Premiers chase discipline edge with Sutton appointment

They finished last year as premiers but that hasn't stopped the Storm from addressing on-field discipline issues by appointing former NRL referees boss Bernard Sutton for 2021.

Sutton, who stepped down as the NRL's general manager of elite officiating at the end of last year, will join the Storm as a technical consultant with an aim to help the squad limit penalties and adapt to rule changes.

The Storm finished the 2020 season conceding 5.5 penalties/ruck infringements per game, ranked 12th in the competition in that category, despite an improved return for ruck infringements alone, where they were ranked equal sixth-best. 

Sutton won't attend training sessions as part of the agreement but will be available to chat with Storm coach Craig Bellamy and his coaching staff, who include former Warriors mentor Stephen Kearney, throughout the season.

"It will be a positive for our club to tap into Bernard's expertise and experience to have him available to help us continue to improve our on-field discipline," Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi said.

"We are always looking at those one-percenters and what we can do to make ourselves better.

"Reducing the number of penalties we concede is one area we have targeted for improvement as is adapting to the new laws to be introduced in 2021.

"Bernard will [be] working directly with our coaches in a role that's very similar that we had another ex-NRL referee Adam Devcich fill with us in 2019."

The NRL announced several changes to the 2021 competition in December, including a two-point field goal option and a "six-again" to be called for 10-metre offside infringements.