Big Storm crowd on foul night impresses NRL
Karl deKroo
11jul06

WHILE its tense win against Brisbane at Olympic Park on Friday night helped Melbourne Storm maintain its four-point break at the head of the league ladder, it was a win of another kind that had NRL powerbrokers talking yesterday.

According to official NRL crowd figures, Storm's attendance of 15,479 was the highest of the weekend.

It is believed to be the first time since Storm's inaugural home match against North Sydney in Round 4, 1998, that it has drawn the largest crowd.

"It was a very pleasing result," NRL chief executive David Gallop said last night.

"To think the Storm could draw over 15,000 on a cold and wet night like that in Melbourne was very positive.

"It shows progress is being made, but I think it also highlighted the need for a new stadium. With all the work being done in terms of bringing big games like Origin down there, the increase in funding for promotion and development, the stadium is the one component lacking."

Storm's new multi-million dollar stadium at Olympic Park won't be completed until the end of 2008. Storm chief executive Brian Waldron said, even in the current facilities, he hoped to grow home attendances to an average of more than 10,000.

Waldron said while he was pleased with the crowd figure on Friday night, it was important to put the overall numbers for the round in context.

"The Cowboys and Broncos didn't play on the weekend and they average well above that figure. But the pleasing thing for us is that in the space of three days over 70,000 people attended a rugby league match in Melbourne, be that State of Origin or the Storm. That is outstanding."

Storm coach Craig Bellamy is expected to today name wounded duo Scott Hill (ribs) and Antonio Kaufusi (knee) in the team to play the Knights in Newcastle on Sunday. Both will need to complete a contact session tomorrow to be cleared to play.

Storm physio Mary Toomey said it was unlikely star rookie Greg Inglis would return from stress fractures in his back.

"He should start some more football-related work towards the back end of the week," Toomey said. "I would seriously doubt he is any chance to play this week."

Newcastle expects Milton Thaiday and David Seage to return from injury, but young five-eighth Jarrod Mullen is in doubt with a hamstring strain.