After an impressive start to his career, Victorian junior Dean Ieremia has extended his contract with the Melbourne Storm until the end of the 2022 season.

Ieremia was just the fourth Victorian junior to play a senior match for the Melbourne Storm and began the year with a strong pre-season, which was capped off with standout showings in the trial matches.

After getting promoted to the full-time squad in March this year, the winger has continued to impress the club and push for senior selection.

So far this season, Ieremia has played in four matches and made his debut in his team's Round 8 win against the Cronulla Sharks.

He also managed to score his first try in his NRL Magic Round performance against the Dragons.

Storm General Manager Frank Ponissi said that this contract extension was a reward for Ieremia's improvement, dedication, and continued effort towards his game.

"We’ve been really pleased with the progress Dean has been making,"

"He’s starting to fully realise the potential that was identified several years ago as he started progressing through the NRL Victoria and Melbourne Storm systems."

"He’s a great role model for what young Victorian juniors can achieve in rugby league."

Ieremia is a junior playing for the Sunbury Tigers in the NRL Victoria competition.

With COVID-19 impacting the competition for the past 20 months, Ieremia hasn't had the same match-day experience as other interstate juniors.

DEAN IEREMIA
Wing
Storm
ROUND 13 STATS
82
All Run Metres
4
Tackles Made

This hasn't stopped him from succeeding and showcasing a bright future.

In the Super Cup earlier this season in Queensland, Ieremia starred for the Brisbane Tigers scoring six tries in five matches. This included a hat-trick performance against defending premiers Burleigh Bears, which really ignited his season.

Ieremia enjoys playing for the Storm and understands the significance of his Victorian roots. He knows how important it is to continue to grow the game in Victoria.

"I was real proud," Ieremia said while speaking with NRL.com. 

"I'm the fourth Victorian [junior to play in the NRL for the Storm], which is one every six years.

"That's what Bellza [coach Craig Bellamy] said. It's kind of setting that standard, that we Victorians can make it to a rugby league team."

Dean Ieremia won't be the only Victorian junior on the team for long, with another exciting prospect joining the ranks in the 2022 season.

Northern Thunder junior Sua Fa'alogo has also recently signed a three-year contract which will have him playing at the storm from 2022 until the end of 2024.

These signings cap off the excitement surrounding the Melbourne Storm's 11-2 start to the season.

The future is bright for not only the Melbourne Storm but for Victorian NRL.