News Dane Nielsen will depart Melbourne at the end of the NRL season was offset on Monday by the re-signing of powerful Storm outside back Justin O’Neill.
Fresh from a hat-trick of tries against Penrith on Saturday night, Queensland Origin hopeful O’Neill signed a two-year deal with the Storm that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2014 season.
The 21-year-old’s re-signing came a few hours after the Storm announced Queensland Origin centre Nielsen would leave the club at the end of the 2012 season to join the Warriors on a three-year deal.
“My decision to stay with Melbourne Storm was based on many factors, but the most important was the culture which the players and staff have created,” O’Neill said in a statement.
“In this environment I think can play my best football here.”
Storm coach Craig Bellamy was delighted to keep O’Neill, who is hoping to claim the Queensland wing spot vacated by injured Brisbane star Jharal Yow Yeh.
“Justin is a bright young talent who is playing consistent first grade and we believe will only get better with more NRL experience,” Bellamy said.
“He has great speed and very good awareness of where to position himself to capitalise on opportunities.”
The 26-year-old Nielsen is looking forward to the new challenge on offer in New Zealand.
“I’ve got this year to worry about first but then I’ll be looking forward to coming to a new city and a new club and doing all I can to help on the field and off it,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen said the stock of young talent at the Warriors was a key factor in his decision, as was their style of play.
The Warriors have relied on 20-year-old centres Konrad Hurrell and Ben Henry this season with Jerome Ropati being dogged by injury and Krisnan Inu struggling to find form.
Nielsen will face his new team, who beat the Broncos 30-20 on Saturday, in a round 13 clash on June 3 in Auckland.