The hunt to find the next Victorian to play for Melbourne Storm is another step closer with the launch of a new pathways program in the south-east suburbs yesterday.
In a historic day for the Club, Storm’s three new pathway teams – U/17 Harold Matthews, U/19 SG Ball and U/21 Jersey Flegg – joined the NRL squad at their second pre-season open training session at Comley Banks Reserve in Officer.
Storm will field teams in all three NSW Rugby League competitions from 2024 giving Victorian players a genuine pathway to play in the NRL.
Storm General Manager Football, Frank Ponissi, said the decision to introduce the new pathways program was critical to remaining competitive in the future.
“We’re really proud of everything this club has achieved in our first 25 years,” Ponissi said.
Frank Ponissi talks Storm Pathways program
“But when you look around the NRL and other elite competitions in Australia and around the world, the teams with sustained success have in place genuine pathways that help to develop players on and off the field.
“We took our time to visit clubs here in Australia and in other countries to find the right system that would work here at Storm. With this program now in place, we can provide young players from Victoria and around the country a chance to be part of the Storm system.” Ponissi said.
The new pathways program will be overseen by former Storm player, Tim Glasby, and will complement the Storm Academy established in 2023 under the guidance of another former Storm player and All Black, Matt Duffie.
With a strong record in developing players from Queensland, New Zealand and other Pacific Islands, Ponissi believes there is huge potential to be found in Victoria.
“Having only had five Storm players come from Victoria in 25 years is just not good enough,” Ponissi said.
In 2024, 100% of the Harold Matthews team will be made up with Victorian players, while a large majority of the SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams will come from Victoria, as well as feeder clubs in NSW and Queensland.
“The talent is here. The passion is here. Now, we have the pathway that will help us find the next five, six or ten players from Victoria to play for Storm. It won’t be a quick fix, but we know this will be a big step in the right direction.”
Storm Pathways kicks off
