Melbourne Storm is targeting Melbourne’s north-west as it forms its inaugural Storm female development program.
Following the success of the Female Footy Festival held at the State Rugby League and Community Centre in Broadmeadows, the Storm is now establishing a new pathway for female players in Victoria.
The Storm is holding three combines, the first which was in Broadmeadows on Sunday.
The Storm west hub combine will be held in Wyndham on June 16, while the southeast hub combine will be held on June 23. The combines are open for players born in 2008 or 2009.
Storm’s female pathway program manager Pauline Poloai said it was exciting.
“There are 1300 females playing the game of rugby league in Victoria,” she said. “We know there are girls wanting to aspire to play NRLW.
“This Is a starting point of introducing females to our Storm family.”
Poloai said the Storm was preparing to launch an NRLW team for the 2028 season and they wanted to build the foundations now to get more Victorian females playing.
The three combine testing days gives the development squad selectors an opportunity to assess some key areas.
They will identify the top 30 players and they will be part of a 12 week program overseen by Melbourne Storm coaches and staff, before heading off on a three-day tour of New South Wales for trial matches.
“There will be off field education,” she said. “We’ll also teach them the Storm system.”
Poloai said they had development programs for the men’s side, now they were looking to implement that for women.
She said they had targeted areas where they know there’s a lot of females playing the sport.
Poloai said it was important to have Victorian-born players as part of the Storm’s female program.
Just five Victorian-born players have played for the Storm in the NRL. Four are from the Hume municipality.
“This comes off the back of these development programs,” she said. “These programs give kids a first hand look to see what the Storm program is.
“We have got some good talent in the north and also in the west and south.”
Tara Murray
