Abdo hails vision behind NRL's top team
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NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has lauded the vision to establish a team in Melbourne 26 years ago as he predicted future success for the Storm after the club’s sixth minor premiership since 2011.
Abdo travelled to AAMI Park to present the JJ Giltinan Shield to Storm players and staff on Wednesday, and he praised the ability of the club to thrive in AFL heartland under the leadership of coach Craig Bellamy.
The Storm won their first grand final in 1999 and have become the most successful club of the NRL era – winning further premierships in 2012, 2017 and 2020, while being runners-up on four further occasions.
“The Storm have demonstrated consistency and excellence on the field for many, many years now,” Abdo said.
They have made the finals 21 of the last 22 seasons, the last 14 seasons in a row and 12 of those they were in the top four.
“This club is all about excellence on and off the field and it was a real privilege for me to be able to celebrate that with the team, and the captain and the coach.”
The Storm was established after the Super League war and joined the NRL in 1998, with John Ribot being the driving force behind the club.
Despite winning a premiership in just their second season, the Storm had to overcome strong opposition from within the game to a Melbourne-based team and there was a push to relocate the club to Gosford.
However, officials persevered and the Storm has become an Australian sporting powerhouse.
“When the Storm was first formed, it was a brave, bold move to enter into a state that had predominantly been AFL, but the Storm created a winning culture and importantly, created a blueprint for success,” Abdo said.
“It’s not just on the field, but also commercially and the connection with fans; a great strong loyal membership, great relationships with corporates and there's a lot that can be taken for new teams entering the competition.”
Remember the name: Sua Fa'alogo
After developing just a handful of local NRL players until now, the Storm and NRL have a focus on growing the game in Victoria and participation numbers are booming.
Star rookie Sua Fa’alogo is the poster boy for aspiring Victorian talent and Abdo predicted there would be more players coming through the pathways to the NRL in coming seasons.
“We’re in an era where the NRL and the Storm together are investing more aggressively into participation and pathways,” he said.
“We've seen the biggest growth in participation in Victoria for many, many years over the last few years and this year, particularly and it's all ages and it's all genders, so boys and girls coming through age group competitions.
“We want to see more kids playing at club and school level.
"Hopefully in the next few years, we're going to be seeing more and more Melbourne Storm players coming through, having played their junior football in Victoria. That's our goal and that's exciting.”
