storm academy

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sallymay
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https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/ ... torm_.html


Melbourne Storm has today launched the Storm Academy to be based in Queensland from 2016.

The pioneering program will see Storm’s National Youth Competition (NYC) team based at Sunshine Coast Stadium at Kawana Waters, alongside feeder team the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

This NRL-first project will be the Club’s major junior recruitment and development base and will provide the best possible pathway for young footballers to make it to Storm’s NRL squad.

In partnership with the Sunshine Coast Council, the Storm Academy will be based at Sunshine Coast Stadium, the premier venue for sport in the area, and will have access to seven fields, swimming pools and a gymnasium.

The Storm Academy will be headed by former Australian and NSW prop Matt Adamson, coach of Storm’s Under-20’s in 2014, who has been based on the Sunshine Coast this season as Queensland Coaching Director. Storm will shortly announce further full-time and part-time support staff as they are appointed.

For Victorian juniors, Storm will continue to provide funding for the Under-16 and Under-18 programs, with a selected number of elite Victorian players to be guaranteed a place within the Storm Academy each year ensuring a pathway for elite Victorian players continues.

Storm is also working towards the launch of a development program that will provide local players (age 19-20) with elite coaching across a season to assist their individual development – building the local NRL Victoria competition at the same time.

In announcing today’s news on the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne Storm CEO Dave Donaghy said establishment of the Storm Academy was aimed at continuing the Club’s successful history of developing elite players in the right environment.

“We are excited to launch the Storm Academy, by taking Storm to a heartland area we hope to be front of mind to talented junior rugby league players, as they consider potential career opportunities and destinations,” Donaghy said.

“A considerable amount of work has gone into this important decision and we believe the relocation of our NYC team will strengthen the development of our elite young talent while also giving the Club a presence in a heartland area.

“The Storm Academy will have access to some of the best sporting facilities and coupled with our program, gives our junior players every possible chance to make it to the NRL as a Storm player in the future.

“We thank the Sunshine Coast Council for their support in ensuring the program is successful.

“The NRL has talked publicly about the review they are undertaking on their pathways program and we feel this decision puts us ahead of the rest of the competition.”

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said the Storm’s decision to base their Academy on the Sunshine Coast was a significant upgrade of the club’s partnership with Council.

“This is outstanding news for the Sunshine Coast and, in particular, our sporting community and those who love the game of rugby league,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“I’m sure our Coast residents will give a warm welcome to the young men who the club sign up for their Academy from outside our region.

“This initiative also gives our best young players a clear pathway to the NRL without having to leave home.

“It builds on the already established relationship Storm have with the Falcons and we hope this agreement assists in building the success of both clubs.

“Melbourne have shown tremendous foresight with this move and we thank them for the support and faith they’ve shown in the Sunshine Coast.”

The move further strengthens Storm’s relationship with a rugby league heartland where Storm has a history of successfully recruiting and developing Queensland players with three of the world’s best players Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk all recruited as young talent from the sunshine state.

From 2016, Storm NYC home matches will be played at Sunshine Coast Stadium, as a curtain raiser to Queensland Cup fixtures where schedules align.

In Melbourne, when Storm plays at AAMI Park, members will be engaged to help determine the type of match day experience they want, with NRL Victoria matches a possibility to be featured pre-game as part of a greater engagement with the local rugby league community
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sallymay
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https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/ ... _faqs.html

Storm Academy FAQs

Why did Storm make this decision?
After a review that commenced in 2014, a number of reasons were behind the decision, including: finding a competitive advantage in a highly competitive and unregulated market, player welfare due to relocating so many young players and costs borne from our location. We considered the pro’s and con’s of relocating the program but ultimately determined it was in both the short-term and long-term interest of the NRL side and the club to do so.

When will this take effect?
Storm Academy will commence training in the off-season and will compete in the 2016 NYC competition.

Where will Storm Academy play its home games?
Storm Academy matches will be played at Sunshine Coast Stadium as a curtain raiser to Queensland Cup fixtures involving Sunshine Coast Falcons unless determined otherwise by Storm / NRL in consultation with the Sunshine Coast Council. The team will also train at the Stadium which is world-class, has seven fields, a gym and pool.

What does the NRL think of the change?
The NRL has been kept informed along the way. The NRL itself is conducting a review of its own pathways and changes to the existing structures are expected at the end of 2016/17.

Who will run Storm Academy?
Matt Adamson will oversee the performance and development arm of the Storm Academy program, with Storm also employing coaching / operations / welfare staff, as well as other support staff. Staff members will be announced in due course. Matt has been in a Queensland Coaching Director role for the past 12 months.

What will be the pathways for young aspiring Victorian players?
Storm will guarantee places for elite Victorian talent at Storm Academy. Storm is also looking at a development squad for players aged 19-20 that wish to remain in Melbourne. This will assist their individual development and ultimately the local NRL Victoria competition. The Melbourne-based Under-16’s and Under-18’s teams will continue to play in an elite competition in the northern states.

What does this mean for curtain-raisers on a match day?
With the 20’s based in Queensland, we will ask the fans what they want – local games, exhibition game or a new 9’s competition, involving either local clubs or schools potentially? An alternative also exists where we could establish a carnival-like atmosphere outside in Gosch’s Paddock and play games there on a match day.
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sallymay
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in my opinion this is a joke we are now the ONLY club that not only doesn't have a reserve team playing before our game we will not even have the under 20s..in the end we will proberly get some shitty petting zoo outside...it sucks

I knew this was coming as its been the news all through the nrl vic comp all year but we were told the 20s would play at least a few games down here now they come out and say we get nothing.. this was the best thing we had cause we got to know the boys as they come through the grades

watching KP make big hits in the early days dane Chisholm run in 3/4 trys at Etihad mahe running 100 metres to score jesse Bromwich make big metres now Francis Taulau (still going on about him) Charlie galo tony tumsa josh minnunick joe stimsten jake turpin chanze brendon frei ect ect this was the best part of my expirence going to games now we wont even get to see them play we wont get to meet the boys and know they are right or wrong for the family team. the boys know some of us personally now we will never get that chance and to take all the local players who are good and make them go up to qld no just no

so upset about this its heartbreaking
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nacho
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NYC 20s is shit, its all attack and no defence.

I think the best thing they can do is get 1 VRL game (Seniors) each week, Id love to see them run around. The kids playing is great to get them involved and enthusiastic but its boring as batshit. Bring the big boys
Mattpoet
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Will they now drop membership prices to reflect this?
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I've never really been interested in the under 20s despite usually getting to games early enough to see most of the second half. Having a VRL game as the curtain raiser might be more interesting and the VRL would likely be better off from the exposure.
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With my kids' attention spans I couldn't get to many NYC games on the weekend. I used to enjoy going straight from work to watch most of NYC on a Friday or Monday night or on the rare occasions we were on Fox.

Nacho there may not be a lot of defence in NYC but I enjoyed watching the young guys who I thought would get promoted to first grade Bromwich, Proctor, Widdop, Britt, Chisholm (can't believe he only played one NRL game by accident). Some of these players were clear standouts. I will miss the NYC.

Hopefully they play a VRL game as a curtain raiser most weeks I wonder if they could organise for one or two SC Falcons and Easts Tigers matches to be played down here. (Wishful thinking, it would probably cost too much).

On the bright side of this announcement there is only a couple of years of NYC left, so Storm need to organise something for pre-game two years earlier than expected.

Although the cynic in me is asking is this the first step in Melbourne Storm becoming Sunshine Coast Storm or SE Qld Storm?
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It was also good to see how the Vic juniors went in a National comp guys like Fonua, Kennar, Tonumaipea, Gideon, Constantinou etc.

It seems weird that young Vic men will have to move to Qld if they want a genuine chance to progress to Melbourne Storm first grade squad.
Chip
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Not that strange when you think about all the current & past players for Storm have had to do just that...
Chip
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I feel for you guys but I think this has been done so that Storm CAN invest in VRL
Kya
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Chip wrote:Not that strange when you think about all the current & past players for Storm have had to do just that...
=D> =D> =D>

I get why people might be annoyed by this but frankly I think it's a brilliant long term strategic move.
Firstly the under 20s is being scrapped in next 2 years anyway to be absorbed into the Qld and NSW competitions and therefore we are utilising not only our ties with our feeder clubs into which our juniors will eventually have to play in anyway and we will have access to a superior first class facility.

Any real talent from Victoria will be recruited and developed in our system ( and sorry but I don't believe in tokenism that we need to have x amount of Victorians on our list to apease ppl, especially if they aren't up to NRL standard).

The NRL and Vic government will not currently and I doubt ever facilitate the type of funding needed to set up a base here. A first class facility would cost upwards of 15 million as a starting point as has been discussed in the past.

The Storm do a wonderful job with extremely limited resources to have developed the game as far as they have and will continue to help develop VRL.
But first and foremost they are a professional sporting organisation whose responsibility is to attain the best talent possible and operate in the most efficient, effective and professional manner possible.

We will always recruit heavily from Queensland and New Zealand because of the limited competition from other clubs in those areas as opposed to NSW who have 10 clubs dipping into their state talent pool. However, there is still an incentive for locals to earn the opportunity to get into the development system regardless of location and if that isn't enough for them than those players arent worth the spot.
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stormsally
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VRL senior game isn't on the survey list.

Is there already a VRL 9s comp or do you think this would be invented for this purpose?

I too will miss the opportunity to see these young men play. Many of us follow with interest the careers of players who never got the opportunity to play storm first grade that we watch in U20s.

I can see the value in the move for the club but not for making these players and fans feel that they are really part of Melbourne.

I can't see any reason to turn up early from the options given.

Are the U16 or U18 vic rep sides and do they get home games that could be played @ aami?
Mattpoet
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Those comps are done by April or May I think.
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sallymay
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So from what I heard tonight from one of the 20s parents is the 20s were all told a week ago about this (a week ago pfft) and were told they had to FUND their own way to QLd and find work and accommodation themselves. They were told if they wanted to be in the 20s squad they have to be at the academy on NOv 4/5

Anyone in the storm academy under 20 will have foster parents but the 20s is all done alone...

I find this all alittle odd
Mattpoet
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Have we just given up on the 20s and are looking at reserve grade now?
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