Anthony Quinn was a rock solid defender, great finisher and tough as nails.
He played in two Grand Finals during his 103 games for Storm between 2007-12.
Storm fans will recall fond memories of Quinn his bursting down the left edge, catching a Cooper Cronk pass in full flight before bulldozing through the opposition’s defence.
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At the end of the 2012 season he returned to Newcastle, the place where he started his NRL career. He played one more season with the Knights before moving into their front office in a role focused around player wellbeing and education.
That led Quinn on the path he is today, as a Player Engagement Manager with the Rugby League Players Association.
He now works alongside former Storm teammates Michael Crocker and Clint Newton with five Clubs currently in his portfolio; Newcastle Knights, Canberra Raiders, Wests Tigers, Canterbury Bulldogs and Cronulla Sharks.
Quinn remembers fondly the help he received from Storm welfare managers Peter Robinson and Brian Phelan during his days with the Club.
“It was more towards the back end of my career that all of the support started to come in,” Quinn said.
“In my last year at Storm Robbo and BP were able to link me in with an electrical contractor so I could finish off my electrical apprenticeship.
“On my day off during the week I would try and go there to work for the day to try and get my hours up then on the weekends I would go and play football.”
While he did not go down the tradie path, those days working in the real world did help to prepare him for what lay ahead.
However he admits the adjustment for retired players can never truly be a seamless one.
“You can’t ever be fully prepared for retirement,” Quinn said.
“The biggest thing for me was not getting a program every week and being told what to do.
“You also miss the team environment and sharing a common purpose or goal to achieve something.”
His role with the RLPA ensures Quinn has maintained that sense of comradery with his fellow players.
Melbourne may not be one of the teams he currently works with directly but he will never forget what the Club provided him during those six seasons.
“I am still fond of the Storm family and what they were able to provide me and my family,” Quinn said.
“It is great how welcoming they always are when either I go down or when any former Storm player rocks up at training or to talk to the players.”
