It was a Melbourne Storm victory, but not of the variety that the NRL is used to.

The Storm got home 16-6 over South Sydney at ANZ Stadium, but it wasn't thanks to a scintillating Billy Slater try, or a clinical performance from playmakers Cameron Smith or Cooper Cronk.

Rather it was a grinding, dogged performance lacking the brilliance we've come to expect from the Storm, who prevailed largely thanks to first-half tries from unheralded duo Jesse Bromwich and Maurice Blair before skipper Smith's try sealed the match in the 77th minute.

It's an area that Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has been concerned with this season, as he comes to grips with a squad that has been gutted in recent years.

But Sunday's gritty win over the Rabbitohs and last week's 14-8 victory over Cronulla have given the former Blues mentor a hint that his new troops have discovered what the NRL grind is all about.

"Some of our younger guys and even some of the guys we got from other club's haven't played a lot of NRL the last couple of years," Bellamy said.

"(At this point of the season) it is a bit of a grind at the moment, we need to learn to be able to perform each week and prepare well each week so we're used to the grind.

"Obviously our rep players are but some of our younger guys and some of the guys new to the club aren't used to that.

"I think after the last two weeks there's a few signs that we're learning."

Smith, meanwhile, admitted he felt the Storm had been lucky not to concede a try to South Sydney forward Dave Taylor that could have given the home side a two-point lead with 15 minutes to play.

Taylor claimed a try after he crashed through the Storm defensive line, but was denied by referee Ben Cummins, who said he grounded the ball short and then lost it - before refusing to send the decision upstairs to video referee Paul Simpkins.

"It was a call that (Cummins) thought he got right, we were lucky to get away with that ... (Taylor) came pretty close," Smith said.

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