Melbourne Storm confirm plans to create training hub in a NSW border town
Melbourne Storm has earmarked three New South Wales border towns as potential training hubs in preparation for the National Rugby League’s May relaunch.
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Melbourne Storm has earmarked three Victoria-NSW border towns as potential training hubs.
A prohibition on mass gatherings in Victoria has forced Storm to consider all options as preparations ramp up towards the mooted May 28 NRL resumption.
The Herald Sun has established Yarrawonga-Mulwala and Albury-Wodonga would provide Storm with adequate and centralised facilities in line with COVID-19 biosecurity safeguards.
Corowa-Rutherglen could also be explored.
Senior Storm football staff, including coach Craig Bellamy, conducted a reconnaissance mission of the Murray River hubs last Thursday and Friday.
“Hopefully, in the next week or 10 days we get those things sorted and we’ll know where we’re going, if we have to go up there,” Bellamy said yesterday.
“If we get permission to stay in Melbourne, we’ll be doing that, but more than likely we’re going to have to go up and train in NSW for a week or two, perhaps three.”
The ideal hub would allow Storm to sleep and train on-site as the transportation of players and staff between locations poses significant biosecurity issues.
“If we can walk from accommodation to training, and walk from training to the gym, walk from accommodation to the gym, that’s going to be a whole heap easier,” Bellamy said.
“I’m sure we’ll get a spot up there where we can train, the gym will be adequate and when we’re not training, we’ll be indoors in a hotel that’s just for us. That’s what we’re heading towards.”
The camp would be structured in a way to allow players to return to Melbourne for “a couple of days” between weekly training blocks.
“It’s not ideal, but at least it’s better for us at the moment than moving to Sydney, which would make it a lot harder for players to go home and see their families,” Bellamy said.
Storm is planning to start training from Monday week.
Bellamy yesterday welcomed the vigour with which Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys has approached the May 28 restart.
“It would have been easy to just bob along and wait for this and wait for that,” Bellamy said.
“He’s got in there and said this is what we’re doing, taking advice from the biosecurity experts. I think everybody thought it (May 28) might’ve been a little bit short, but the way we’re going it looks like it’s getting closer and closer to being realistic.”
Originally published as Melbourne Storm confirm plans to create training hub in a NSW border town