Melbourne Storm players and staff received a heroes welcome after touching down at the Nadi International Airport yesterday ahead of their historic trial match against the Newcastle Knights in Lautoka on Saturday.
Greeted by a traditional Fijian welcome featuring local dancers, Storm captain Harry Grant said the chance to play in Fiji was an occasion that meant a lot to the broader playing group.
“It was a very warm welcome, it’s very special for us to be over here playing,” Grant told the club’s website.
“We have very strong Fijian ties within our club so it’s about soaking in the culture this week but also keeping in the back of the mind we’ve got a game to play.”
Grant said while he’s eager to learn more about Fijian culture, he’s equally excited to run out for the first time in 2024.
“At the moment we’ve been ripping into preseason training and we’ve been screaming out for a game so we’re looking forward to it.”
The club has a strong history of players with Fijian heritage making an impact at the club, Tariq Sims, Isaac Lumelume, Suliasi Vunivalu, Marika Koroibete, Sisa Waqa, Semi Tadulala, Aseri Laing and Kamikamica all pulling on the purple jersey.
Waqa, Koroibete and Vunivalu in particular left a lasting impression on the club, the Fijian flyers scoring a combined total of over 150 tries for the club.
Melbourne Storm’s second trial match of the season will kick off at 2.45pm (Fiji Time) at Churchill Park.
