Central Coast - Closer than you might think

[Thunderstruck]

Brian Waldron confirmed last night that the Storm is looking into a partnership arrangement with the Central Coast Rip and play a number of away games at Gosford in the upcoming seasons. Fully aware that this would fan the flames of the long-held rumor of a move north by the southern club, Waldron assured that the Storm will remain in Melbourne.

Central Coast on the radar for Storm
Karl deKroo
July 22, 2006 12:00am


MELBOURNE Storm is on the verge of securing a foothold in one of rugby league's most fertile development nurseries.

Looking to capitalise on its front-running feats in the NRL, Storm is eyeing the New South Wales Central Coast as an area to base its interstate development program.

Storm has a feeder team arrangement with Norths Devils in Brisbane's Queensland Cup and had a similar agreement with North Sydney in the Sydney Premier League.

Melbourne chief executive Brian Waldron confirmed before last night's game against Cronulla at Olympic Park that Storm was investigating the benefits of a strategic partnership with the Central Coast Rip.

The Rip fields teams in the NSW Rugby League under-16s, under-18s and under-20s competitions, as well as the third-tier Jim Beam Cup.

Under the planned agreement with Storm, it may also be granted promotion to the Premier League competition.

"Having ensured our long-term future in Melbourne with a deal for a new stadium, with the key signatures of our coach Craig Bellamy and a host of representative class players, we are now looking to the next generation," Waldron said last night.

"Our development program in Queensland has worked very well previously. But with the Gold Coast entering the competition next year, that market is becoming more crowded.

"We would look to base our junior players on the Central Coast and to provide local juniors there, around 4000, with a pathway into rugby league that doesn't currently exist."

Under the agreement, which foundation Storm chief executive John Ribot is helping to broker with Central Coast identity and Central Coast Stadium owner John Singleton, Storm would also play a yet to be determined number of away games at Gosford.

Several Sydney teams, believed to include Wests Tigers and Cronulla, are close to agreeing to deals to transfer their home games against Storm to Gosford next season.

"This is a great opportunity in terms of development, but also to grow the Storm brand outside of just the Victorian market," Waldron said.

Asked if this was the first step towards the eventual relocation of the Storm franchise from Melbourne, Waldron said: "That is never ever going to happen. We are absolutely committed to Melbourne in every sense.

"We would not even entertain giving up one home game in Melbourne for this deal to go ahead.

"What we are hoping is by having a base there we will win the support of the rugby league-starved Central Coast locals and it could become like our home away from home."

Herald Sun

[Stormwarning[c]]

What a smart move and vision.

With the club not pleased in sending players to 'bozze' North Sydney and the Devils partnership having been mentioned of possibly finishing it good to see long term plans being made to secure what we all love....our club.

Then when you consider that we don't have a strong Jr base and development (yes I know the ARL Junior development is in place and working in Melbourne and Victoria but it will take a while for it to be really cemented and strong) and with no NSW team interested in relocating to the CC what a prefect way of the club taking a foothold and again wipe peoples faces in it.

I like the vision of trying to help CCR move into Premier League as well as it will allow our club to have a true development program from nippers through to 1st grade and with the changes of the anti-tampering rules it sounds very nice to me.

An even bigger picture for and by the club.

[bula]

Great news, the club's moving forward, Waldrons a champion

[Bourbon Rat]

What a smart move and vision.
An even bigger picture for and by the club.

Singleton doesn't know it yet,but he's just been offered a collar & leash 

[Cartman_86]

He's a very smart man Mr Waldron, I take my hat off to him.

With 4000 plus juniors in the Central Coast area and if this arrangement is confirmed, it'll be a massive coup for us. Its a strong area in development for league and we'll also have Norths in Qld too, by the looks of things. This could even lead to growing a bigger fan base in NSW

[yakstorm]

This idea works well for team crowds as well.  The Coast geneally turn up in reasonable numbers for quality Rugby League clashes, especially if they involve popular teams from the region such as Roosters, Tigers and Bulldogs.

[Lord Reynoldson]

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I LOVE IT!

I hope they play like every NSW team up here!  They have trouble getting 6000 people to games down in Sydney for some stupid reason when they play us (because their fans don't like showing up to see their team lose, I guess).

We will get much bigger crowds up here than the teams could get in Sydney.  We have a feeder team in the NSWRL, and I'm not driving a couple of hundred k's round trip for the games! (And by we, I mean the Central Coast - seriously, giving us a Manly team was like feeding a starving person dogfood thats a couple of days old, down right disgraceful and dead set unfair - we will support anyone BUT the Seas Eagles)

BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, ABSO-FRIGGIN-LUTELY BRILLIANT!

PS I'm Excited!

[KimmorleyKiller]

I read that, thats awesome!

We've already raided all the talent from queensland

[Insomniac]

Only problem I have with linking up with a CC team is that we'll sign promising youngsters looking to crack the big time in the NRL, then once there's interest from rival Sydney teams (like Newcastle, Manly, Roosters etc.), they'll head back "home" to be closer to family and their preferred lifestyle.

But a good idea nonetheless.

[Thunderstruck]

No need to wait for CC Rip to see that happening. Look at Jackson Nicolau and Jake Webster. Nathan Friend moved because of limited opportunities but I'm not so sure about Steve Turner, IMO he could've stayed.