The Melbourne Storm have confirmed they will launch a new pathways system in Victoria with the aim of future proofing the club.
While the Storm have consistently been one of the NRL's most consistent teams over the past two decades, the criticism levelled at the club continues to be around their inability to produce Victorian talent.
Only a handful of players who were either born in Victoria or played their junior rugby league in the state have made the cut at NRL level, with a majoroity of Melbourne's best players over the years coming out of Queensland.
However, with the arrival of the Dolphins, the continued spread of the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans, and now Sydney-based teams like the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury Bulldogs attempting to spread their wings in Queensland, the number of players Melbourne have been able to get their hands on in the Sunshine State shows signs of shrinking.
The club's director of football Frank Ponissi said it was imperative for the Storm to have the pathways system to remain at the top of the game.
“We're really proud of everything this club has achieved in our first 25 years,” Ponissi said in a club statement.
“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."
The new pathways system, which will be based at Comley Banks Reserve in the south east of Melbourne will allow younger players to train on base, with the Melbourne side to continue putting resources into their Harold Matthews (under-17), SG Ball (under-19) and Jersey Flegg (under-21) team in the coming years.
That is added to their already in place agreement with QLD Cup outfit the Sunshine Coast Falcons, and, from the start of 2024, the NSW Cup outfit the North Sydney Bears who both will act as feeder clubs.
Ponissi admitted that only five Victorian players playing for the Storm over 25 years isn't good enough.
“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.”
The pathways system will be overseen by former Storm players Tim Glasby and Matt Duffie.