Tara Murray
Majority of the players named in the inaugural Melbourne Storm female development program come from Melbourne’s north-west
The 30 players were selected from a list of more than 80 athletes aged between 15 and 16 who trialled in three combines across metro-Melbourne the last month.
Eight players in the squad were selected from the Werribee Bears, the most of any club.
Akeelah Coffin, Akoija George, Paiytan and Urshelah Kohunui, Mahlia Davys, Mya-Lilly Le’au, Eleksia Finau and Dhillion Baker are all from the Bears.
Northern Thunder had the second most players selected.
Dandelian Luamanu, Harmony Taupau, Heather Nasilai, Keira Collins, Rozaliah Matavao and Sierra Te’o all play for the Broadmeadows based-club.
Truganina Rabbitohs trio Nikita-Jaye Faoa, Izabella Palalagi and Leearna Aumau are also in the squad.
Others in the squad include Altona Roosters pair Ashley Roache and J’Alyana Fale-Bourke, Melton Broncos’ Oriana Ioane and Sina Tofilau, and Sunbury Tigers’ Desirae Ah-Loo.
Players and parents were welcomed to the club in a function at AAMI Park by chief executive Justin Rodski, before being presented with their official training kit for the 12-week program.
The squad of 30 players will work with Storm coaches and staff, before heading off on a three-day tour of New South Wales for trial matches.
“This is an incredibly proud and historic moment for our club,” Rodski said at the induction.
“For the first time female players in Victoria have a pathway to play for Storm.
“There has been a lot of planning put into this program that we hope will help us prepare as best we can for a NRLW team playing in the competition in the future.
“We have seen an increase in female participation of over 40 per cent across the state this year alone which will see the talent pool continue to grow and give us the chance to field a future NRLW team with a majority of players from Victoria.
The Storm are preparing to launch an NRLW team for the 2028 season.
Former Storm captain Christian Welch also spoke to the players and parents before the first team photo was taken in the stands of AAMI Park.
“When I first started at the club – like these girls – seeing the likes of Cameron Smith practicing goal kicking, Billy Slater doing his rehab in the gym and Cooper Cronk watching clips as state and national representative players, it made it clear to me what the standards and expectations would be,” he said.
“I was very lucky to get the benefits of training and conditioning of the junior pathways programs that helped me prepare for the NRL.”
