Unsung but a hero for the Storm
After making his NRL debut for Melbourne against Wests Tigers at AAMI Park back in April 2013, Kenny Bromwich had one goal. To play one more game.
The younger brother of fellow Kiwi prop Jesse Bromwich, Kenny would wait another four months before that next game, but by the time that second NRL appearance rolled around, he would quickly go on to establish himself as a regular in Melbourne’s bench rotation as a versatile utility forward.
Bromwich played again the following week, and the one after that, and so on for the next nine seasons — missing only a handful of matches along the way as a high-achieving, low-profile support player in a Storm team studded with superstars.
And when Melbourne welcome the Dragons to AAMI Park on Sunday, the 30-year-old Kiwi international will enjoy a rare turn in the spotlight when he plays his 200th game.
Joining brother Jesse, Ryan Hoffman, Matt Geyer, Will Chambers, and the “big three” of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater, Bromwich will become only the eighth player to reach the doublecentury milestone for the men in purple.
“I never thought I’d see the day that I’d play 200 NRL games,” Bromwich told NRL.com after his side’s win against the Knights last week.
“I was always, ‘I’d like to play next week’, so I’d play one game and I’d be like, ‘yeah, hopefully I can play again next week’, so I was always just trying to do my best that week and the next week to play the next game.
“I’ve seen a lot of people come and go from the club, obviously generational players like the ‘big three’, then I’ve seen some amazing guys coming through like Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, and some guys that have left the team already.
“But the Storm keep finding a way to fill those spots with that ‘next man up’ mentality.
“The club do that well, and it’s been special to be a part of such a successful club for a long time, especially with all those people coming through, so I’m stoked to be here and to be able to play 200 games for the club.”
Though he has happily played his role without the same fuss or fanfare afforded many of his Storm teammates in the past 10 seasons, Bromwich has achieved more than most during his career.
I’m stoked to be here and to be able to play 200 games for the club. Kenny Bromwich
He has won two Premierships from four grand finals, established an NRL career winning percentage of 74 per cent, and represented New Zealand in 10 tests.
Though others might dominate the headlines, Bromwich said the people who matter most — such as coach Craig Bellamy — appreciate what he does, and what he has done.
“I don’t mind. This club, they do a pretty good job of highlighting the little things and the things that are important to us,” Bromwich said.
“The superstars in our team get a lot of raps in the media, as they should because they do some amazing things for us on the field and even off the field.
“But Craig and the coaching staff, their attention to detail and how much they focus on the little things, a lot of guys in our team get a lot of raps within our team.”
The Bromwich brothers will be sorely missed when they leave the Storm at the end of the season to take up contracts with the new
Dolphins club under coach Wayne Bennett.