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Information About

Melbourne Storm




  Fullname Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club
  Emblem Storm/ Thor
  Colours Navy, purple, gold and white
  Founded 1998
  Sport Rugby League
  League National Rugby League
  Ground Olympic Park , Melbourne
  Capacity 18,500
  Ceo Brian Waldron
  Media Manager Chris Couch
  Captain rotating captains for '06
  Coach Craig Bellamy
  Season 2005
  Position 6th of 15
  Premierships 1 - 1999
  Runners Nil
  Minors Nil
  Spoons Nil
  Win 64 - 0 vs Wests Tigers , July 5 , 2001
  Loss 4 - 50 vs Bulldogs , August 10 , 2003


The Melbourne Storm are a Rugby League team based in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia .

The club was created originally as an expansion club to play in the 1998 Super League season before the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and Super League competitions merged at the conclusion of their respective 1997 seasons to form the National Rugby League (NRL).

During the club's first year in 1998, they exceeded expectations by winning their first four games and finishing third on the ladder. They then advanced to the finals losing to the Brisbane Broncos one game away from the Grand Final.

The following season, the Storm made amends by going one better to capture the trophy defeating the newly formed St George Illawarra Dragons 20-18, becoming the quickest non-foundation club ever to win the premiership after being admitted to the competition.


CLUB FACTS

  • Melbourne Storm is the first professional rugby league club based in Melbourne, where the predominant football code is Australian Rules Football , and the people are generally perceived as indifferent towards other football codes.



  • ARL in 1995 gave the green light to set up a Melbourne-based rugby league team to start in the 1998 competition but the onset of the Super League war that year saw the plan shelved until Super League picked up the baton and set one up in 1997 to join their 1998 competition.


  • Won the 1999 Grand Final after a controversial penalty try decision by referee Bill Harrigan when Storm winger Craig Smith was taken out in mid air while attempting to catch a high ball in the Dragons' in-goal.


  • Following an infamous outburst by St George Illawarra Dragons five-eighth Anthony Mundine declaring Melbourne undeserved winners of the 1999 Grand Final, the Storm thoroughly ripped the Dragons apart in a 70-10 demolition at the MCG in round five in 2000.


  • In the club's 100th game, they celebrated by defeating the hapless Wests Tigers 64-0 at Colonial Stadium on July 5, 2001.


  • Marked their 200th game in the NRL with a rare defeat of the Bulldogs 33-6 at the Sydney Showground on July 2, 2005


  • Only missed the finals while under coach Mark Murray


  • On April 2 2005, the Melbourne Storm and the Melbourne Olympic Park Trust, administrators of the Olympic Park sports complex, renamed the Western and Eastern Grandstands of Olympic Park stadium the Glenn Lazarus and Tawera Nikau stands respectively, after the inaugural captain and vice captain of the club in a ceremony prior to the home game against the Brisbane Broncos.



HISTORICAL INFORMATION

:Home stadium: Colonial Stadium (2001), Olympic Park (1998-2000, 2002-current)
:Head coach: Craig Bellamy (2003-current) Mark "Muppet" Murray (mid 2001-2002), Chris Anderson (1998- mid 2001)
:Captain: rotating (2006) Robbie Kearns (2005) Steven Kearney (2003-2004) Rodney Howe (mid 2002) Robbie Kearns (2000 - mid 2002) Glen Lazarus (1998-1999)
:Uniform colors: Navy Blue, Purple, Gold and White
:Premiership Titles: 1 - 1999 (vs St George Illawarra Dragons )
:Premiership Runners-up: Nil
:Minor Premiership Titles: Nil
:World Club Championship Titles: 1 - 2000 (vs St. Helens )
:Feeder Clubs: Norths Devils ( QRL ) (1998-current), North Sydney Bears ( NSWRL ) (2005-current)


PLAYERS


Current stars




Past stars




Clive Churchill Medal Winners

Awarded to man of the match in the Grand Final



COACHES



2006 SQUAD

  • Scott ANDERSON


  • James AUBUSSON


  • Matthew BARTLETT


  • Adam BLAIR


  • Michael CROCKER


  • Cooper CRONK


  • Ben CROSS


  • Garrett CROSSMAN


  • Ian DONNELLY


  • Jamie FEENEY


  • Nathan FRIEND


  • Matt GEYER


  • Scott HILL


  • Ryan HOFFMAN


  • Greg INGLIS


  • Dallas JOHNSON


  • Antonio KAUFUSI


  • David KIDWELL


  • Matt KING


  • Dennis SCOTT


  • Ryan SHORTLAND


  • Billy SLATER


  • Jeremy SMITH


  • Cameron SMITH


  • Sam TAGATAESE


  • Steve TURNER


  • Glen TURNER


  • Chris WALKER


  • Jake WEBSTER


  • Brett WHITE




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