Former champion NRL player Greg Inglis has revealed the character test given to potential new players being courted by the Melbourne Storm.
Inglis was talking with fellow ex-Australian player Josh Mansour on his Unscripted podcast recently when he gave an insight in the Storm’s legendary club culture.
He explained how the club and coach Craig Bellamy tried to find out more about a player’s character before signing them.
‘There’s a test that happens down there in Melbourne,’ Inglis said.
‘The test is that they’ll invite you down there, they’ll show you around the club, they’ll take you out for dinner and they’ll take you out for coffee.
‘What do you expect from that?’
Former champion NRL player Greg Inglis revealed how the Melbourne Storm tested the character of a potential new recruit
Inglis scored 78 tries in 118 games at the Storm and won a Clive Churchill Medal in the 2007 grand final win
‘I don’t know. I’ll be in awe obviously and so grateful. Craig Bellamy has taken the time to take me to dinner. I’d be so humble,’ Mansour replied.
‘You’d be humble and walk out?’ Inglis asked.
‘Yeah,’ Mansour said.
‘You failed,’ Inglis shot back.
‘Why was that?’ Mansour asked.
‘Ask, can you pay,’ Inglis said.
‘That’s what the test is. Don’t worry, I’ll shout this coffee, I’ll shout this.’
Aussies online loved the character test employed by Bellamy and the senior players at the Storm, and praised the club’s culture.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy has done a lot to keep his players grounded and create a strong culture at the club in his 22 years at the helm
Storm player Jonah Pezet was sent to work at a racecourse shortly after arriving at the club
New Storm recruits are put to work as soon as they get to the club (pictured) – regardless of their standing in the game before they arrived
‘Never heard a past Storm player that has said a bad thing about the club. Every player improves there,’ one person wrote.
‘Great test of someone’s character is to offer to pay. Means they are a giver not a taker. Very important in team sports,’ another said.
Inglis kicked off his stellar career at the Storm in 2005 and played 118 games for the club before moving to Souths and leading them to the 2014 premiership.
A stack of superstars have pulled on the Storm jersey over the past two decades, but the one constant has been Bellamy, who is in his 22nd season at the helm and is a three-time premiership winner.
The coach has ensured his side has been a top four team for much of his tenure and his club has been built on character rather than talent.
Not long after he took over as head coach in 2003, Bellamy started the New Recruit Work Program.
The program sees new Storm recruits – regardless of reputation or experience – take on two 40-hour work weeks in an effort to teach them about hard work and gratitude.
‘We just want to try and give them a bit of perspective on life.’ Bellamy said about the program.
‘Our life as a footy club can be a bit of a bubble at times, but there’s a lot of other things, a lot of other important things happening outside our bubble, outside footy.’
Regular first graders Jack Howarth and Jonah Pezet were sent off for a couple of weeks of hard work on the tools in 2021.
Pezet said the project gave the players great perspective.
‘It’s been tough to say the least. The early 4.30am wake ups to get into the gym, then getting back in the arvo and trying to get a sleep in on the way home in the car…then going to training and getting flogged,’ he said.
