Melbourne Faces Brunt of the Storm
April 26th 2010 04:32
Melbourne Faces Brunt of the Storm
On April 22, 2010, Rugby League was forced to face its biggest scandal, and more importantly, its most gravest challenge, since the outbreak of the Super League War.
As many Rugby League greats have stated, the events of earlier in the week have been a ‘kick in the guts’ to the game and its supporters.
For many, the revelations that the Melbourne Storm has been rorting the NRL Salary Cap by $1.7million over the past 5 years are not a shock. Many assumed that something certainly devious was going on at the club after they were able to retain so many marque players. The thing that is shocking however, is the swiftness and harshness of the NRL’s reaction and resulting penalties.
Over the past decade and in particular the past 4 years, the Melbourne Storm has been the symbol of excellence in the NRL. They have boasted top international and representative players, a fearsome winning culture and have featured prominently in the past five finals series.
But on Thursday came the revelation that the club’s administrators, with former CEO Brian Waldron being singled out as the architect of the scheme, have been keeping, as NRL CEO David Gallop put it, two separate books. One of which included payments within the Salary Cap that were legitimately submitted to the NRL, while the other; which was hidden in another room, outlined further payments made to players above the cap.
The penalty for this, determined by the NRL, is that the Storm have had their 2007 and 2009 Premierships stripped from the record books, along with their 2006, ’07 and ’08 Minor Premiership titles. Further to this, they have been forced to pay back $1.1million in prize-money, along with a $500,000 fine, which will be distributed evenly to the other clubs.
In relation to this season, the Storm has had all their current Premiership points stripped and will be unable to accrue any more points this season. Therefore they will be unable to contend the finals series and will finish dead last.
This final hand down by David Gallop and the NRL is not only unparalleled in Australian Rugby League history, but in the histories of most codes from Australia and around the World.
So where does this leave Rugby League? And where does this leave the Melbourne Storm? Can the club survive this?
In 2002, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs had amassed 37 Premiership points and were leading the competition comfortably when it was found that they had breached the cap. Their punishment saw them being stripped of all their points and they finished with the Wooden Spoon.
It was devastating to the game and the fans of the club who had believed, up until that point, that the club was assured the Premiership. But despite the tag of ‘cheats’ hanging over the club in the years that followed, the Bulldogs were able to rebuild and move on from the episode.
Unfortunately for Melbourne though, their situation is entirely different. Unlike Canterbury, they do not have a long-standing history in the competition, nor do they have a large and loyal fan base. Indeed they have loyal fans, but their numbers cannot be compared to the likes of the Bulldogs.
For the past decade, the Storm has struggled to get a foothold into the Melbourne sporting market, but their efforts have slowly, but surely gained them some attention. In a city obsessed with AFL, the Storm have almost become like a second team that all Melbournians can support along with their traditional Aussie Rules club.
Most valuable of all though, has been the support of the Victorian Government, who commissioned the construction of a new $268million rectangular stadium to be used as a home-ground of the Storm. The club will play their first home game there on May 9.
But now all that hard work is in jeopardy and could ultimately be lost. The Storm’s greatest asset was their success, something that is essential for any new club. Especially for a club looking to thrive in a rival code’s heartland. It seems though, that the Storm executives have chased success too hard.
With that being said though, the crowd yesterday at Docklands Stadium, when the Storm took on the New Zealand Warriors, was very encouraging. With an attendance of over 20,000, the people of Melbourne showed that they are not willing to let the Storm and Victorian Rugby League die just yet. With this show of support, coupled with the Storm’s dominant performance in winning 40-6, the whole debacle may in fact galvanise the following the club is to receive in Melbourne.
But is this thirst for success, which could ultimately lead to the Storm’s downfall, be severe enough for them to be stripped of their Premierships?
I guess the other question that could be asked is; ‘Can you strip a club of a Premiership?’ In essence the NRL obviously believes so, but in the hearts and minds of fans, memories are harder to replace than a name on a trophy.
Tarnished or not, the Melbourne Storm still dominated the competition in the last four years week in and week out. They ground out heroic victories in hard fought games and repelled numerous obstacles on their way into the finals.
Most importantly they were victorious on Grand Final day. That is something that cannot be erased. It is something that will live in the minds of people for all time. You can remove the Storm’s name from the record books, but you cannot remove the experiences and feelings of all involved. Just as you cannot erase the image of Cameron Smith lifting the NRL Telstra Premiership trophy above his head.
Furthermore, you cannot remove the jubilation that the Storm players and fans felt when they were finally victorious. Just in the same way as you cannot change the feeling of despair and anguish that the opposing teams would have felt when they lost.
So the question remains, ‘Can you take away a Premiership?’
In essence the answer is ‘No’. Nor can you award a Premiership to Manly-Warringah or Parramatta when the memory of losing is still in their recollect.
Being robbed of a Premiership is nothing new to Rugby League, or any sport for that matter. There have been many cases in the past in which Premierships have been disputed. Even as way back as 1909, there has been controversy. In that year Balmain alleged that themselves and South Sydney had agreed to forfeit the final in protest to being placed on the under-card of the Wallabies verses Kangaroos game. Instead, Souths turned up to the game with Balmain absent, kicked off to an empty field, scored and claimed the Premiership.
In 1963, there were claims by Western Suburbs players that the referee, Darcy Lawler, had placed a bet on St. George to win the Grand Final only hours before kick-off. The result was a number of dubious decisions during the game. The most telling of which was when Dragons player Johnny King fell to the ground after a loose tackle by the Magpies. The conflict arose after the Wests players claim that the referee called ‘held’, but then allowed King to stand and resume running unabated to the try-line to score. To this day Magpies players still claim that it was preconceived that they were going to be screwed out of the game.
The evidence of shoddy refereeing is more evident in 1978 though, when it was claimed that referee ‘Hollywood’ Greg Hartley was backing Manly-Warringah. The apparent evidence came in the two finals leading into the Grand Final in which Manly faced Parramatta and then Wests. In the match against the Eels, it was proved that Hartley made errors in the tackle counts on multiple occasions. Instead of the standard 6 tackles, Hartley granted Manly 7. In one of these 7-tackle sets, the Sea-Eagles scored a try.
The decision was pivotal in the contest, and after the game Parramatta protested to the League that the game should be replayed. Of course it was not. In the Wests game, Hartley again made dubious decisions, with the most crucial being the disallowing a certain Magpies try.
The point is that, even if it was proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that these teams had ‘cheated’, would you strip a club of a Premiership? The league would never have stripped the Sea-Eagles of the Premiership had Hartley admitted to favouring them, so why does Melbourne succumb to their fate?
It is fair that Melbourne have been stripped of all their points this season, just as Canterbury-Bankstown were stripped in 2002. But the notion of stripping them of Premierships past is ludicrous! The seasons are over and the Grand Final deciders have already been determined. Had the NRL discovered the rorting in 2007 and 2009, then yes, of course Melbourne should have been disqualified from winning the title. But the rorting was not discovered and the Storm took the Premierships.
At the end of the day, Melbourne were still the best team on the paddock in 2007 and 2009 and they still won on the merits of being the best football team on the day. Salary cap rorting or not.
The only conclusion that I can draw is that Melbourne should certainly retain the 2007 and 2009 Premierships, along with their 3 Minor Premierships between 2006-2008. However, an asterisk should be placed beside those achievements, stating words along the lines of ‘salary cap rorts exposed’. In that way the fans, present and future, can determine their own judgement on the matter.
In my opinion that is by far a better option than the Official NRL Record books stating ‘Premiership Stripped’.
In conclusion, I do not feel as though this is such a dire situation that most people make it out to be. Surely the issue is the Salary Cap itself. By its very nature it is flawed and open to corruption and that issue needs to be addressed.
Looking forward though, a new independent commission is set to be introduced to the code, which hopefully will sort this issue out. In terms of 2010, I think the Salary Cap rorting by the Melbourne Storm only adds more excitement to the season. For the first time in many years, the Storm will not feature in the finals series, allowing another club to step up to take their place.
In essence, the remaining 15 clubs of the Premiership must have big smiles on their faces knowing that they do not to contend with the Storm once the finals roll around.
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Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
News owns not only the Storm but half the competition and is no doubt up to its eyeballs as far as guilt is concerned.
How much of the mud will stick? I suspect there will be a few scapegoats - none of whom will be part of the News Ltd heirachy - but who will be sullied as fallguys.
The penalties are hardly harsh either - and outside the $500,000 fine, which will be brokered by Rupert Murdoch directly back into the NRL coffers anyway (remember News owns half of the leagure anyway) then only the fans have effectively been penalised by taking the premiership mantles away.
As for the points - well - sure the punters have been ripped off - but the players (like your average worker) are still getting paid to do a job - and like the average worker - simply has to get on with it. Afterall - not every blue or white collar worker is rewarded with some kind of bonus at the end of the year for a job well done - and most certainly don't earn the bikkies these guys are pulling.
True believers will steadfastly maintain that regardless of what the record books show - Melbourne won the relevant titles - with the troops at their disposal.
The salary cap question is a tough one - and no doubt every club has rorted the system - with most getting away with it to date.
I say let's dispense with Melbourne in any case! The club is there only to justify News Ltd's commercial spend and the NRL's title of having a so-called "National Rugby League" comp.
If both camps were serious - yes we'd still have a team in Adelaide and Perth after the Superleague fiasco - but no we don't - I wonder why?
Bring back the North Sydney Bears - re-badge them as the Central Coast and let's get on with the game.