“I know what it takes to win premierships, I know what it takes to be a consistent footy player and I love helping people. If I can do that next year then happy days. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Canterbury.
“I moved to Melbourne to step out of my comfort zone, so why can’t I go to Canterbury to build something special?”