Melbourne Storm considers plan of attack for restart of 2020 NRL season
Melbourne Storm are weighing up several options including relocating just across the Victorian border to NSW after the NRL announced plans to restart the season under strict new protocols.
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Melbourne Storm is prepared to relocate just across the Victorian border to NSW so players and staff can see their families after NRL announced plans to restart the season on May 28.
Storm cannot train in Victoria as a group under the state’s stricter mass gathering rules.
The club is exploring its options including staying home, heading to a border-town location, and the least-preferred scenario of relocating to Sydney and training at Olympic Park.
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Albury is the obvious choice and the Lavington sports complex has been used for NRL practice games. The venue also hosted a match for premiership points in 2015.
Storm hopes to reassemble its entire roster in Melbourne in coming days.
Brandon Smith is the No.1 priority after the Kiwi international returned to New Zealand for the NRL outage. Smith must complete a 14-day quarantine upon his return to Melbourne.
Storm football manager Frank Ponissi said government guidelines and restrictions would ultimately decide the next move.
“We’re hoping that we’re basically training back at AAMI Park from May 1 and living in our homes, that’s what were all hoping for,” Ponissi said. “But at this stage, we’re guided by government regulations and restrictions of what we can and can’t do.
“If they aren’t changed by May 1, we obviously got to look at other options and that’s interstate, which is not our preferred option but … we just have to do what we’ve got to do.”
Most of the top squad, including 10 of the 13 starters, are already in Melbourne.
NRL clubs can start training from May 1.
“Now they’ve (players) got a certain date where they’re going to start, I think it gives them a little bit more assurance,” Ponissi said.
“That’s been the difficult part from a players’ point of view, not knowing when we’re going to come back as a team … that makes training really difficult.”
The NRL has yet to disclose the structure and match locations for its modified season.
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But it believes its players will be able to train in NSW as long as clubs adhere to strict public health guidelines and testing to reduce the risk of infection within the playing groups and community.
After going undefeated through the first two rounds, Storm was scheduled to host Penrith Panthers under the original fixture.
“The only information we've been given is the first 13 weeks, starting from May 28, will be the other 13 teams we haven’t played yet,” Ponissi said. “All we do know, at this stage, it won’t be Manly or Cronulla.”