Storm withdraw from CC, move to Melbourne

[Timmah]

Storm to enter a home-based team in the NSW Premier League

The Melbourne Storm has today announced it will be entering its own team in the New South Wales Premier League competition from 2010, thus ending its joint venture partnership with the Central Coast and the New South Wales Country Rugby League (NSWCRL).

The Melbourne Storm NSW Premier League team will be based in Melbourne from 2010, and play its home games at Olympic Park.

Storm CEO Brian Waldron is delighted at the prospect of the Storm having its own team in the NSW Premier League.

“We recently advised the New South Wales Country Rugby League of our decision to end our relationship with the Central Coast and submit our own team in the NSW Premier League for the 2010 season and beyond,” said Waldron.

“The outstanding development of local Victorian juniors, as seen by the recent success of our SG Ball team, has given us the confidence to focus on the growth of rugby league and rugby league players in our own backyard for the high level competitions we now find ourselves in.

“In 2010, we will have Melbourne-based teams in the Under-18 SG Ball competition, the Under 20 National Youth competition, the New South Wales Premier League and the NRL competition.

“We believe the Central Coast Storm was a worthy venture for us, however moving forward we now need to be focussing our resources into Victoria and the Melbourne metropolitan area.”

Given the recent success of Melbourne Storm teams, and the developments of the game in the Victorian market, the timing of a Melbourne-based team in the NSW Premier League couldn’t be better.

“This is an extremely significant decision,” Waldron said.

“It is confirmation of the outstanding work the Storm and its Development team has done in growing the game in this market. The fact we are now capable of providing a stand alone team in this Premier League is a wonderful endorsement for the growth of the game of Rugby League in this market.”

The NRL team has played off in the past three grand finals, winning the ultimate prize in 2007; the SG Ball team played in the 2009 grand final in its inaugural year; and the under-20 team currently sits in equal second spot on the National Youth Competition ladder.

The Storm will also move into its new home from 2010, a $280million world-class purpose built rectangular stadium for rugby league located next door to its current home ground in the Olympic Park precinct.

The 2010 Melbourne Storm Premier League team will be made up of first-grade squad players not selected to play in the NRL on any given weekend, along with players selected from the local VRL competition. In addition to the current pathway for local juniors to make their way through the SG Ball and under-20 teams to the NRL, this will provide yet another pathway to the highest level for local rugby league players.

While the addition of the Melbourne Storm NSW Premier League team has created plenty of excitement at the club, Waldron is very aware of the outstanding work done by the Central Coast Rugby League , and their understanding in this matter.

“I would like to publicly thank Terry Quinn and the board of the Central Coast Rugby League for what has been a mutually beneficial, and thoroughly enjoyable partnership over the past three seasons,” said Waldron.

“If there is a NSW NRL club looking for an area to base themselves in for the 2010 NSW Premier League and beyond, I encourage them to look at a possible joint venture partnership with the Central Coast.

“A great opportunity has arisen on the Central Coast and I can’t recommend them highly enough for any potential partnership with an NRL club.”

Source: http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=18971

 

[sallymay]

exciting

 

[meltiger]

Oh wow ... State Cup games coming to Melbourne ... This is awesome news!!!


I like the way Waldron spoke about the CC people too, handled it very well.


Melbourne must be making some decent coin these days given the rapid expansion in their operations - SG Ball this year, State cup next year.

 

[Perth Tiger]

Great news!!!

 

[joshreading]

Could you imagine where the Storm could have been with Waldron at the helm earlier? Melbourne are making all the right moves, having a home based open age second teir team virtually finishes the development pathway.

 

[meltiger]

^ Yup. If they could find some money to field a Mats side, that is the only missing link now

 

[baddog]

maybe the knights should sniff around gosford?

 

[Bluebags1908]

This is great news for the game. This news cannot be overstated. Another senior semi-pro Rugby League side in Melbourne is fantastic for the game.

The only thing I would suggest is that this team not be called the Melbourne Storm.

For team identity and promotional reasons I would name the team after another locality, for e.g. 'Geelong Cobras' or 'Port Melbourne Pirates'. Give the team a location that would allow it over time to be develop grass roots and an identity with the local community it is named after that places this team in an ideal location to become the forerunner to a 2nd Melbourne NRL team.

This move also opens the way for the Central Coast Bears to enter their own NSW Cup team after they re-enter the NRL in 2013!

 

[Non Terminator]

I will miss seeing those games up here, but good luck to them.

 

[Perth Red]

Will the Bears move to the CC now? Surely if they are serious about relocating there this is the perfect opportunity to get the ball rolling and start to build up their CC identity.

 

[Bluebags1908]

Will the Bears move to the CC now? Surely if they are serious about relocating there this is the perfect opportunity to get the ball rolling and start to build up their CC identity.

Why are you constantly always so negative about the Bears?

As has been explained to you before, the Bears tried to change officially their name to Central Coast Bears and play their NSW Cup/Premier League team out of Gosford a few years ago but it was blocked by the Country Rugby League.

Whether it will be allowed now if they tried again because the Storm have set a precedent I don't know. Who knows the Bears might do this but fair go the Storm have only just announced they are leaving!

And quite frankly, they have been called North Sydney since 1908 so if the NRL doesn't give them a licence on the Central Coast it's really up to them what they call themselves in the meantime.

 

[Timmah]

Given the Bears are South Sydney's feeder club I can't see them playing much further north than Miller St let alone Bluetongue or Morrie Breen.

I reckon the Knights are the best bet, but that would depend on finances and that of course depends on the result of their arbitration hearings with the Stadium management at EAS.