Storm brews as Vics left out
By Karl deKroo
February 17, 2005
STORM chief executive Brian Waldron last night questioned the NRL's commitment to growing the game in Victoria after the state was excluded from the league's annual QantasLink development program.
While 60 of the NRL's elite players, including Storm stars Billy Slater, Dallas Johnson and Steven Bell, jetted off to regional locations across NSW and Queensland, not one Victorian regional area was included.
"It is a great concept to get these star players into the school and to promote the game at the grassroots level," Waldron said.
"But you have to wonder why Billy Slater is in Longreach and not in regional Victoria trying to spread the gospel out there. We are really committed to building up the support of rugby league in Victoria at the grassroots, but we have to be part of these sort of schemes. We are trying to tell people that we are Victoria's representatives in an elite national competition. We have to use every opportunity to spread the word."
Slater, Bell and Johnson visited the central Queenland outpost of Longreach yesterday and were feted throughout the town as they visited schools and hospitals.
Johnson applauded the concept, which sees 60 players visit 40 destinations as far afield as Moree, Mackay, Kingaroy and Condobolin.
But he shared Waldron's disappointment that Victorian regional areas were not included.
"I know when I was a kid I never got the chance to meet an NRL player and I think the kids really enjoyed it today," Johnson said.
NRL boss David Gallop said the NRL had run clinics in Victoria last year and planned to return to the state in the future. "We do realise the importance of junior development in Victoria," Gallop said.
The Daily Telegraph
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I agree totally with the Storm on this. They need more poured into Victorian junior development.......
The NRL are idiots.
Storm brews as Vics left out
Moderator: GH Moderators
I think this is an oversight by the NRL. David Gallop was quized regarding this issue on the 2KY BSB this morning and really didnt have any satisfactory answer to the questions. I Think you will find that this will be rectified next season.
Last edited by Inactive on February 18, 2005, 11:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
yeh its dissapointing caus rl needs all the help they can get.
i played in the VRL for a year and its majority new zealanders and islanders with the occasional players that have come from nsw like me.
kids know almost nothing about rl and it needs some heavy duty promoting.
i played in the VRL for a year and its majority new zealanders and islanders with the occasional players that have come from nsw like me.
kids know almost nothing about rl and it needs some heavy duty promoting.
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