The Sunshine Coast Falcons have confirmed their long-standing feeder club affiliation with the Melbourne Storm will come to an end after the 2025 season.
The partnership, which has been in place since 2015, has supplied a wealth of rugby league talent from the Coast’s Queensland Cup side to the NRL team.
The Falcons are expected to announce their next feeder arrangement in the coming weeks.
Falcons CEO Chris Flannery paid tribute to the Storm for helping elevate the Coast club’s standing.
“The Falcons would like to thank Justin Rodski, Frank Ponissi, Craig Bellamy and the entire Melburne Storm organisation for their assistance and support over the course of our partnership,” he said via a post on the Faclons social media on Friday.
“This pathway has been one of the most successful pipelines to the NRL in Australia over the last 10 years.
“We wish the Storm organisation every success for 2025 and in the future.”
The affiliation produced a string of Falcons who graduated to first grade, including Trent Loiero, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Grant Anderson, Nicho Hynes, Tui Kamikamica, Tyson Smoothy, Lazarus Vaalepu, Chris Lewis and Darryn Schonig.
Storm stars such as Harry Grant, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Justin Olam, Will Warbrick, Jahrome Hughes and Sua Faalogo have also sharpened their skills in Falcons colours during their careers.
Ponissi, who is the Storm’s director of football, said the respect and professionalism shown by the Coast club had made the partnership a standout.
“The Falcons, under the guidance of Chris Flannery (CEO) and Ashley Robinson (chairman), have become an incredibly strong club in the Queensland Cup and we thank them for their support over the past 10 years as well as their care and professionalism with our players each and every week,” he said.
The connection between the two clubs was especially significant during the pandemic, when the Storm played home fixtures out of Sunshine Coast Stadium in 2020 and 2021.
The Storm confirmed it was also parting ways with its other feeder clubs.
“Melbourne Storm wishes to thank feeder clubs Brisbane Tigers, Sunshine Coast Falcons and the North Sydney Bears for their partnerships which will end at the conclusion of the 2025 season,” the club said.
The Falcons women have an affiliate partnership with the Brisbane Broncos NRLW side that has been in place since early this year.
