Melbourne Storm Football Manager Frank Ponissi has moved to reassure fans that that Cameron Smith will be a part of the Melbourne Storm when the NRL returns.
Story via: rsn.net.au
“At no stage has Cameron said that he would never go to a hub or relocate,” Ponissi told the Breakfast Club.
It comes after the Melbourne Storm Captain was concerned about the hub concept immediately after Round 2 and again in early April.
Smith told the Sydney Morning Herald “To ask players to be away from their families, for an extended period of time, would be extremely difficult. It’s not what we do for a living. We’re footballers. We’re not workers who fly in, fly out. We’re not away for extended periods of time from our families. I understand these are extraordinary times. But where do we draw the line about what’s important and what’s not?”
Ponissi says keeping the Melbourne Storm playing group informed and connected has been a high priority through this period of postponement.
“We speak to the players as a group at least once a week, sometimes twice. We’ve just had an attitude of just be ready.”
If the hub concept is to take place, Ponissi says plans are already being made at the club to set up closer to Sydney if the club can’t train at AAMI Park.
“We’re looking at two border state locations.”
“In terms of training, if the current restrictions stay, we’re unable to train in Victoria as a group so we’d have to relocate to anywhere within New South Wales where they have exceptions for professional teams.”
