Melbourne Storm will be severely under-strength for the Gillette World Club Challenge against Leeds Rhinos at Elland Road on February 28.

The Australian champions have four players undergoing close-season surgery while the late arrival of eight internationals also threatens to seriously disrupt their preparations for the 2010 campaign.

Scrum-half Cooper Cronk is expected to miss the first four Premiership games after undergoing groin surgery and forwards Brett White, Ryan Tandy and John Kite are set to be sidelined early in the season following shoulder operations.

The injury setbacks come on top of a heavy player turnover, including the loss of Dallas Johnson (Catalans Dragons), Steve Turner (Canterbury) and Will Chambers (Queensland Reds).

Meanwhile, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has been re-appointed to the New South Wales job for the 2010 State of Origin series and becomes the first man to retain the job after overseeing consecutive series losses.

Queensland's four-series winning streak is the longest in the 30-year history of Origin football, with Bellamy having been at the helm of the Blues for the past two years.