Storm boss Dave Donaghy has confirmed he will lead the rebuild at the Broncos

The Broncos have begun the brain drain from Melbourne Storm but the premiers are determined that all contracts be honoured.

Storm boss Dave Donaghy will take over as chief executive of the Broncos

Brisbane face a fight to have Dave Donaghy head up the rebuild of the Broncos any time soon after Melbourne boss Matt Tripp said that he needed to protect his club and the sanity of the contract he has with his departing chief executive.

Donaghy’s departure was confirmed at lunchtime on Thursday, ending a five-year stint at the Storm where he helped the club dramatically improve their prospects off the field and remain a juggernaut on it.

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Donaghy has been earmarked to head up the rebuild at the Broncos but his contract with the Storm doesn’t officially come to a close until the end of January and includes a six-month non-compete clause.

It means Donaghy may be prevented from joining the Broncos until the start of August. Departing chief executive Paul White has extended his stay at the club until his successor is in place but it is hard to envisage that Brisbane powerbrokers imagined that they would have to wait that long.

The clubs are likely to discuss the issue but Tripp was in no mood to back down when he spoke to The Australian on Thursday, insisting his first priority was to look after the interests of the Storm.

“I am always open to have a conversation,” Tripp said.

“But my job is to protect the best interests of the Melbourne Storm. I just don’t see that (immediately releasing Donaghy) as a viable option.

“I think that it’s the wrong thing to do by the Storm and their people. Contracts are to be adhered to. They (Brisbane) can come up with compensation and offers but that doesn’t wash with me.

“I know them (non-compete clauses) backwards, I have dished out many and I have served many. When you get paid what you are paid, your salary was inclusive of that.

“He has decided he is going to move back to Queensland at the end of his contract. He has my blessing to do what he likes.

“He has done a great job for us. I have seen huge growth on and off the field. He will be a loss, he will be sadly missed but the game goes on.”

Brisbane, coming off the worst season in their history, have gone out for their way to target key members of Melbourne as they look to reverse their fortunes.

Donaghy is the first piece of the puzzle. The Broncos are also waiting on decisions from Melbourne captain Cameron Smith and coach Craig Bellamy on their respective futures as they look to supercharge their recovery.

The Storm remain quietly confident that Bellamy will remain with them in some capacity when his head coaching contract expires at the end of next season.

Brisbane have offered him a lucrative coaching director role but the Storm will bend over backwards to keep him happy, building a role around Bellamy.

Smith is expected to take some time to mull over his future, although there is an acceptance that if he plays next year, it won’t be at the Storm.

Brisbane will take him if he wants to play on, but the Gold Coast have also flagged an interest in the greatest player of the past 20 years

Again, Melbourne want to keep him at the club in some capacity. Tripp has suggested that he could be a consultant with the football department or potentially as a member of the board.

Donaghy has been chief executive of the Storm since 2015 and during that period the club has become self-sustaining. The club’s chief financial officer Ashley Tucker will act in the chief executive role while the club searches for Donaghy’s successor.

“I wish him all the best,” Tripp said.

“I said to him I will help him for the rest of his life in what he wants to do. But business is business. There is no individual bigger than the club and I need to protect the club.”

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