The Melbourne Storm have confirmed the dual re-signings of Alec Macdonald and Grant Anderson.
Anderson, an outside back, has received a single-year extension through to the end of 2025, while Macdonald will remain with the club on a four-year extension until at least the end of the 2028 season.
At just 22 years of age, the Auckland-born Macdonald has quickly become a key part of Melbourne's forward rotation, with the hard-nosed, consistent lock forward playing 35 NRL games to date, including making 11 appearances - all off the bench - so far this season.
He has tackled at 95 per cent this year, runs the ball hard and has added six offloads and eight tackle breaks.
The forward said the contract was the result of hard work.
โI'm stoked to have been given a contract for the next few years. It feels like all my hard work has paid off. I can now focus on my footy and improving even more,โhe said in a club statement confirming the news.
โWhen I was younger, I struggled to make rep teams so I'm really grateful to Tim Glasby who first spotted me and gave me my first opportunity at Storm. Also super grateful to Bellsa [coach Craig Bellamy] and the club for taking a chance on me.
โWhen I first came down, Brisbane was home but now I feel that Melbourne is that. I love the club, the culture and the lifestyle down here.
โI also have a great team and roommate in Joe Chan who I hope also stays with the club so we can progress our careers together.โ
Anderson meanwhile made his NRL debut in 2022 during an injury crisis for the Storm. Plucked out of the Sunshine Coast Falcons, he scored a double on debut and impressed in a handful of games through the second half of that campaign.
He now has a total of 17 NRL games under his belt, with 7 of those appearances coming this year. The 24-year-old has also spent time coming off the bench this year for Craig Bellamy, and labelled the club "a second family."
"This is my third year here now and I'm stoked to be here for longer because the club is like a second family,โ the 24-year-old said.
โI was playing under-20s and then Covid hit so to be honest I didn't know where I would end up career-wise.
โI was fortunate to be picked up by the Northern Pride for a season and then the Sunshine Coast Falcons. I came down to the Storm on a pre-season trial and the rest is history.
โI always dreamed of playing NRL so to be here still doing that is really special and for my family and partner for all the sacrifices and support they have shown to help me along the way, I can't wait to rip in with the lads.โ
