Melbourne’s streets were at their busiest on Saturday, with traffic snarls that tested even the most patient motorists. But just a short drive from the city center, a historic training session took place that highlighted a new era for the Melbourne Storm. The path to AAMI Park has never looked clearer, as the club launches a bold strategy to reshape the future of rugby league in Victoria.
The Storm, a club that has consistently dominated the NRL since its debut in 1998, is ready to make one of its most transformative moves yet: a strong commitment to homegrown talent. With sweeping changes across its entire structure, the club is setting the stage for a future where Victorian juniors have a defined pathway from grassroots to first-grade rugby league. The initiative also includes the formation of a dedicated NRLW team, signaling a commitment to female participation at the elite level.
A Legacy of Growth
The Storm’s focus on development isn’t entirely new, but the scale of their latest plans is unprecedented. It’s a vision that recalls a pivotal moment in 2007, when Thirsty Merc released their hit song 20 Good Reasons. While the song and the club’s plans are unrelated, that year also marked a turning point for Melbourne Storm with a key signing that would lay the foundation for the club’s future dominance.
Frank Ponissi joined as the new director of football and guided the under-20s team to a title in its second season. The under-20s program operated almost like a miniature NRL team, with future NRL coaches like Brad Arthur, Dean Pay, and Anthony Seibold developing their craft before moving to the highest level. Players such as the Bromwich brothers, Kevin Proctor, Gareth Widdop, and Jordan McLean came through these ranks, later establishing successful first-grade careers.
However, the conclusion of the National Youth Competition in 2017 left a gap that affected player development significantly. “When the National Youth Competition finished after 2017, there was a void and we kind of abandoned it for a few years,” Ponissi explained.
The departure of key players, including three to the Dolphins and Brandon Smith to other clubs, highlighted the need for a new strategy. “We relied on getting mature-aged players out of the Queensland Cup, and that had great success with guys like Tui Kamikamica and Nicho Hynes, but there were no young guys coming through like before so we had to look at that.”
Road to AAMI Park
Despite the Storm’s success on the field, one area consistently highlighted as underdeveloped has been local talent. Ponissi pointed out that the under-20s program, while successful, produced very few Victorian players. “As good as the under-20s program was, the number of Victorian kids was still low.”
It wasn’t until 2012 that Mahe Fonua became the first local product to debut in the NRL for the Storm. Subsequent players like Richard Kennar, Young Tonumaipea, Dean Ieremia, and Sua Fa’alogo followed, but the numbers remained small.
Recognizing this shortfall, the Storm launched the Road to AAMI Park program in late 2022. “When we started the Road to AAMI Park at the back end of 2022, there were only four Victorians who had represented the Storm, and with Sua the following year, it was five,” Ponissi said. “We thought that five in 25 years wasn’t great, so we decided that in another five years’ time that we wanted another five.”
The club’s goal is simple yet ambitious: ensure at least ten Victorians represent the Storm within three decades. “It’s still not where we want it, but given we only had five in the first 25 years, that’ll be good. If we continue that for the next few years then that will continue to build.”
Investing in Local Talent
Developing local talent is one thing, but creating a tangible pathway is another. Melbourne’s 19 junior rugby league clubs now have a clear route into the Storm system. Saturday’s event at the Pakenham Eels highlighted the club’s commitment to Victoria’s juniors.
The club will prioritize local players in the under-17s Harold Matthews competition. “If we’re really going to grow our game in Victoria then we have to give the Victorians first crack in the first team of the pathways,” Ponissi said. “We might not be as competitive as if we did recruit players in there, but I think they deserve first opportunity.”
This approach is already showing results. The under-19s SG Ball Cup squad advanced to the second week of the finals last season, featuring nine local juniors. The under-21s Jersey Flegg team also made waves, defeating Penrith in the final and making a statement about the Storm’s serious intent.
“It was huge for the club because it put us on the map and showed that we’re fair dinkum about developing kids down here,” pathways operations manager Tim Auremi said. “We’re about trying to develop as many kids to play first grade. Whether we win comps or not, we want to create as many players as we can for Craig, and he has to have that faith that they can do the job for him when they put the jersey on.”
Fans will soon have the opportunity to witness the progression firsthand, with double-headers before NRL games at AAMI Park planned for 2026. “I think it’s great for fans of the club because they get to watch someone go from Harold Matts through the grades to the NRL,” Auremi added.
Depth and Pathways
Melbourne Storm’s vision extends beyond juniors. The club will field its own reserve-grade team in the NSW Cup next year, replacing partnerships with clubs such as North Sydney Bears and Sunshine Coast Falcons. This ensures fringe first-graders and junior graduates see a clear progression path within the Storm.
“For the NRL players, they’ll actually be going back and playing for the Melbourne Storm when they’re not playing first grade,” Auremi said. “We’ve also got a number of young kids who are aspiring to play for the Melbourne Storm, so no matter where they play going up the chain, they’ll all wear the Melbourne Storm logo. That’s so important for the connection of the club.”
New recruit Trent Toelau expressed excitement about rejoining the club. “Being a local junior, I feel very lucky to be able to come back now and be in a situation where if I don’t play NRL but get to play Cup, I still get to put on that purple jersey and that Storm jersey,” he said.
Women’s Pathway Takes Shape
The Storm’s ambitious plans also include a growing focus on women’s rugby league. Two new teams will compete in NSW competitions, covering the under-17s Lisa Fiaola Cup and the under-19s Tarsha Gale competition.
“For us, it’s been a long-awaited journey,” said female pathways manager Pauline Poloai. “Our aim is to have an NRLW team in the near future, but giving these girls the time to develop within their own age group is the priority.”
By 2028, the club hopes to field a Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership team, ultimately aiming for inclusion in the NRLW.
A Bold Statement for Victoria
Saturday’s session showcased the Storm’s unwavering commitment to Victoria and the NRL. Nearly 20 percent of the current first-grade squad is made up of local talent. “Out there in that squad (training on Saturday) there are six Victorians in there, which has never happened before,” Ponissi said. “We’ve got six of our 32 at the moment from Victoria, with three of them having played in the NRL. We’ve got to make sure that the others play regular footy for us. We don’t want it to be that they make their debut and we tick a box. We want them to be established footy players for the Storm.”
The Storm’s approach is clear: build a legacy in Victoria, develop homegrown talent, and create a model that other clubs in the NRL will have to take seriously. It’s a vision that, as Ponissi says, has “never happened before,” and it could reshape the landscape of rugby league in the state for decades to come.
