The Melbourne Storm have made a big play to lock up the support of the Sunshine Coast Falcons into the future in the face of looming expansion threats.
The Storm have been linked with Sunshine Coast Falcons for years and now have made the move to launch a new, full-blown pathway for talent in the region.
The club said the pathway has been established to provide an elite pathway to the NRL for juniors through the Sunshine Coast Falcons and Southeast Queensland.
Over the years, the Storm have been blessed with talent coming in droves out of Queensland, including three of their biggest stars Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith.
In the current side, Cameron Munster is also a Queenslander.
“We've been in partnership with the Sunshine Coast Falcons since 2014 and this is another avenue in which we can increase our footprint in the Sunshine Coast region,” former Storm player and current club head of pathways Tim Glasby said in a statement.
“Typically, the model has seen non-selected NRL-listed players drop back into the Q-Cup competition, so we already have a strong relationship with the Club.
“Trent Loiero is a great example of a player who was recruited directly from the Falcons to Storm, as well as Christian Welch from our other Feeder Club Brisbane Easts, so we know just how important these pathways are to provide that direct opportunity to play first-grade football.
“We're really excited about this program which enables us to invest in the local talent and hopefully get them to a position where they are ready to play in the NRL.”
The pathway, which will see the Storm and Falcons continue their close link, also comes with the NRL club gaining NSW Cup outfit the North Sydney Bears as a feeder outfit for 2024, which Zero Tackle understands will be heavily supported by many of the top players based in Melbourne turning out for the club, instead of travelling to Queensland each week.
The Falcons will likely receive a number of players who can be based in Queensland for much of the year and won't be required to make as much back-and-forth travel.
But the Storm's pathway on the Sunshine Coast also comes with the Dolphins looking to take over the north side of Brisbane. The club recently took the Norths Devils off the Brisbane Broncos, and has full intentions of making the region their own, which could see the Storm's pool and talent acquisition areas shrink.
There is also talk that another Queensland-based team could be admitted to the NRL when they decide to expand again, likely in time for the 2027 season.
Toby Poole, who has been part of the Storm and Falcons for many years, will be the pathways' head coach, with selected players to commence training this week in three on-field and two weight sessions per week.