Three promising youngsters have taken the first step towards fulfilling their rugby league dreams, gaining scholarships to train with the NRL champions Melbourne Storm.
The trio will travel to Melbourne in April for a week's training after being picked out by Storm coach Craig Bellamy and scout Darren Bell during a camp in Wainuiomata at the weekend.
Upper Hutt pair Pride Petterson-Robati (Wellington under-14) and Frederick Lika Pule (Wellington under-16) and New Plymouth's Isaac Robinson (Taranaki under-16) all have one foot in the door at a club widely regarded as the NRL's most professional.
Wellington Rugby League general manager Jason Hemson said the relationship with the Storm was going from strength to strength.
"It was very good," Hemson said.
"We had nearly 105 kids and about 30-odd coaches. The Melbourne guys are very keen to keep things moving and come back again, so it's a good opportunity for us to formalise something a little bit stronger over the next year or so with them."
Hemson said the Storm were targeting young New Zealand talent because their under-18 and under-20 squads were strong but Melbourne lacked younger, home-grown talent.
"Being down in Melbourne, it's a little bit more difficult for them to get the numbers in those younger age groups."
Hemson said Bellamy's coaching forum, in which he fielded questions from local mentors, was invaluable.
"For us, it's more about our coaches than the kids. Because once our coaches can see the type of things that those guys are looking at, then they can start training for it.
"If we can get kids at 10, 11, 12 and start coaching them the things those NRL clubs are looking for, then what it means is we can keep them here a little bit longer because we know they're getting trained well.
"And when it comes time for the NRL clubs to be looking at them, they can see where the kids are at in terms of their development along the NRL lines."
Acknowledgements: Stuff, Dominion Post.
