Young gun Hugo Peel is set to become the seventh Victorian junior to play NRL with the Storm after he was named make his debut on the wing against the Dolphins.
After posting six straight losses for the first time since 2002, coach Craig Bellamy has shuffled his line-up to include a number of new faces, including Peel who impressed during this year’s Pre-Season Challenge.
He has been pushing his claim for inclusion in the NRL side ever since, scoring six tries in six appearances for the club’s NSW Cup team.
Fellow young talent Trent Toelau has played NRL previously while at the Panthers, but is aiming to become the eighth Victorian to play for the Storm after being named on the interchange bench.
With fellow home-grown talent and Samoa international Sua Faalogo lining up at fullback, that makes three Victorians in Bellamy’s team list, equalling the record for the Melbourne club.
While his preferred position is fullback, Peel has been named on the wing for the game at Suncorp Stadium, and was discovered by Storm after showing athletic promise in a range of sports in his youth.
“It's quite an interesting story,” Peel said of how he landed at the Storm.
“I was playing rugby union, touch footy, played a bunch of AFL growing up as well and then the Storm sort of found me when I was 17-18 and got me involved in their pathways program.
“I was a bit 50/50 about it all, but I always loved league growing up, watched it, just never really played it … (but) once I got into it, it's just so good.
“The club's been so good to me, all the staff, all the players and all the mates I've made throughout, so coming through there, it's just been pretty cool.”
As he has come to the game a little later than others, Peel has soaked up the opportunity to learn from others at the club.
“All the coaches have been great and players wise, they've all contributed well to making me feel a part of it all,” Peel said.
“In particular, probably Xavier Coates, he's been great, gotten to know him quite well, Josh King, Harry Grant, so a few of the leaders have gone to give me some confidence at training and tell me to put my best foot forward and keep pushing.
“All the boys have been great. I have been working a lot with Sua – one-on-one work, of course I'm a fullback – (and) off Xavier as well, he's a world class winger.
“Just learning the nuances of the game, but even then, any of the boys are good at giving feedback, whether they're a middle or back, they all have good insights in the game.”
Have you ever seen a try like this from the restart!?
Outside of the current playing squad, Peel has also had the opportunity to pick the brains of one of the best to ever play the game, with Billy Slater who does specialist coaching at the club.
“Billy's been there a lot, I've worked for him a lot the past year-and-a-half,” Peel said.
“I've gotten to know him quite well, he does a lot of one-on-one work with me and learning a lot of the nuances of playing fullback. There's a lot of different things that contribute to being a good player there.
“It has been good getting to know them outside of footy as well, which is cool, but couldn't be a better bloke to learn from at fullback or just in the game in general.”
Named on the bench in the number 14 jersey, Toelau returned to Storm earlier this year after spending the past few seasons with Penrith, where he made his NRL debut in 2024.
A Victorian junior from Doveton Steelers, Toelau was in the Storm pathways before moving away, but said with a young family of his own now, the time was right to return to Victoria and mount his case to play NRL with his first club.
“From Melbourne, born and bred and spent a few years in Penrith and they obviously gave me my opportunity to live out my dreams, so it's a very, special place in my heart,” the 2026 Māori All Stars representative said.
“But have my own little family now, I've got two little boys, my partner, and obviously being from Melbourne, we felt like trying to get back there and get a little bit more support …
“Luckily there was an opportunity for me to go back, it's always obviously been a dream to be able to be part of that squad … just happy to be back.
“The biggest dream of my life to be able to play NRL, but to be able to play for Melbourne was everything I ever wanted.
“When I was growing up as a little boy, especially in Melbourne, one team town. Getting the chance to put on the jersey, it'll mean a lot to me, a lot to my family.
“Obviously the two boys now, I want to be able to showcase and give them something to be proud of.”
Match: Dolphins v Storm
Round 9 -
home Team
Dolphins
12th Position
away Team
Storm
16th Position
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
