Sport Confidential: How close the Melbourne Storm came to different name
It’s one of the most recognisable logos in Australian sport, but the Storm were close to being called a host of different names. Check out Sport Confidential.
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The Storm logo has become one of the most recognisable in Australian sport but as Melbourne prepares to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Sport Con can reveal how close they came to being called the Mavericks. Or even the Gargoyles.
The Storm moniker was chosen after a poll was run in Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper, the name having originally been suggested by a local kid named Cameron Duncan.
Former Storm chief executive Chris Johns revealed that some officials at the club were privately in favour of being called the Mavericks.
The newspaper poll included options such as the Melbourne Biodynamics, the Mutiny, the Hell Fires, the 56ers, the Exterminators and the Gargoyles.
Johns also revealed News Corp boss Lachlan Murdoch was a fan of the Storm — fortunately the readers of the Herald Sun agreed with him.
“It has been outstanding,” Johns said of the decision to adopt the Storm.
Not everyone was happy with the decision. The now-defunct Sydney Blues baseball team had renamed themselves the Storm the previous month.
“I can’t believe they would use that name,” Sydney Storm GM David Balfour said at the time.
One intrepid jersey fan, going by the moniker “jersey_tragic”, took to Instagram last year to design a series of logos for Melbourne using the alternative logos.
Good luck beating the Melbourne Biodynamics!!!!
NRL’S BRUTAL TWEET STINGS STUART, RAIDERS AFTER LOSS
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart was seething on Friday night after Dallin Watene-Zelezniak came up with a try-saver on Raiders fullback Sebastian Kris that appeared to sail dangerously high.
Now the NRL website has rubbed salt into Stuart’s wounds by awarding Watene-Zelezniak their tackle of the week.
Ricky won’t be happy!
DWZ with a huge try-saver to win the Tackle of the Week! 😤 pic.twitter.com/AxZDkPlxki
— NRL (@NRL) July 24, 2023
DRAGONS WANT PAYNE
St George Illawarra have become the latest club to express an interest in Payne Haas as they eye off a multimillion-dollar bid for the Brisbane and NSW powerhouse.
Haas is off contract at the end of next season but his management has indicated that he will be up for grabs from November 1 as they look to test his value on the open market.
A number of clubs are watching with interest and you can add the Dragons to the list. Sources close to Haas confirmed they received an initial expression of interest from St George Illawarra when his name was included in an email sent from his management company to clubs detailing their players coming off contract at the end of 2024.
It is understood there has been no contact from the Dragons since Shane Flanagan was appointed as their coach from next season.
However, Sport Con understands that Flanagan retains an interest in Haas and has been sizing up a move for the Broncos front rower when he hits the open market on November 1.
Canterbury head of football Phil Gould has also been linked with Haas and spoke this week about the impact he could have on a club attempting to rise up the ladder.
“I can understand one of the lower teams in the competition making him the highest player in the game for that reason - he can turn your club around, he can change your club,” Gould told the Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
“They are a fairly rare commodity. I haven’t seen anything like him in my time. The best front rowers I have never seen in my time could all play long minutes and have high work rates but I have seen nothing like this.
“He is still only 23 or 24 years of age. So he certainly has the best of his career in front of him and he would be a very valuable acquisition for a team looking to rebuild their club and build the team around them to get them out of the cellar and not the top tier.”
Asked whether Haas liked Belmore, where the Bulldogs are based, Gould said: “I don’t know if he has ever been to Belmore.
“One would have to talk to Payne Haas and see what his motivation is for the rest of his career. He would certainly change any club he went to and he would be a huge loss to the Broncos.
“If I am the Broncos, I am not losing Payne Haas. He is a professional footballer. He is a true professional footballer.
“He has been full-time since he left school - that is all he has ever done. His career won’t go forever. He will have to set himself up for the fixture and he will get an opportunity to do that.
“Does he deserve to be the highest paid player in the game? No, I think the highest pad players in the game are your playmakers.
“If someone made him the highest paid player in the game would I say that is silly? No I wouldn’t because he would definitely change any club he went to and it would definitely change the Broncos if they lost him.”
KAMBOSOS’ WAR OF WORDS
George Kambosos’ big win over Englishman Maxi Hughes has sparked a war of words with one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet - unbeaten American Shakur Stevenson.
After Kambosos went public with his desire to follow up his win over Hughes with a fight against Vasiliy Lomachenko, Stevenson jumped on social media and described the Australian as the worst undisputed champion of all time.
Kambosos didn’t miss with his reply.
“There’s only been a handful of us anyway so that’s cool, some unbelievable fighters on
that list,” Kambosos wrote.
“Too bad you will never be a part of that list …. what’s wrong with ya cuz.”
That really got under Stevenson’s nose as the American offered to bet his entire purse that he would beat Kambosos.
Stay tuned.
Shakur Stevenson and George Kambosos Jr exchanging words on social media today… pic.twitter.com/p2IP6w8d5x
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) July 26, 2023
SOUTHS’ $21.5M SENDING SPREE
South Sydney have extended the contract of Jai Arrow as part of a stunning near $21.5 million spending spree designed to ensure the club remains a premiership contender for years to come.
Arrow is off contract at the end of next season but has agreed a three-year extension, believed to be worth in the vicinity of $2.5 million keeping him at the club until at least the end of 2027.
South Sydney have made a point of not letting their players be available to rival clubs by locking them down well before they are able to hit the November 1 open market.
South Sydney have now secured 10 players in the past eight months including high profile recruit Jack Wighton. All but one has played either state or international football.
Arrow, a Queensland star, is the latest signing in a retention and recruitment drive that began at the end of last season when South Sydney re-signed hooker Damien Cook for a further two years.
Five days later, they announced the twin signings of Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker - deals believed to be worth close to $6 million.
In the middle of March, they kept Tom Burgess for another season and then added Jacob Host for two more. Canberra’s Wighton was lured to Redfern at the end of April before Kangaroos centre Campbell Graham and prop Junior Tatola inked extensions in July.
Arrow is likely to be the next cab off the rank, although the Rabbitohs are also close to extending Keaon Koloamatangi for at least another three years.
Coach Jason Demetriou has also agreed a new deal which will keep him at the club until at least the end of 2026 with the club to announce his new contract in the coming weeks.
Despite the good news, rival clubs have capitalised on South Sydney’s spending spree with the Dragons landing Hame Sele to the club on a three year deal. Sele will be incoming coach Shane Flanagan’s first signing as he officially inks a long-term deal to return to the club.
A St George junior, Sele was cut adrift by the club at the end of 2018 after playing 18 games. He spent one season at Penrith before revitalising his career at South Sydney.
The Rabbitohs wanted to keep him but the Dragons’ trumped South Sydney’s deal.
The Rabbitohs will also lose Jed Cartwright (Newcastle) and Blake Taaffe (Canterbury) at the end of the season. Liam Knight also left the club this week to join Canterbury.
Michel Chee Kam and Dean Hawkins remain off-contract at the end of the season.
SNAPPED: DRAGON MEETS WITH TIGERS
Injured Dragons gun Jayden Sullivan was captured touring the Wests Tigers centre of excellence on Thursday morning as the Tigers circle the talented half.
Sullivan was greeted by Tigers officials including chairman Lee Hagipantelis, chief executive Justin Pascoe and head of recruitment Scott Fulton and shown through the Tigers new-look facilities at Concord. The meeting was the first major step for Sullivan after being granted permission to leave St George Illawarra last week at the end of the season by incoming Dragons mentor Shane Flanagan.
Tigers coach in waiting Benji Marshall also took part in the 90 minute meeting via Zoom with the Tigers squad in Tamworth ahead of their clash against South Sydney on Friday night.
The Tigers have emerged as the early front-runners for the 21-year-old with Newcastle also expressing an interested in Sullivan. The Tigers are expected to present a formal offer in the coming days.
Sullivan attending the meeting with family members and manager Mario Tartak.
Tartak said the meeting was positive.
“Bud was very impressed with the presentation and the Wests Tigers centre of excellence,” Tartak said. “They said they’d love to build a team around him. We have a few other options at the moment.
“He has come to terms with having to leave the Dragons.”
The Tigers are expected to sign veteran half Aidan Sezer on a one year deal plus an option for 2025 with the 32-year-old returning from the Super League. Sezer, Sullivan and teenage star Latu Fainu will potentially battle it out for the starting spots in the halves at the Tigers next year.
Brodie Croft has rejected the Tigers initial interest.
Fainu, who is also managed by Tartak, agreed to a four year deal alongside brother Samuela to join the Tigers in 2024.
The Tigers have Adam Doueihi contracted for next season but he will miss a large chunk of the year while Luke Brooks has joined Manly. Brandon Wakeham is off-contract and Daine Laurie will return to Penrith.
SONS OF GUNS MAKE CALLS ON FUTURES
The sons of two NRL legends are creating their own path with Riley Price and Beau Alexander deciding their futures.
Price, the son of ex-Bulldog and Warrior legend Steve, will join Penrith next year after making his first grade debut for the Cowboys. Price, 22, has played two top grade games this year including making his debut against Canterbury in round five. He has signed to be part of Penrith’s top 30 squad in 2024.
Alexander, meanwhile, is the son of former Penrith superstar Greg. He has decided to remain at Manly for at least the next two years despite attracting serious interest from the Roosters.
The head-gear wearing halfback dominated as part of Manly’s under-16 development side this year.
Alexander has opted to stay at Manly having come through the club’s junior pathways. He will get a chance to learn from the likes of Daly Cherry-Evans and Luke Brooks next year and potentially become Cherry-Evans’ long-term replacement.
INTERNATIONAL D-DAY
The immediate future of international rugby league will be decided at a two-day meeting in Singapore, which will go a long way to shaping the global schedule.
NRL heavyweights including Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys will be joined by international rugby league chairman Troy Grant and other international delegates to decide the fate of the international game, starting Sunday.
The end-of-season tournaments, including two separate tri-nations including Australia/New Zealand/Samoa and PNG/Fiji/Cook Islands, are expected to be signed off. A location and make-up of the 2025 World Cup will also be discussed.
Meanwhile, the Kangaroos sit on top of the latest world rankings released on Thursday. The Kangaroos are ahead of New Zealand, Samoa, England and Tonga. Incredibly, Serbia sit at 10th. Australia also sit on top in the women’s rankings and fourth in wheelchair.
ABDO TO MISS DCE’S 300TH
The traditional 300-game match ball will be presented to Daly Cherry-Evans by ARL commissioner Wayne Pearce on Saturday night. Usual practice has Abdo making the presentation, but the NRL boss is double booked. The International Rugby League Board meeting was booked in March. Abdo has provided a video message for Cherry-Evans’ milestone and has also personally reached out to congratulate the Manly skipper ahead of his milestone match on Saturday.
DCE PHONE PRANK
Manly teammates have stitched up Cherry-Evans ahead of his 300th game. Cooper Johns revealed on the The Matty Johns Podcast how the Manly skipper made the mistake of leaving his phone at training.
“I and a couple of the boys thought it would be funny to text someone in his contacts because his 300th game was coming up,” Cooper said. “I texted Billy Slater ‘I would really appreciate it if you could shoot through a really nice, heartfelt message for me 300th game’. We were crying with laughter.
“I got so excited I rang dad and Harry Grant. The next day (Cherry-Evans) got his phone and sent through a message on the WhatsApp group saying well done and sent through a picture of Liam Neeson (from the movie Taken fame). Harry texted (Cherry-Evans) the next day ‘good luck for the weekend, any pranks lately?’ Chez has put it together so he has figured out it’s me. I’ve been hiding my phone from training.”
SPOTTED
Sharyn O’Brien, wife of Newcastle coach Adam, attending a fundraiser for the Aberglasslyn Ants who have had a horrific period in recent months with the death of a male player on the field and a former female player.
Sharyn took part in the fundraiser working behind the bar for hours and donating a signed Knights jersey.
KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR
Newcastle’s recent form revival has a lot to do with their English import and it’s not Dom Young.
Coaching advisor Brian McDermott is a former premiership-winning coach with a background in professional boxing and before sport he was a Royal Marines Commando with tours of Afghanistan and North Ireland.
When he gives instructions, Knights players tend to listen.
Brought in by Knights football boss Peter Parr, McDermott has been rolling up the sleeves and helping embattled head coach Adam O’Brien turn things around, headlined by last week’s stunning upset of the Storm.
O’Brien has been impressed with McDermott’s no-nonsense style which is perfectly suited to the fabric of the Steel City.
“When he first arrived no-one knew how to take him, as we had heard the war stories,” one Knights player said.
“When he walked out on the training field with no shoes on we didn’t know what to make of it, no-one was game to say anything.
“But ‘Mac’ has been great. He knows his stuff and has added some real grit to our defence.
“He has also pulled a few of us boys aside who weren’t aiming up.”
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Originally published as Sport Confidential: How close the Melbourne Storm came to different name
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