Sport Confidential: Melbourne Storm set to sever ties with Queensland feeder clubs for move to NSW Cup
In a development bombshell, Melbourne Storm’s 27-year association with Queensland is over, with the club set to sever ties with the feeder teams that produced their greatest ever players. SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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NRL powerhouse Melbourne is pulling out of Queensland – the rugby league heartland that delivered Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk to the Storm.
In a development bombshell by the Storm, the club’s successful 27-year association with Queensland is over, with Melbourne set to sever ties with feeder teams Brisbane Tigers and Sunshine Coast.
Instead, the Storm plan to field their own reserve grade team in the NSW Cup next season in a historic move for Melbourne.
The Sunshine State has been a happy hunting ground for the Storm since their entry to the NRL in 1998.
Smith, Slater and Cronk cut their teeth at the Norths Devils on their way to NRL greatness. Storm superstar Cameron Munster played for the Tigers, while the likes of Ryan Papenhuyzen, Harry Grant, Trent Loiero, Justin Olam, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Nicho Hynes turned out for feeder club Sunshine Coast.
But after almost three decades, the Storm are poised to walk away from Queensland in a move that opens the door for the Dolphins to take charge of the Sunshine Coast.
It’s understood Melbourne see the merit in keeping their second-string players in Storm colours, which builds the continuity that many of their Sydney-based rivals enjoy with their NSW Cup teams.
Before the arrival of the Dolphins, the Storm were regarded as Queensland’s fourth NRL team because of the number of Sunshine State products who got their big break in Melbourne.
REED’S NORTHERN EXPOSURE
The Cowboys have emerged as a possible home for Reed Mahoney as the ill-disciplined Dogs hooker chases a $650,000-a-season payday.
The former Queensland Origin squad member has been given permission to negotiate with rival clubs by Canterbury, bringing the Cowboys and expansion newcomers Perth Bears into the picture.
Breaking his silence on the Bulldogs contract saga, Mahoney’s manager Sam Ayoub hasn’t ruled out his client staying at Belmore, but will begin exploring other opportunities in the coming weeks and months.
The Cowboys are one option. North Queensland are on the lookout for a hooker to replace Roosters-bound Reece Robson and have interest in Mahoney – at the right price.
Mahoney could fetch up to $650,000-a-season on the open market and the 27-year-old could prove too expensive for the Cowboys.
But one club with cash to spend is the NRL’s 18th team in Western Australia.
The Perth Bears will be an active player in the market from November 1 and Nambour product Mahoney would be a handy foundation player with his experience and toughness.
Asked if the Cowboys and Bears are options for Mahoney, Ayoub said: “Every team is an option. I want to stress this is not a release, nor have we sought one.
“People shouldn’t jump to conclusions.
“We haven’t spoken to anyone yet to make any decisions.
“The only person I have spoken to is ‘Gus’ (Bulldogs football boss Phil Gould) to get permission to talk to clubs before November. That doesn’t mean Reed is leaving.
“We have to look at Reed’s long-term future. With the young Dogs players coming through, that prompted me to have a chat with Reed (about testing the market) and he was open to it.
“It’s a bit like ‘JT’ (Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston) when he was at the Dogs.
“The minute Canterbury signed Braith Anasta for another three years and Brent Sherwin, as an agent I had to look for an opportunity for JT and the Cowboys gave us a call.
“We aren’t in a hurry to talk to anyone. But now we can look at the marketplace and with two expansion teams coming in (including PNG) there will be plenty of options for Reed.”
LENIU BLASTS MAROONS WITH FOUL-MOUTHED SLEDGE
Did Blues firebrand Spencer Leniu label Queensland “f***ing p***ies” in an explosive incident with the Maroons?
That’s what it looked like as Queensland’s public enemy No.1 added another chapter to his infamous relationship with the Sunshine State.
The Maroons have been accused of deliberately dodging a confrontation with Leniu in Wednesday’s Origin series-opener at Suncorp Stadium.
Labelled a “grub” in the lead-up to Origin I following his incidents with Ezra Mam and Johnathan Thurston, Leniu came into the action in the 30th minute and was ready to run off the back fence from a Queensland kick-off.
But realising he was on the field, the Maroons instead kicked off to the opposite side for Blues debutant Max King to return the ball.
It may have been a tactical ploy by Queensland to avoid the rampaging Leniu, but psychologically it was a win to the Blues.
Leniu blasted the Maroons for the entire next set, with television cameras capturing him appearing to yell “f***ing pussies” at Queensland.
“They deliberately kicked the other way,” Fox League’s Matty Johns said.
“I reckon that’s a victory for Spencer.”
In Fox’s commentary, Maroons great Cooper Cronk said: “He was on this side of the field, Queensland went to the other side and he’s not happy about it.”
Avoiding Leniu may be a smart play but it robbed Queensland of a chance to make a statement by smashing him off the kick-off.
SLATER’S CAMP BUNGLE
Queensland coach Billy Slater’s decision to break Origin tradition has come under the microscope after the Maroons were blown off the park in a Blues blitz.
Slater decided to extend Camp Maroon on the Sunshine Coast and give his team an extra day off in the lead-up to Wednesday night’s series-opener at Suncorp Stadium.
Instead of departing Camp Maroon on Monday as originally planned following a week at Twin Waters and travelling to Brisbane, the Queenslanders were given an extra day off to do whatever they pleased on the sunny Sunshine Coast.
At the same time Laurie Daley’s Blues, who arrived in Brisbane on Sunday, were getting battle-hardened with a bruising training session at Ballymore which saw star centre Stephen Crichton sustain a corked thigh which nearly ruled him out of the game.
The Maroons eventually arrived in Brisbane on Tuesday, with Slater completing his press conference and attending a FOGS lunch before Queensland completed its captain’s run at Suncorp. The Blues also trained at the match venue that morning.
The Maroons were on the back foot from the opening set on Wednesday night as they slumped to an 18-6 defeat and back-to-back losses in Brisbane for the first time in 27 years.
The scoreline flattered Queensland thanks to NSW’s poor goal-kicking.
The Maroons looked off the pace and their lack of discipline proved costly following what seemed like a perfect preparation without any injuries or dramas.
“Our preparation and whole week was really good,” Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster said.
“Going into the game I was quietly confident, probably too confident.
“I had high expectations.”
The Maroons now have to create history and win two games on the road for the first time in 45 years to claim back the Origin shield.
Slater has lost his past three games and Queensland has only scored one try in the past 160 minutes of Origin footy.
He will review his team’s preparation and attempt to figure out what went wrong.
Ex-Queensland forward Scott Sattler said the Maroons had no excuses.
“Queensland’s prep seemed to be seamless,” he said.
“There can be no excuses from a preparation point of view.
“The Blues were way too physical for us and everything they did, they did it with a high level of intensity.
“What worried me was Queensland’s intent early. They were slow out of the blocks.
“Sometimes the occasion is so big you play the game in your head before you get out there and it fatigues you.”
ORIGIN STOLEN BY MAGIC ACT
NRL Magic Round has overtaken State of Origin as rugby league’s glamour event of choice in Queensland.
In a revelation that will raise eyebrows with the NRL, Sport Confidential can reveal Magic Round now holds more appeal for corporate fans at Suncorp Stadium than State of Origin.
Dynamic Sports boss Nick Livermore runs corporate events at Suncorp in conjunction with the NRL and says Origin has been dethroned by the juggernaut that is Magic Round.
“Magic Round has overtaken Origin in terms of interest,” said Livermore, who hosted scores of corporates at Suncorp Stadium for the Origin opener on Wednesday night.
“State of Origin will always be in high demand in Queensland but nowhere near compared to what it has been in the past.
“The majority of requests we are getting lately are for Magic Round and Vegas 2026, which has just been launched.
“This goes to show rugby league is becoming more popular but there are now more premium offerings beyond just State of Origin.
“Magic Round is such an attractive product now because 16 teams are on display and there’s three to four days of action for the fans.
“It’s a real weekend-long celebration for the NRL.”
CAMPBELL’S NEW TRICK
Titans halfback Jayden Campbell has started planning for life after footy by releasing an innovative ball.
Campbell has partnered with FootyBro to release a specially-designed training ball.
The ball is the same weight as a normal rugby league ball, but is flat on one end. That allows it to bounce straight back when thrown against a wall.
Campbell spent his childhood badgering father and Dally M legend Preston Campbell to pass the ball with him.
The FootyBro means aspiring players only need a wall to practice their passing for hours on end.
“I thought it was really cool and something I wish I had as a kid,” Campbell said.
“If you pass a normal footy you can’t do it by yourself.
“It’s flat on one end so you throw it at the wall and it comes back. You can practice your passing both ways.
“Footy is only going to be for a short time in my life so I’m looking into things outside football. It’s started to play a little bit on my mind.
“It’s great I can do something that involves what I love.”
The Campbell edition ball comes with unique Indigenous artwork.
TRAI FULL-ER STEAM
Dolphins livewire Trai Fuller will make his long-awaited return from a knee injury this weekend.
Fuller will play his first game in eight months when he turns out for the CQ Capras against Wynnum-Manly at Stradbroke Island on Saturday.
The pint-sized fullback suffered a torn ACL playing for Redcliffe in last year’s Hostplus Cup preliminary final in September.
But he has made a speedy recovery from the serious injury and is aiming to be back in the NRL selection mix in weeks to come.
Fuller’s return is timely for the Dolphins with fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on Maroons duty for the next six weeks.
“The plan is to get through 40 minutes of game time with the Capras and continually build that match fitness,” Fuller said during a visit to Anglo American’s Dawson mine this week.
“I’m hoping to see how my knee goes then have a crack at getting back into the NRL. I’ve been hitting the same speeds on GPS.
“I was starting to play a bit more consistently every week so it was unfortunate to get the injury.
“The hardest part has been seeing everyone playing footy.
“In pre-season it wasn’t too bad, but once they started playing I’ve wanted to get back out there. I miss playing footy and being around the boys.”
Fuller and some Dolphins teammates got an eye-opening experience at the mine this week as part of the club’s sponsorship with Anglo American.
PHINS GET HUMID
The Dolphins are going to Darwin.
The Redcliffe club has struck an agreement to take an NRL match to the Northern Territory for the next three years.
The Dolphins have played ‘home games’ in Perth during their first three seasons and will now replace Parramatta in the Top End.
“We are excited about locking in three NRL matches in Darwin over the next three years and the opportunities that will provide us to continually engage with the people of the NT,” Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said.
“We were impressed with the number of supporters we had when we played there last year, and we are determined to grow both our number of fans and the game in general across the NT.”
SANDON’S BONDI HEADACHE
Sandon Smith’s manager has addressed speculation the promising playmaker could quit the Roosters to join a Queensland club.
Reports last week linked Smith with the Cowboys amid uncertainty over the 22-year-old’s future at the Roosters.
Smith is contracted to Bondi until the end of 2026 but the Roosters face a scrumbase logjam if Queensland Origin skipper Daly Cherry-Evans joins the club next season.
The Roosters already have Sam Walker and Hugo Savala on their books and the signing of Cherry-Evans would leave Smith playing second fiddle with no guarantee of regular NRL action.
Parramatta are also said to be watching the playmaker closely, but Smith’s agent Gavin Orr said the Gosford product is focused on playing well for the Roosters.
“At this stage, Sandon doesn’t want to quit the Roosters. The question is does he stay or does he go?” Orr said.
“We haven’t asked for a release or for permission to negotiate.
“If Daly Cherry-Evans comes, Sandon would sit behind him and Sam Walker.
“There was a suggestion Sandon was looking to go to the Cowboys but we’ve had no discussions at all.
“Nothing has been said to Sandon at this stage (by the Roosters), he has another year to run on his contract.”
GALVIN SHOCKS EELS
Lachlan Galvin’s decision to join Canterbury has gone down like a lead balloon with Sydney rivals the Eels.
Sport Confidential can reveal Parramatta bosses were supremely confident of securing Galvin and believed they had their man before being ambushed by the Bulldogs.
It is understood the Eels had tabled a multi-year, $1 million-a-season deal for Galvin to partner Mitchell Moses at the Parramatta scrumbase next year.
But the Wests Tigers young gun shocked the Eels by taking less to go to the Bulldogs.
Galvin’s management have been criticised for allegedly brainwashing the teenager but the 19-year-old made the call to reject Parramatta of his own volition.
BENNETT THE BRAVEST BRONCO
Diehard Broncos fan Glen Bennett never thought he would walk onto the hallowed turf of Suncorp Stadium … until now.
Bennett’s world was turned upside down when he was injured in a fiery truck crash near Gladstone in 2020.
In a near-fatal accident on the Bruce Highway, Bennett found himself stuck in his truck as it was enveloped with flames.
He was given less than 60 seconds to live before escaping the inferno, but not before sustaining 70 per cent of burns to his body.
As a result, Bennett required the amputation of both legs to survive. He still vividly recalls calling his wife at 1am in the ambulance to say goodbye.
Incredibly, Bennett, no relation to NRL supercoach Wayne, managed to survive, although life in a wheelchair prevented him ever getting near the sidelines at Suncorp Stadium.
Then came another ray of hope. He received a pair of prosthetic legs and it took two years of strength training for Bennett to learn how to walk again.
Last Sunday week, Bennett’s dream came true when he and son Hugo were invited by the Broncos to walk down the Suncorp tunnel and onto the field.
The Broncos may have lost to the Dragons, but for Bennett, it was a day he and his son will never forget.
COWBOYS’ TWIN COUP
North Queensland are closing in on contract extensions for centre duo Zac Laybutt and Viliami Vailea.
Laybutt, 23, and Vailea, 22, are off-contract at season’s end but the Cowboys are ready to take the promising pair off the market.
Former Warriors three-quarter Vailea has been a handy option at centre following the loss of Valentine Holmes, playing 10 games this season and impressing with his size and footwork.
Meanwhile, Laybutt made a triumphant return to the NRL in round 11 after a lengthy lay-off following his ACL tear which required a knee reconstruction.
Originally published as Sport Confidential: Melbourne Storm set to sever ties with Queensland feeder clubs for move to NSW Cup
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