2026 NRL Pacific Performance Conference

Over the weekend, Melbourne hosted the NRL Pacific Performance Conference for the very first time. Designed for coaches and strength and conditioning staff, the conference brought together passionate people from the Affiliated States & Territories (VIC, SA, NT & WA) and the Pacific region (PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga & Indigenous Pathways) to learn, grow and elevate their coaching. Victoria was fortunate to send a motivated group of coaches who were ready to upskill, challenge themselves and bring new ideas back into their roles.

Across three big days, attendees were involved in practical workshops, on field drill simulations and team-based activities that helped them see coaching from new angles. The experience was hands on, energetic and full of moments that strengthened confidence and inspired new approaches.

The strength and conditioning coaches also received valuable specific development from Lucas Watson, who is the S&C coach for the Melbourne Storm U21’s Jersey Flegg that won the 2025 premiership, delivered detailed insight into athlete preparation, season planning and the standards expected at the high-performance level. The team also visited the Melbourne Fitness and Performance Centre and worked closely with experienced athlete performance coaches, gaining skills, updated training methods and a deeper understanding of how to get the best out of developing athletes.

The conference featured an awesome line-up of guest speakers who brought energy, insight and plenty of inspiration:

• Tim Auremi (Melbourne Storm - Pathways)

• Pauline Poloai (Melbourne Storm - Pathways)

• Dylan Wolfgramm (Melbourne Storm - Pathways Wellbeing)

• Matt Duffie (Melbourne Storm - Pathways Coach)

• Young Tonumaipea (Melbourne Storm - Wellbeing)

• Jess Skinner (NRL - General Manager Pathways & Jillaroos Head Coach)

• Mike Castle (NRL - Pathways Project Manager)

• Carl Marshall (NRL – Coach Education Manager)

• Caitlin Knox (NRL - Rise Coordinator)

• Matt Church (NRL - Course Presenter & Brisbane Tigers - Queensland Cup Head Coach

• Guy Williams (NRL - Course Presenter & Manly Sea Eagles - NSW Cup Head Coach)

• Lucas Watson (Melbourne Storm – U21’s Jersey Flegg S&C Coach)

• Michael Chricton (Melbourne Fitness & Performance – Founder & Athlete Coach)

• Nick Carbonne (Melbourne Fitness & Performance – Athlete Coach)

Victoria had the following staff attend:

Coaches:

• Hamish Pearce, Joey Hanman, Heaven-Leigh Dakartis, Sia Seumanufagai, Tasheena Toamau, Sam Katipa , Leighton Spellman, Arana Taepa, Brad Baker and Mo Hussaini.

S&C Coaches:

• Mikayla Underwood, Dean Adams, Kiri Spellman and Talia D’Agostino

For everyone who attended, the conference was more than just professional development, it was a rewarding experience that sparked new ideas, strengthened connections and fuelled genuine excitement for the future of Rugby League development in Victoria. The staff are motivated and ready to take everything they learned into 2026 and beyond.