As the Storm celebrated their thrilling golden point victory over the Rabbitohs on Saturday night, children flooded the Accor Stadium tunnel to get selfies with their favourite players while begging for jerseys, boots and socks.

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Harry Grant and Ryan Papenhuyzen were in high demand, but the player that the kids really wanted to see was Sua Fa’alogo as he feasted on a bucket of chips and answered questions about Melbourne’s pledge to improve pathways programs for Victorians wanting to play in the NRL.

Only a few nights earlier, Fa’alogo was at a training session in Broadmeadows to help out some of the record-breaking 6000 Victorians who have registered to play the 2025 season, with the club’s Jersey Flegg side now second on the table.

It’s all part of the club’s Road to AAMI Park program that acknowledged the lack of locals who have represented the club, with the Storm now providing a clear pathway for youngsters to one day represent their city in the NRL.

Fa’alogo is one of five Victorians to play for the Storm in the NRL, and he’s confident that number will rise thanks to the club’s efforts on and off the field to produce the next Dean Ieremia or Young Tonumaipea.

“I’m very grateful to have more Victorians coming up playing rugby league,” he said.

“What the Melbourne Storm is doing with their program down there is pretty massive now, and it’s great to see so many Victorians coming up to play. Hopefully, we see more playing in the NRL soon.

“We go to schools sometimes and help out the little kids with the pathways.

“It’s so good to see the Storm take their time to go out and help those young Victorian kids who are coming up.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to play for the Storm and to see so many young Victorians want to play in the NRL.”

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The Samoan star is still relatively new to the game but has shown off his incredible skills for the Storm despite only starting his rugby league journey less than a decade ago.

“I stopped playing AFL and started playing rugby league when I was 13,” he said.

“One of my mates from school told me to come and play for the Northern Thunder. It was pretty hard to learn at first coming from a union background, but I learnt the rules and it’s been good.”

Footy fans are glad he made the switch, with Fa’alogo dazzling on debut with two tries against the Broncos in 2023, while he came up with a stunning solo play on Saturday to save the Storm.

The young gun was found out defensively a few times but stood tall when it mattered most as he held onto a towering Latrell Mitchell bomb, tore through the defence and set up Tyran Wishart for a crucial try.

“There are a few things I need to work on, especially in defence,” he conceded.

“It was really special (to come up with that play). I wasn’t expecting that, but it was cool to take that bomb from Latrell.”

Storm coach Craig Bellamy can see the talent and is excited about what Fa’alogo can do after he signed a five-year extension in 2024.

“He’s only a small kid, but he’s very talented, especially with his speed and his footwork,” he said.

“He wouldn’t be the most knowledgeable rugby league player in the game because he grew up playing AFL, but that’s part of the skill for that kick that he caught that led to the try.

“That was one of the toughest kicks on the night, and he took it.

“I just think he’s going to get better and better as time goes on as he learns more about the game and learns more about himself.”