The Melbourne Storm have officially added a third feeder club to their system from the start of the 2024 season, with NSW Cup outfit the North Sydney Bears joining the stable.
The Storm already have the Brisbane Tigers - who have on Wednesday launched their own bid to become the NRL's 18th franchise - and the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the QLD Cup as their first two feeder teams.
The QLD Cup sides will take a hit from having less NRL talent available, however, the competition north of the Tweed relies far less on said players, with all NRL clubs affiliated in the competition having multiple teams linked.
In the NSW Cup, the Bears are in the final year of a partnership with the Sydney Roosters, although they too have taken a hit this year following the Roosters' addition of their own reserve grade side in preparations for going it alone in 2023.
The Storm's agreement with the Bears, which has been locked into run for at least two years, guarantees the long-term viability of the famous club as a NSW Cup outfit following the disintegration of Mounties this year following the end of their partnership with the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi said the move was aimed at helping the Storm's footprint in New South Wales, providing more pathways to the club, and also for Melbourne supporters in Sydney who will have more opportunities to watch players of the club.
โWe have a long and proud partnership with both Easts and Falcons which has produced some great players for Storm over the years including our captain Christian Welch, Trent Loiero, Nicho Hynes, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Tui Kamikamica,โ Ponissi said in a club statement.
"We were always interested in having a stronger connection with NSW Rugby League given the number of players we have on our list from the state. The Bears are a perfect fit for us on a number of levels, so when this opportunity was presented, we jumped at it
โWe already have a connection with the Bears through Kieran Dempsey who was the coach in their last NRL season of 1999, and who continues to help with our recruitment in Sydney.
โFrom next season, our connection with NSW will be even stronger through the Bears partnership, our Jersey Flegg and SG Ball teams and potential new Harold Matthews team, offering a genuine pathway for players to come to Melbourne Storm.
โWe also think this partnership will be great for supporters of both clubs living in New South Wales as they can watch NRL players in the NSW Cup each week and we also see North Sydney Oval becoming a base for Storm for some of our away trips.โ
It has also been confirmed by the Storm that the Bears will send players and staff to Melbourne's pre-season training, while opportunities will also be increased for female players in Victoria on the back of the partnership.
