Melbourne's New Stadium

[Old Diehard]

Super Cronk is not talking "crap"......I remember hearing it on the news a while back that at least 9 players from Melbourne will play for the Storm in the Under 20's competition.

I'll ask you the same question then- who are they? and what juniors or clubs are they from in Melbourne?

The Vic Rugby League Sytem couldn't put a team together now after after 11 years of the Storm that could beat the Ipswich Jets (IMO and your territory Queeenslander!)

PS THE STORM U20 Team next year will be mostly Norths Colts players!

[DIEHARD]

Time out rugby league fans.

You are both right.

The Storm are propped up by interstate players and maybe they have spent more than a few too many years depending on that without putting in place serious plans to bring Victorians on board.

But it's true that they have Victorian young bloods on the books and the figure of nine would be about right and we will be seeing some of this new mexican talent in next years National Youth Championship.

If you look at the Lions and Swans they aren't light years ahead in terms of playing stocks but they have a huge lead on us in local playing stocks and junior investment in QLD and NSW.

I'm behind the Melbourne Storm. I want further expansion into Perth but we need to wait until the Storm start bringing through their local boys before we can move on and bring in another team that is propped up.

Propping up is necessary, there isn't any shame in it, the Lions and Swans do it, it's just that we have rested on our laurels for far too many years and it is good to see the Storm signing young guns.

I encourage it 100%. And I am looking forward to seeing these young Victorians next year. And if we unearth a super star which is very possible because there are a lot of athletes in Victoria who aren't suited to AFL, they will be a great example to all the others that will follow.

[Social Loafer]

Canberra used a lot of local players in the early days and were subsequently awarded with a debut season spoon :duh:

Was only when Don Furner & Wayne Bennett started recruiting from QLD did the club start improving. Now with no Premier League I'm glad the club has such strong links with Souths Logan.

[Super Cronk]

Name the 9 players? Go on who are they ? And which club in the Vic Rugby League did they play for? Ya idiot - their is no 9 players!

Ya talking crap son!

But although we are a Rugby League State our Aussie Rules Ream - The Lions is already getting players who have come out of the Queensland Aussie Rules Juniors! You Sir can not after 11 years name one player from Victoria Rugby League who has played for the Storm AND NOW I CHALLENGE YOU TO NAME THE 9 WHO WILL PLAY NEXT YEAR IN THE U20s' COMP! Common ! Name them!

Not exactly sure who the players are that will play for the U/20's but the Storm have signed these 7 youngsters from VIC league clubs: Russell Webster, Drury Low, Gareth Widdop, Cameron Micallef, Josh Millgate, Jarrod Stack, Adam Leslie. I cant find the names for the other 2 players

I dont know the junior club names.

I guess time will tell who is right and wrong aye, son?

BTW, Jake Webster was born in VIC and IIRC he actually played for the Altona Roosters as a kid....but what do i know. :duh:

[Super Cronk]

While im at it. here is an article about Jarrod Stack from 2005:

MELBOURNE Storm believes it has finally unearthed its first Victorian born-and-bred player.

Storm has signed rangy outside back Jarred Stack to a full-time scholarship and the club is confident that within three years he will develop into a first grade talent.

Stack, 17, will train with Storm's senior squad until Christmas, before relocating to Brisbane to link with the club's Queensland Cup feeder side, Norths Devils.

"He is a big, tall, athletic kid, and I think he has the size and aggression needed to make it," Storm recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan said.

"He had his first hitout with the senior guys today and he ripped in and held his own."

Storm hopes Stack will be a trailblazer for rugby league in Victoria.

Kiwi international Jake Webster is the only player on the Storm roster with a Victorian birth certificate and he learned to play rugby league in Queensland.

As part of a major shake-up of the code's development program in Victoria, Storm intends to offer a scholarship position to one local player each year.

"It has obviously been a goal of the club's for some time to try and produce a locally born-and-bred first-grader," coach Craig Bellamy said.

"This is a step in the right direction. It is the first time we have signed a Melbourne kid to a scholarship and while I haven't seen much of him, our recruitment people have a fair opinion of his ability."

After finishing school this year, Stack is keen to try to make a career out of rugby league.

"I am really excited for the kid," O'Sullivan said.

"He has the backing of his family and while he had an offer from the Roosters to go and play in the SG Ball competition in Sydney, he was adamant he wanted to play for Melbourne.

"He is over the moon to be getting a shot and hopefully with the new development program we are putting into place, he will be the first of many kids coming through."

Theres also an article ive been trying to find again, about two juniors form VIC that were signed by the knights in 05/06. IIRC one of the last names was Beau?


*Also Jeremy Smith played for the altona roosters( a vic league club) when he first lived in melbourne.

[Old Diehard]

aye, son?

BTW, Jake Webster was born in VIC and IIRC he actually played for the Altona Roosters as a kid....but what do i know. :duh:

Jake Webster represents NZ - he apparantly may have been born in Victoria to Maroi parents....He played his juniors at Valleys here in Brisbane and then played for Norths before moving to the Storm ...How you claim him as a Victorian is beyond me!

[Old Diehard]

here's the likely line-up of the Storm U20's in next years NRL Comp!

Luke Samoa - Norths Brisbane (norths junior)
Yow yeh - Norths brisbane
jacob samoa--Norths Brisbane
sam Joe------Norths Brisbane
Ryan Tonyia--Norths Brisbane
Willis Grant
Liam Foran
Siku Manu
Sam McPhail
jay Aston


None of them from Victoria - gotta see who else was signed up later!Their is probably a few I missed but they aren't Victorians...Those other players you listed didn't play at any serious level last year that I can see and we will see if they are good enough to play the new NRL Jesery Flegg Comp next year...Certainly they DID NOT PLAY QLd FOGS COLTS this year!

[Old Diehard]

couple more players signed to the storm U20s'-
Rohern Ahern
Jay Aston
Blain Harling


(all of those blokes I think were signed on the Northen Storm Colts Development Program in 2007...and I expect most of them will transfer to the
Storm's U20 in 2008.. Not really sure about these players mentioned from Victoria. Surely they would have needed a season at Colts level)

[DIEHARD]

I think we get your point, let's just sit tight and see what happens with the Storm in 08.

[Super Cronk]

Jake Webster represents NZ - he apparantly may have been born in Victoria to Maroi parents....He played his juniors at Valleys here in Brisbane and then played for Norths before moving to the Storm ...How you claim him as a Victorian is beyond me!

Born in victoria, played for altona roosters when he was a kid...roosters are a VRL team. He did play at QLd, but he was born in victoria and also played in the league comps down there as a kid(before valleys and devils)....

And i didnt mention once that all 9 players would be in the U/20's comp, i said i believed some would be. weather or not they make it...i dont know but they are certainly in the running, well atleast thats what the storm say...you cant tell me you know more about these kids and U/20s storm team then the people that are running the club do you? And just because players are from the colts or whatever doesnt mean they arent born in VIc or played Junior league down there. (and yes i know the ones you named arent VIctorians)

Victorian Rugby League isn't generating any quality players yet or likely to in the near future but still the Melbourne Team won the premiership!

....you reckon that VRL isnt producing anyone, but we have these 7-9 players being signed by the Storm...if they werent worth considering the storm wouldnt have signed them, O'sullivan scouted them, they must be half decent. Also there was a player who was signed up by the knights from the VRL, i cannot find a source unfortunately...because i would be able to prove you wrong further.

as diehard said we will see in the next year or so....

[Coaster]

Smith played for Runaway bay here on the coast

[Old Diehard]

Born in victoria, played for altona roosters when he was a kid...roosters are a VRL team. He did play at QLd, but he was born in victoria and also played in the league comps down there as a kid(before valleys and devils)....

as diehard said we will see in the next year or so....

We could wait another 10 years (that will > 20years then) and Victoria still won't produce! It's a no boner! But good luck Super Cronk- ya remind me of Geoffrey - he's a mad keen Wests Panthers supporter up here who is that one-eyed you gotta respect him!

Ah Geoffrey - he must get to watch all of Wests games each week-end during the season! Mad keen!

Super Cronk - I will now call you Super Geoffrey!

[Queenslander]

We could wait another 10 years (that will > 20years then) and Victoria still won't produce!

Old Diehard = Melbourne Storm critic and part-time clairvoyant

[Old Diehard]

Old Diehard = Melbourne Storm critic and part-time clairvoyant

Oh you are so right Brother about the critic part but as a clairoyant only time will tell!- but I recognise Super Geoffery is a true believer and good luck to him!.

[Super Cronk]

Smith played for Runaway bay here on the coast

Jeremy? When he first lived in melbourne he played for a team called altona roosters in victoria. might have been really young tho.

And old diehard call me what ever you like mate...