Coronavirus: Albury city backlash clouds Storm plans

Albury council has gone to war over the decision to allow the Melbourne Storm to relocate to the border town.

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy arrives at the team’s Albury hotel. Picture: Getty Images

The unlikely setting of Albury has emerged as the latest battleground in rugby league’s attempt to revive their season as the local council goes to war over the decision to allow the Melbourne Storm to relocate to the border town.

Council officials held an extraordinary general meeting on Tuesday night where they discussed the Storm’s presence in the city and whether to sanction the club’s use of venues run by the council.

At one point, the Storm were ready to make a dramatic late change of plans and relocate to Sydney, where they would have based themselves out of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct in preparation for the premiership’s return on May 28.

However, officials and players checked into their hotel in Albury late on Tuesday and will begin training in groups of 10 today at the home of the Albury Tigers, an AFL ground on crown land that is not run by the council.

The club had been investigating potential training destinations for some time, coach Craig Bellamy among a group of Storm officials who made a visit to Albury several weeks ago to survey the facilities.

Little wonder the Storm were shocked when a group of councillors decided to raise concerns on the eve of their arrival in the city. Councillor Murray King, a supporter of the Storm’s plan to set up their training base in Albury due to ongoing restrictions on sporting teams in Victoria, claimed they would have been a “laughing stock” had Melbourne changed their plans.

“They were going to Sydney last night,” Cr Murray King said.

Greenfield Park in Albury, where the Storm are to be based. Picture: Getty Images

“We would have been the laughing stocks. There is a train that travels up and back to Melbourne every day. Buses go up and back.

“The Hume Highway brings people up and back. Melbourne is not Wuhan. It is lunacy. I am a bit embarrassed.

“We should be in The Australian for the right reasons.”

Cameron Munster has his temperature checked on arrival in Albury. Picture: Getty Images

Deputy mayor doctor Amanda Cohn told The Australian that she believed the risk presented by the Storm’s presence in Albury far out-weighed any benefits to the local community and economy.

“I have two concerns,” councillor Cohn said.

“The first one is just the double standard. Local people have done the right thing. We have kept the infection rate really low in Albury-Wodonga.

“Having rules that apply to some but not others is a slap in the face to people who have done the right thing.

Street signs in Albury. Picture: Getty Images

“My second concern is the health risk. I understand there are strict biosecurity measures in place. But NRL players have a reputation for breaking rules.

“They have only committed to be here for four nights. They haven’t confirmed any longer than that. For me, the risks outweigh the benefits.”

The NRL has cleared a series of hurdles in their quest to revive their season. The Warriors were cleared to cross the Tasman. The Queensland clubs were cleared to stay home. The Storm will plow on in Albury, their only concern whether they will be ready to go come May 28.

“They (The Storm) are all fit and healthy sportsmen,” Cr King said.

“It’s narrow-minded. A person has 52 rooms rented out because the Storm are in town. People would kill for that type of (financial) injection.

“It puts us on the national stage. The protocols they have to follow are probably 15-20 times more than if a group of astronomers came to town and were star-gazing.

”There are no cases. They have their own doctors. It has divided the council group.”