It's an unlikely relationship that has yielded many magical moments.
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And on Monday, Chris Lewis again absorbed pure rugby league bliss as the Storm equalled their highest ever points tally in a 70-10 demolition of the Warriors at AAMI Park.
On the cusp of his 30th birthday, the Ashford product played his most minutes of the season (41) when he came off the bench in the Anzac Day clash.
He said it was "a crazy game to be part of", with the Storm scoring 54 unanswered second-half points including a staggering 10 tries.
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"It was so weird because the game was so close," he said of Melbourne's 16-10 half-time lead, adding that it was "the first time it's all clicked at once" for Melbourne in 2022.
In his third season at the Storm, after making his NRL debut at the club in 2020 at the ripe old age of 27, Lewis again finds himself at a career crossroads.
He's in the final year of a two-year deal at second-placed Melbourne, and has made just three appearances off the bench in 2022.
He has been named as a reserve for the Storm's clash against the Knights in Newcastle on Sunday. But that has happened before this season and he has been used as an interchange.
Lewis said that "it's about playing well this year and hopefully proving to them that I deserve one [a new contract] for next year".
As such, he aims to "make the most" of the opportunities given to him.
"And then, hopefully, if I can get a bigger role, maybe on a bigger stage, I can show my worth."
As has been the case during his Melbourne tenure, Lewis's worth to the club is in his utility value.
In his limited opportunities this year, he said he had played hooker, second-row, centre and prop.
"So if I get on that bench," he added, "I'm just there to cover a few different positions and hopefully go all right and shuffle my way up [in importance to the team]."
Watching the progress of the down-to-earth former high school history teacher is his retired teacher parents, Mick and Pauleen, who run a Wagyu cattle farm at Ashford.
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Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
