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Storm officials left 'fuming' over South Sydney's poaching of Melbourne players
The Storm have reportedly found it 'hypocritical' that Souths are complaining about the Roosters entering their territory considering the Rabbitohs have academies in Melbourne and the Gold Coast. The Rabbitohs have lodged a complaint with the NSW Rugby League about the Roosters using Matraville Sports High School for training junior rep teams.
The Roosters have been using the school grounds for 15 years, but the Rabbitohs want their rivals kicked out as Matraville is in South Sydney territory. The Rabbitohs reportedly believe the Roosters are attracting local Souths juniors to Bondi by training in enemy territory.
Clubs can only play and train within their designated district boundaries, unless they've received approval from the relevant officials. South Sydney hierarchy believe the Roosters are breaching the rules by using the grounds at Matraville, but the Roosters claim they've poured in $200,000 to improve the facilities.
'We think this is an important issue for all NRL clubs that have a strong relationship with their junior rugby league competitions and invest in pathways programs," Souths CEO Blake Solly told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'We have made our case to the NSWRL for the application of the rule in this situation."
Souths chairman Nick Pappas told the Daily Telegraph: "I find it disappointing that the Roosters have effectively invaded our district to train their junior representative teams, knowing full well that [it] will cause significant disruption to our own juniors.
"Either we have districts for our juniors or we don't have districts. Given the opposition the Roosters have openly expressed regarding our return to Allianz, to now come and train their juniors at Matraville, in the heart of our district, is brazen.'
Melbourne Storm 'fuming' over South Sydney move
The stoush continues a bitter feud between the arch-rival clubs, which culminated in Souths being blocked from playing more home games at Allianz Stadium - the Roosters' home ground. But the situation has now taken an interesting turn, with the Storm pointing out the Rabbitohs have set up pathways systems in Melbourne.
Danny Weidler of the revealed over the weekend that Storm officials are "fuming" that the "Rabbitohs have tried to pick the eyes out of their slim but growing junior playing ranks" and are "stunned" by Souths' "hypocritical" complaining about the Roosters.
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This year, the Rabbitohs started the Victorian-based Iron Armour Academy in Melbourne, stating: 'The ground-breaking partnership between the oldest club in rugby league in Australia and the long-established Melbourne-based academy is unique, with players, coaches and staff from Iron Armour coming to Maroubra to check out the USANA Rabbitohs Centre [of excellence] in February.'
Souths also have a partnership with renowned rugby league school Keebra Park State High School on the Gold Coast - in Titans territory. The Rabbitohs previously declared: "This partnership will enable the Rabbitohs to expand its reach into Queensland for elite young players and coaches to add to the talent from the South Sydney district and other recruited players from New South Wales and beyond.'
Rabbitohs CEO responds amid latest criticism
Responding to claims of 'hypocrisy' from the Storm, Solly told the SMH: 'I had a good meeting with [Storm CEO] Justin Rodski on Thursday and explained our position. There is one major and fundamental difference here - we are not training our Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams in Melbourne. The Roosters are training all their girls and boys representative pathways teams in our district.'
It should be pointed out that NRL clubs started academies in enemy territory is nothing new. The Warriors became the latest club to do something similar when they announced a new academy in Queensland last month.
