Melbourne Storm has upgraded young forward Trent Loiero to its NRL top 30 squad and extended his contract until the end of the 2023 season.
The 20-year-old from the Sunshine Coast made his NRL debut for Storm in round four this season against the Brisbane Broncos, coming off the bench for an impressive 18-minute stint.
He has been part of Storm’s development squad for the past two seasons and will now be a member of the full-time squad.
A junior with the Kawana Dolphins club, Loiero progressed to the Sunshine Coast Falcons under-18 and under-21 teams before making his Intrust Super Cup debut in 2019.
He has played six matches for the Falcons in 2021, all in the starting pack.
Storm General Manager – Football Frank Ponissi said Loeiro fully deserved his inclusion in Storm’s top squad.
“Trent is a young forward we have earmarked as a long-term NRL player for Storm and it’s very pleasing that he continues to justify the faith we have in him,” he said.
He’s a pleasure to have at our a club – a hard worker and quick learner who is very popular amongst his teammates.
Frank Ponissi on Trent Loiero
“Trent is also another great example of the pathways that exist with our feeder clubs in Queensland, with seven players from the Falcons alone making their NRL debuts for Storm over the past two seasons.”
In other signing news, Tyran Wishart has joined Storm until the end of the 2023 season.
Capable of playing in the halves or at hooker, Wishart has switched from the St George Illawarra Dragons where he had played seven NSW Cup matches this season.
The 19-year-old made his debut for the Dragons’ reserves last year, playing the one game before the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He had his first training run in his new hometown last Wednesday.
“Tyran is very competitive, likes to play with the footy in his hands and is a good defender,” Ponissi said.
“We think he’s a natural footballer who can adapt to a few roles here at Storm.
“We can already see what a fine young man Tyran is and look forward to him continuing to develop on and off the field.”
