There’s a Storm coming… to Geelong

GEELONG will host some of the best rugby league talent the National Rugby League (NRL) has to offer early next year as pre-season action makes its way through town.

Melbourne Storm has announced it will take on the Sydney Roosters in a pre-season clash at Kardinia Park’s GMHBA Stadium on February 12, kicking off at 1.50pm, in preparation for the 2023 season.

It will be the first time the Storm will play in Geelong since 2019, keeping in with the club’s tradition of hosting an NRL trial at a regional venue.

Storm CEO Justin Rodski hopes the match in Geelong will grow rugby league’s increasing growth in the city and surrounding areas.

“We had a strong turnout for our trial against the Warriors four years ago and we’re looking forward to building on that in February,” Rodski said.

“Geelong is a growth area for rugby league with this trial coinciding with the formation of the Geelong Sharks whose juniors will play in the Storm Junior League and seniors in the Storm Premiership for the first time in 2023.”

The Sharks will take on its inaugural campaign in 2023, reviving the sport in the region for the first time in a decade.

“The launch of the Sharks, thanks to a devoted band of passionate volunteers who love our game, is really pleasing to see and this trial will give them a great chance to promote what they’re doing for next season,” Rodski added.

“I’m sure their young footballers will jump at the chance to see the stars of Storm and the Roosters, two of the competition’s powerhouse clubs, up close right in their backyard.”

Since Melbourne’s last time in Geelong, the Storm has hosted trials in Ballarat, Albury and at Casey Fields in Cranbourne.

Supported by Visit Victoria, the Geelong match will be Storm’s first appearance of the pre-season and will be followed by a trip across the Tasman to face the New Zealand Warriors at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch on Sunday, February 19.

The season proper will begin with a round one match-up against the Parramatta Eels in Sydney on March 2 followed by the first home game in round two against Canterbury on March 11.