Melbourne Storm eye NSW Cup move as Sunshine Coast Falcons and Brisbane Tigers wait in limbo

Powerhouse NRL nursery Sunshine Coast is prepared to hit the open market and sign with a rival club should the Melbourne Storm cut ties with the Falcons who remain in limbo about its future pathways program.

Melbourne Storm CEO Paul Rodski and Sunshine Coast Falcons CEO Chris Flannery.

Powerhouse NRL nursery Sunshine Coast is prepared to hit the open market and sign with a rival club should the Melbourne Storm cut ties with the Falcons.

The Queensland Cup club that produced the likes of Ryan Papenhuyzen, Harry Grant, Nicho Hynes, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Jahrome Hughes is in limbo following revelations the Storm are considering entering its own feeder team into the NSW Cup.

Melbourne have announced its interest in keeping some kind of connection with South East Queensland feeders Sunshine Coast and the Brisbane Tigers but it’s uncertain what those adjusted partnerships will look like.

The move may open the door for the Dolphins as well as the Brisbane Broncos, who signed an inaugural NRLW affiliation deal with the Falcons for the 2025 season, to swoop in and take over the talent-abundant region.

The Falcons and Storm have a contract until the end of 2027 and while Sunshine Coast are eager to keep its connection with Melbourne, it is prepared to explore its options if required.

Melbourne Storm players Trent Loiero (left) and Tyran Wishart (right) with Sunshine Coast Falcons CEO Chris Flannery.

“It’s been a great relationship working both ways for those 11 years,” Falcons CEO Chris Flannery said.

“We’ve provided a lot of players to the Storm and they’ve provided plenty back to us so it’s been a highly successful partnership and now we’ll just see where it goes.”

The Falcons and Storm partnership first began at the end of the 2014 season.

“There’s some other things around our feeder relationship too where we look at our pathways for the players coming through the grades, opportunities for senior Falcons players to take up pre-season opportunities with the Storm and so on,” he said.

“Even though we might not receive players back each week there could remain opportunities for players to be linked with the Storm through those alternative channels in the future but we won’t be able to make a call on that until we know exactly what the Storm are thinking.

Melbourne Storm General Manager Football Frank Ponissi. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images.

“There’s still a few decisions to be made and once we get the answers we need we can make our own based on what’s best for the Falcons and the region.

“That might be staying with the Storm, it may be exploring what other options are out there for us that are closer to home.”

“Even though we have an agreement until the end of 2027, I think that both organisations realise that if the other wanted to part ways for whatever reason, then neither club would stand in the others way,” he said.

“At the end of the day you need to work closely with your feeder team and have a super tight relationship to be successful.”

The current North Sydney Bears team that play in the NSW Cup is also a feeder club for the Storm but that will likely change when the Perth Bears enter the NRL in 2027.

Ryan Papenhuyzen in action for the Falcons in 2023.

It’s understood Melbourne see the merit in keeping its second-string players in Storm colours, which builds the continuity that many of their Sydney-based rivals enjoy with their NSW Cup teams.

The move would also align the club with their current junior representative sides where they compete in the Harold Matthews (under-17s), SG Ball (under-19s) and Jersey Flegg (under-21s) competitions.

“We (Sunshine Coast Falcons) were made aware about six weeks ago that the Storm were looking into the cost and option of their own reserve grade, NSW Cup side out of Melbourne,” Flannery said.

“There’s still a few hurdles that they have to jump through, they’re not sure whether, if successful, they’ll join NSW Cup in 2026, 2027 or even later on so we haven’t got any concrete information at the moment.”

Storm CEO Justin Rodski. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

In a statement the Storm confirmed its interest in the NSW Cup.

“There is no doubt our partnership with the Falcons and East has helped us find some of the best talent to have ever pulled on a Storm jersey,” said the Storm’s director of football Frank Ponissi.

“However, like all clubs, we are always looking at ways to improve our pathways, particularly with the expansion of the NRL and NRLW in the coming years.

“While we might be exploring new opportunities to develop and expand our male and female programs, our commitment to southeast Queensland will be maintained whether through our existing recruitment programs or new partnership opportunities with the Falcons or Easts.”

Originally published as Melbourne Storm eye NSW Cup move as Sunshine Coast Falcons and Brisbane Tigers wait in limbo