Melbourne Storm - Team of the Decade
October 5th 2009 00:40
Melbourne Storm – Team of the Decade
Last night saw one of the most exciting and unpredictable rugby league seasons in recent times come to a close as the Melbourne Storm once again reigned supreme and took the 2009 Premiership. Despite a late charge by the valiant Eels, the Storm’s class and strike power shone through as they took the match 23-16, further etching their name into rugby league history.
Not only did the Storm take the NRL Premiership, but their Under 20s side also defeated the Wests Tigers to take the Toyota Cup. Despite the Storm’s dominance over the competition in recent years affecting their salary cap, the win in the Under 20s suggests a strong future and more success in the years ahead for the Melbourne franchise.
However, despite becoming accustomed to Melbourne’s success in their eleven year history, for some rugby league supporters, including myself, their win leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
The sole purpose of founding the Melbourne Storm franchise in 1998 was to create a rugby league stronghold, or at least a presence, in the Victorian capital. Instead of setting up a franchise in a rugby league heartland such as the Central Coast, Central Queensland or South East Queensland, the NRL pushed ahead with its plan to introduce rugby league to Melbourne.
Success for the club came quickly too, with the Storm taking the NRL Premiership in only their second season by beating St. George Illawarra in a most memorable grand final. But in spite of their on-field success, the Melbourne club has always faced an uphill battle when trying to assert itself in the ALF-crazed capital.
To their credit, the Storm do have a collection of die-hard and loyal fans, whom are very vocal and always willing to show their unwavering support for their club. The support of the Victorian Government has also been promising with a grant being given for a new 31,000-seat ‘rugby league styled, rectangular oval’ which will replace Olympic Park as the Storm’s home ground in 2010. Coupled with that is the Victorian Government’s unyielding attempts to drag big games away from Sydney and Brisbane, with Melbourne already hosting one state of origin game in 2009 and also pushing the NRL to host the grand final.
But the biggest test that the Storm has yet to successfully accomplish is to win over the hearts and minds of Melbournians as a whole. In fact a lot of people in the Victorian capital are oblivious to who the Storm are at all. Despite three premierships, five grand finals and 11 years of success, the people of Melbourne are still yet to embrace the Storm as their own.
A highlight of this is the controversy that has arisen from yesterday, when Channel 9’s broadcast of the grand final was cut short only moments after the full time siren. For die-hard Storm fans, the side’s victory lap and the premiership presentation was not shown.
In the Herald Sun this morning, a Storm supporter, Peter Crossley, made his feelings known when quoting to the newspaper; "Melbourne Storm is one of the top teams in rugby league, have been in the grand final for the past four years, and we still can't get the respect we deserve in Victoria." Furthering his statement, he went on; "We want to see players receive their medals and the after-match celebrations. If it were AFL it wouldn't happen." Such is the sentiment in Melbourne.
Of course the Storm’s win has not gone completely unnoticed in the Victorian capital, with their victory being reported in both the Age and Herald Sun newspapers. But their knowledge of the game does appear to be limited at best. In both newspapers the NRL Premiership trophy is continuously referred to as the NRL Cup. It hardly resembles a cup.
At the end of the day however, what does this mean to traditional rugby league fans? After a season where the hysteria surrounding the Premiership reached fever-pitch, it is almost an anti-climax that the Premiership ended up in a state that does not really appreciate it. What would have been the reaction if Parramatta had won? Moreover, what would have the build up to the grand final been like if Melbourne were not involved at all? If a blue and gold frenzy came over Sydney this week with only Parramatta representing, what would it have been like if it was an Eels verses Bulldogs grand final, for example?
Should the NRL really be continuing to focus on an area like Melbourne when areas like the Central Coast are suffering and without a first grade presence? For long-time fans of the game, who have suffered a lot of pain in recent years, what does Melbourne’s victory give to them? It surely seems a high price to pay when the traditional teams like North Sydney, Balmain and Western Suburbs were sacrificed to make way for the Melbourne franchise.
In the long run however, I do think that the Melbourne Storm is a necessary part of the NRL competition. I feel the team does not have to set the world on fire to be a success in the Victorian capital. Regardless of the wide-ranging oblivious of most Melbournians that the Storm even exist, the team still has their loyal supporters and a club culture to rival the Brisbane Broncos.
However, even though I do feel the Melbourne Storm should remain in the NRL long-term and I do congratulate them on their tremendous success, there is still a bitterness within me that I cannot shake. Melbourne’s victory certainly does not rival the hysteria that would have encapsulated Sydney if Parramatta had won. But then again...there’s always next year...
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