Going from a rugby union school to an NRL list didn't happen overnight for Brodie Croft. But how did one of Queensland's best young halfbacks land in Melbourne?
An eye for tracking young talent and a coincidental connection at Anglican Church Grammar School allowed Storm to swoop once the youngster was discarded from Brisbane Broncos development squads as a 15-year old.
"Once he got past 15, they didn't renew him in the program up there," Storm Recruiting Manager Paul Bunn explained.
"A school teacher I knew was moving to Churchy. I was talking to him about it and I asked him 'where's that young Croft kid now?'
"He said I'm moving to Churchy and we're thinking of offering a scholarship."
Keeping their radar on, Storm didn't take long to bring Croft into the Melbourne development system, placing him in a Storm talent squad based in Queensland just 12 months after Croft left the grasp of the Broncos.
"He was put in a Storm talent squad at 16-years old," Bunn said.
"He played Cyril Connell Cup up there. We saw a bit in him."
Performances in the Cyril Connell Cup saw Croft flash back onto the radar of NRL clubs meaning Melbourne had a fight on their hands.
In the early days before Croft even made his way south, some help from a Storm legend and premiership player continued his development.
"When he played in the Cyril Connell Cup a few clubs had a crack at him but being a loyal kid he just stayed with us," Bunn said.
"We just knew he had talent.
"We saw a bit in him, we actually sent Cooper (Cronk) up there to do a session with him.
"There was a group of halfbacks Cooper worked with up in Queensland...that was part of our development program at the time – Cooper did a really good job. "
