Melbourne Storm chief executive Brian Waldron believes the NRL premiers' impending move to Melbourne's new rectangular stadium will not only see crowds at home matches virtually double but will also help the club in its bid to retain players in coming seasons.
The Storm will play their first home match at Melbourne's new $267.5 million rectangular stadium against the Brisbane Broncos in Round 9 of the 2010 NRL season on Sunday May 9.
This comes just two days after the first event to be staged at the new ground - which is being built right in the heart of Melbourne's sports precinct opposite the MCG and next to the Storm's old home ground Olympic Park.
And that event will be a Trans-Tasman Test match between world champions New Zealand and Four Nations champions Australia after rugby league staged a massive coup by gaining first use of the ground - which will also be the home to A-League team Melbourne Victory and Melbourne's new Super 15 rugby union team.
While Melbourne Storm's first match at its new ground is being held later than expected - after the club initially hoped to kick off its new era in Round 6 against Manly - Waldron believes the unveiling of the new purpose-built rectangular stadium will result in a huge growth in Melbourne's crowds in coming years.
The Storm have regularly averaged around 12,000 to home matches at the ageing Olympic Park over the years but Waldron believes that the team that has appeared in the past four NRL grand finals is capable of becoming one of the competition's best supported clubs at its new home.
"As Melburnians we just love great sport and great facilities so with a highly competitive team I think they (the fans) will come in droves," Waldron told Sportal on Monday.
"I think we would average 20,000 odd (per home game) in the first couple of years and maybe fill the ground two or three times (a year)."
"That is our aim and our challenge will be to sustain those crowds but if we remain highly competitive (on the field) there is no reason we won't."
Waldron, speaking at the soon-to-be-completed stadium on Monday, said fans would be stunned when they realise how close to the action they will be at the new rectangular stadium compared to Olympic Park - which has an athletics track between the field of play and the spectators.
"I don't think we understand just standing here and looking out how close we are (to the action)," he said.
"What an experience this is going to be - it's just going to be out of this world when it is finished."
Waldron is also hoping the Storm's new training facilities, which are also being built at the stadium, will help the club when it comes to retaining its stars with the club having lost a host of star players to clubs in traditional rugby league strongholds in recent years such as Matt Orford, Steve Bell, Ben Cross, Israel Folau and Steve Turner.
"Our people love being here because we are a good club and we are successful but this will just add to it," he said
NRL chief executive David Gallop says the new stadium will be the start of a new era for rugby league in Victoria saying that finally league will be able to offer Melbourne sports