Inner Sanctum

[Surandy]

Anyone else from here turn up tonight?

It wasn't too bad, smallish turnout given it was on a weeknight and not prior to a Storm game.

It consisted of discussion and Q&A segment with the football staff, Craig Bellamy, Michael Maguire & Frank Ponnisi (sp?), then the same with representatives of the players leadership group, Michael Crocker, Brett White & Dallas Johnson. Then Brian Waldron discussed the Storm brand and answered questions.

A few snippets:

New stadium is on track for completion next year, the Storm under 20's team is the youngest in the comp in terms of average age, in 2009 we will have 12 Victorians in the squad of 25. Storm currently has just under 8,000 members up from under 2,000 at it's lowest. Aim is to build this to 10,000 by 2010 and hopefully increase this over time to 20,000 plus. Of premium reserve seats there are currently just 350 to 400 available each home game for sale to the public, the rest are taken up by members.

Storm/News spend $1.5 million on junior development, via schools in Victoria. Compared to the ARL spending $3 million nationwide. Storm chose to go for development via schools rather than the existing club system in order to spread the game to the widest audience possible. In 2009 Werribee are rejoining the VRL as well as a new club based in Craigieburn bringing the number of clubs back to 8.

On a lighter note, the leadership group were asked whether they would prefer to be in a grand final or State Of Origin, one player (I won't say who, you should have been there) likened being in a premiership to tantric sex! 

Tomorrow's Herald Sun will have an astonishing 3 pages dedicated to the Storm, Geyer get's a good run with it being his last regular season game this weekend.

[cougar]

And the local grass roots community wonder why the game isn't progressing.

The VRL senior competetion has 8 clubs in it this year, another two would make it 10. You really would hope that the people involved would have done their research.

The spending of large sums money on development in schools doesn't appear to have made a huge difference in the influx of kids to club football - whilst it is true they expose large numbers to the game these primary school children do not have the option - the school commits to playing a version of league for a certain number of weeks.


Sure it might look good on a report to Sydney at the end of a year that 10,000 kids played rugby league in Melbourne, but I think for the future growth of the game it would be better if the aim was to increase active junior players by say 100 per year.

[Surandy]

I understand what you are saying Cougar, but how would throwing money at the VRL have improved the local comp? It also depends on what Storm and News want for their dollar.

The way I understood what was said at the Inner Sanctum* was that they felt club RL in Victoria was too centred on the Pacific Islander community and they wanted to expose a wider variety of people to the game, especially those that might not have otherwise experienced the game.

Exposure is not just for the purpose of getting more people playing, but also spreading the knowledge of the game thus increasing crowds for Storm.

* I qualify this point as I have heard previously that friction existed between the VRL heirarchy and the Storm in the early years and personally believe that this may also have played a part in the decision to put the funding into schools.

[steaming stormer]

I hope Werribee get a side in... might even have a run around myself

[nacho]

hopefully they have a few teams around the hurstbridge area/box hill

thers union clubs but no league ones

[Bourbon Rat]

I hope Werribee get a side in... might even have a run around myself

Don't hold your breath waiting  The Werribee RL club got shafted last time & became the Wyndham City Rhinos RU Club 

[Surandy]

I hope Werribee get a side in... might even have a run around myself

Don't hold your breath waiting  The Werribee RL club got shafted last time & became the Wyndham City Rhinos RU Club 

According to Brian Waldron there is a Werribee team entering the VRL in 2009. I mentioned this in my first post.

One thing that amused me was that he either showed a lack of knowledge of the VRL pre-about 2003/4 or he chose to ignore it to talk up the "expansion" of the VRL. He made it sound like there being 8 teams in the VRL as being a great thing, totally overlooking the fact that the VRL in the past had at least 8 teams.

[AAS]

Thanks Melbourne Storm, I get no weekly e-mails as my ISP thinks they are spam and I did not get notifited.



Top Effort Storm Head office

[Silkin Storm]

Ratty the issues with the Werribee was because of a a particular Person & cronies.

The area can happily support a ARL & A Junior ARL club.

[mrpc]

Thanks Melbourne Storm, I get no weekly e-mails as my ISP thinks they are spam and I did not get notifited.

Top Effort Storm Head office

I'm all for sinking the teeth in when someone screws up, however, how on earth is the Storm club responsible for your choice of ISP nor the incompetence of their mail server admins or chosen software vendors?

[Bourbon Rat]

Ratty the issues with the Werribee was because of a a particular Person & cronies.

The area can happily support a ARL & A Junior ARL club.

Know that,but sadly quite a large number of those involved,(now parents of prospective juniors) have an aversion to RL 

[MENACING*STORM]

hopefully they have a few teams around the hurstbridge area/box hill

thers union clubs but no league ones

Probably the Northern Thunder is the closest for NE Melbourne.
I would say Waverly Oakleigh Panthers would be the closest for Eastern Suburbs

[nacho]

Thanks Melbourne Storm, I get no weekly e-mails as my ISP thinks they are spam and I did not get notifited.

Top Effort Storm Head office

I'm all for sinking the teeth in when someone screws up, however, how on earth is the Storm club responsible for your choice of ISP nor the incompetence of their mail server admins or chosen software vendors?

i get the same email sent 5 times from storm when ever they send one out to members CURSE YOU STORM!

[Simon the Crowdie]

i get the same email sent 5 times from storm when ever they send one out to members CURSE YOU STORM!

I get three

[mrpc]

I usually get three