News: Clouds still surround the success of the Melbourne Storm

[EaglesDontTweet]

An interesting article from the SMH by Malcolm Knox detailing the "elephant in the room" with the Storm. Given that we as a club have suffered from this dark episode in NRL history makes the sentiment in this article so much more poignant..........

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...s-of-the-melbourne-storm-20160929-grrhx3.html

Clouds still surround the success of the Melbourne Storm

It's easier to imagine what you have already seen. By 9.30pm on Sunday, history will be made or, more imaginably, repeated. For the Sharks, it is a greater leap to believe in what has never happened: players in black, white and blue holding up the premiership trophy. For the Storm, to believe in it is only to remember it.

Cameron Smith showing off his armpits as he raises another prize on another podium. A tub of electrolyte drink poured over Craig Bellamy, dissolving that craggy mug to reveal the joy and laughter lurking beneath. Cooper Cronk attempting to say something profoundly intellectual and not quite nailing it, but in rugby league's land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. A rueful Paul Gallen and Michael Ennis holding it together as they press their noses against the window of someone else's celebration. Origin IV, seen it before.

Continues...........

 

[wombatgc]

Another good reason why I want the Sharkies to win.
God help the TV if Grub Smith happens to win and does the four-fingered salute.

 

[mave]

The Storm have built any current / recent sucess on the back of systematic cheating...simple as that.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

it irks me how the media measure the storm as the yardstick over the last 10 years

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

They blithely talk about all their Premierships, including the ones stripped.

No doubt in the record books it's bare but the commentators, fans of the club, the players themselves all carry on as though the stripped titles are part of their great history.

Personally I find that disgusting, not once has Bellamy or Scam ever apologised, admitted fault or even acknowledged it.

I can't make myself say " Up Up Cronulla" but I hope the cheating Purple scum don't win!!

 

[court83]

It still blows my mind that no one blames the coaches and the players for that cheating.... A coach of bellamys calibre KNOWS what is going on with his star players...
The players have been signing contracts since they were 15 years old... to say they had no idea of the cap rorting when they were having second stories added to their houses for free, big dollar boats showing up out of the blue for free, come on......

 

[Peter C]

Maybe so regarding the Storm, history shows that they only have two premierships,and that is all they deserve.
Cronulla on the other hand, systematically from the top down, sought to actively indulge in using performance enhancing substances, to me that is more inexcusable, yet all along the club has been in denial saying that the substances were not on the banned list, yet they only received a slap on the wrist, Shane Flanagan was overseeing the operation, despite him saying that he was not aware of any illegalities, and now he's back coaching after one year.
No way I could go for Cronulla

 

[globaleagle]

If by clouds they mean total financial cheating and systematic rorting of the system leading to widespread damage to the game and many other teams aspirations, only to be followed by delusional protestations of innocence aided by gratuitous platitudes by inept puppets of commentary teams forced too by corporate self helping media stakeholders then yes.....

clouds.

 

[TimmyQ]

Look everyone has an opinion on the Storm and I definately see some truth in that their current success has been sustained from prior cheating no doubt. They still have doods there that were knee deep in that stuff. But in my opinion that grumpy crazy over zealous coach of theirs has to go down as one of the best of all time - his ability to turn has beens and the unwanted into stars is incredible. I don't think many of us would be complaining if Craig ever came to Brookie!

 

[globaleagle]

^^ disagree! strongly

 

[Pablo]

If by clouds they mean total financial cheating and systematic rorting of the system leading to widespread damage to the game and many other teams aspirations, only to be followed by delusional protestations of innocence aided by gratuitous platitudes by inept puppets of commentary teams forced to by corporate self helping media stakeholders then yes.....

clouds.

Bingo

 

[TimmyQ]

^^ disagree! strongly

I didn't expect unanimous agreement there..lol

 

[sheridanstand78]

A club designed by that super league wan%^%er Ribot who employed the same rorting policy that the Donkeys used for years and aided and funded by news filth!!! Systematically cheated and acquired premierships that they still claim as theirs and denied other clubs who played fair like ours. Win at all costs cretins who push the rules to the limit in relation to gamesmanship. A captain who ranks as one of the dirtiest players to ever lace a boot. A coach with a face like a slapped ass. Going for the sharks is an absolute no brainer in this game!!

 

[The Who]

Yes, the Storm cheated the cap and were caught. But what about Easts and Brisbane? We all know they have rorted the system but have been too clever or lucky to be caught, or the NRL has not wanted to catch them. These two clubs have not been nearly as successful on the field as Melbourne.
Then you have Doesn'tmatter, who cheat and still can't prosper on the field.
At the start of this season Melbourne's roster looked no stronger than ours, yet on-field results are poles apart. They obviously have something in the Storm coaching/culture/recruitment/administration that I wish Manly possessed.

 

[MightyEagles]

I will be going for the Storm tomorrow. Simply because Cronulla supporters are so unbearable and i don't know any Storm supporters. Gallen Ennis Fifita all grubs and coin toss Graham is no better

 

[Clay]

I would rather support cap cheats then drug cheats.

I read that 12 of the starting 17 for Melbourne this week joined the club as teenagers.

They bought players during there stage of cap cheating but they didn't flaunt it in everyone's faces like Brisbane, they didn't poach players like Parra.

I still don't like them but to me it's a lesser of two evils.

Plus i feel if the Sharks win there will be media pressure to make Gallen an immortal, I don't want tha to happen

 

[eagle66]

I hear what you guys are saying, cheat and you will be rewarded in some way in the future.
Cheat the cap and when caught, you keep the best of what you have accumulated.
Cheat with drugs, you still have the benefit.
You receive a leg up by either the NRL or the media or both.
What worries me now is, where will Parramatta end up in a year or two? Surely not a GF performance with a coach who did not know they were over the cap?

 

[Real Deal]

That The Storm still see themselves as premiers in 2007 and 2009 is a travesty. What the NRL must do is ask for the rings back and award those two premierships to Manly and Parramatta. Yes I hate the eels, and yes it is an imperfect solution that is not fair to the other teams they played. But if Manly and Parramatta are awarded those premierships on a grand final day it will do more to erase Melbourne's claims on those two wins.

 

[Harvies elbow]

It still blows my mind that no one blames the coaches and the players for that cheating.... A coach of bellamys calibre KNOWS what is going on with his star players...
The players have been signing contracts since they were 15 years old... to say they had no idea of the cap rorting when they were having second stories added to their houses for free, big dollar boats showing up out of the blue for free, come on......

Amazingly that attitude continues today in the media and the nrl.
Look at the grub who is the Dalai.
Some wanted him coach of the year.
He's painted as someone who was hard done by and totally blameless.
Yeah Bull*****t.

 

[yokahontas]

I would rather support cap cheats then drug cheats.

I read that 12 of the starting 17 for Melbourne this week joined the club as teenagers.

They bought players during there stage of cap cheating but they didn't flaunt it in everyone's faces like Brisbane, they didn't poach players like Parra.

I still don't like them but to me it's a lesser of two evils.

Plus i feel if the Sharks win there will be media pressure to make Gallen an immortal, I don't want tha to happen

How come they are able to hang onto the 12 of 17 they bought as teenagers, when other clubs are having players poached from them left, right and centre the minute they show a sniff of potential? Hmmmmm...

Not to mention the shonky business involved in being able to buy up almost the entire Australian Schoolboys or Jnr Kangaroo squads.

Surely not that many promising juniors are just itching to move to Melbourne for the lifestyle and the weather!