The REAL Melbourne Storm.

[Mr Invisible]

The Storm have been in the NRL since 1998.

First Premiership was 1999 - (No players from this side still playing).
1999-2005 - a drought.
Grand Final - 2006 (Loss) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played.
Grand Final - 2007 (Win) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played. STRIPPED DUE TO S/C BREACH.
Grand Final - 2008 (Loss) - Slater, Inglis, and Cronk played. SMITH SUSPENDED.
Grand Final - 2009 (Win) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played. STRIPPED DUE TO S/C BREACH.
2010-2011 - a small drought.
Grand Final - 2012 (Win) - Slater, Cronk and Smith played.
2013-2015 - a drought.
Grand Final - 2016 (Loss) - Cronk and Smith played. SLATER INJURED
Grand Final - 2017 (Win) - Slater, Cronk and Smith played.

Cameron Smith - debuted for Storm in 2002, with first full season being 2003.
Billy Slater - debuted for Storm in 2003 with first full season.
Cooper Cronk - debuted in 2004 (half season), full season 2005. Left Storm end of 2017.
Greg Inglis - debuted in 2005 (half season), full season 2006. Left Storm end of 2010.

Storms salary cap breach was from 2005 - 2010 (during which they were in 4 Grand Finals, and maintained 4 superstar core players). When caught out they discarded the one they needed least (Inglis), yet still kept their spine. A spine that would see success both in 2012 and 2017 Grand Final Series. A spine that was retained after systematic cap cheating.

Melbourne have NOT won a Grand Final without the big 3.

2018 - Currently 10th after 5 rounds, nobody expected these results. The missing link - Cooper Cronk.

Which is the point of this thread. Storms success has been due to (largely) Cronk, and the spine constructed whilst breaching the cap.

Looking at the Bulldogs cap situtation, one has to wonder if this is why Hasler constructed the cap like he has (bankended deals), in order to either try and get the most of his players, or in an attempt to have a minor cap breach, retain the spine/players, and benefit from it.

Whilst the glue at the Storm is slowly coming unstuck (and when Slater/Smith retire or if they get injured will expose them more), no other team has benefitted in success the way the Storm have from cheating in the past.... even Parra tried and failed.

 

[CroydonDog]

Which is the point of this thread.

I like how you have at least pondered the question

 

[Malla]

The Storm have been in the NRL since 1998.

First Premiership was 1999 - (No players from this side still playing).
1999-2005 - a drought.
Grand Final - 2006 (Loss) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played.
Grand Final - 2007 (Win) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played. STRIPPED DUE TO S/C BREACH.
Grand Final - 2008 (Loss) - Slater, Inglis, and Cronk played. SMITH SUSPENDED.
Grand Final - 2009 (Win) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played. STRIPPED DUE TO S/C BREACH.
2010-2011 - a small drought.
Grand Final - 2012 (Win) - Slater, Cronk and Smith played.
2013-2015 - a drought.
Grand Final - 2016 (Loss) - Cronk and Smith played. SLATER INJURED
Grand Final - 2017 (Win) - Slater, Cronk and Smith played.

Cameron Smith - debuted for Storm in 2002, with first full season being 2003.
Billy Slater - debuted for Storm in 2003 with first full season.
Cooper Cronk - debuted in 2004 (half season), full season 2005. Left Storm end of 2017.
Greg Inglis - debuted in 2005 (half season), full season 2006. Left Storm end of 2010.

Storms salary cap breach was from 2005 - 2010 (during which they were in 4 Grand Finals, and maintained 4 superstar core players). When caught out they discarded the one they needed least (Inglis), yet still kept their spine. A spine that would see success both in 2012 and 2017 Grand Final Series. A spine that was retained after systematic cap cheating.

Melbourne have NOT won a Grand Final without the big 3.

2018 - Currently 10th after 5 rounds, nobody expected these results. The missing link - Cooper Cronk.

Which is the point of this thread. Storms success has been due to (largely) Cronk, and the spine constructed whilst breaching the cap.

Looking at the Bulldogs cap situtation, one has to wonder if this is why Hasler constructed the cap like he has (bankended deals), in order to either try and get the most of his players, or in an attempt to have a minor cap breach, retain the spine/players, and benefit from it.

Whilst the glue at the Storm is slowly coming unstuck (and when Slater/Smith retire or if they get injured will expose them more), no other team has benefitted in success the way the Storm have from cheating in the past.... even Parra tried and failed.

Regardless, I think it is systematic from Melb and Ballamy with whoever he has on his staff are football geniuses. What they do is inject the right player into their system to carry out the role and responsibilities. They make the game extremely simple - case in point look at how much Cronk is actually struggling with the Roosters, who would have thought that would be the case with the team he has around him?

Storm may have a couple of slow years, but so long as Bellamy is at the helm they will be okay.

Storms 'cheating' was due to them being just too successful for their own good.

 

[Bulldog_4_Life]

Croft is super talented and will come good. They have that talented fullback they signed from the Tigers coming up and also Jahrome Hughes to cover for Slater and not to mention of the best young hookers in the game in Brandon Smith to replace Cameron Smith.

They have a good young core in:
Munster
Hughes
Papenhuyzen
Scott
Addo-Carr
Vunivalu
Croft
Smith
NAS


That's 9 supremely talented players that are all 23 and under and they are coached by the best in the game in Bellamy.

 

[Wahesh]

Croft is super talented and will come good. They have that talented fullback they signed from the Tigers coming up and also Jahrome Hughes to cover for Slater and not to mention of the best young hookers in the game in Brandon Smith to replace Cameron Smith.

They have a good young core in:
Munster
Hughes
Papenhuyzen
Scott
Addo-Carr
Vunivalu
Croft
Smith
NAS


That's 9 supremely talented players that are all 23 and under and they are coached by the best in the game in Bellamy.

Most of them aren't spine players, and if they are spine players, none of them are as talented as the big 3.

 

[Mr Invisible]

It will also depend if Bellamy pulls the plug after this season.

He's 58/59 and the stress can't be good for him. If he's made a million a year from Storm since way back and been smart, he could probably retire early.

Interesting stat: Bellamy has NEVER dropped below 50% losing average in a season as coach. Most losses in a season was 12.

Post salary cap Premierships: They have not won one with more than 7 losses in a season.

 

[Papa Emeritus]

It is far too early to count the Storm out. Cronk was always going to be a massive loss, it will take Croft some time to find his feet and for the team to learn to play with him instead of Cronk.

 

[coach]

I find it funny the refs are cracking down on the 10m rule and storm are struggling
Pricks have been offside for 10 years

 

[KiwiDog7]

A drought?


A drought is not winning shit since 2004

 

[Big M]

Most of them aren't spine players, and if they are spine players, none of them are as talented as the big 3.

JC! GOD & Moses weren’t as talented as Melbourne’s big 3

 

[blueyedsamurai]

The storm "struggled" during 2000-05 because there were a bunch of other teams rorting the cap as well

 

[dogluva]

Melbourne storm front row....

 

[Dogzof95]

The NRL can't afford for the storm to struggle, otherwise the will not exist! Hence this.....

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/04/13...$12-million-boost-for-victorian-rugby-league/

Storm lose Cronk, gain something bigger!!

 

[The DoggFather]

A drought?


A drought is not winning shit since 2004

Better than not winning shit since 1986..... lol

 

[Wolfmother]

The Storm have been in the NRL since 1998.

First Premiership was 1999 - (No players from this side still playing).
1999-2005 - a drought.
Grand Final - 2006 (Loss) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played.
Grand Final - 2007 (Win) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played. STRIPPED DUE TO S/C BREACH.
Grand Final - 2008 (Loss) - Slater, Inglis, and Cronk played. SMITH SUSPENDED.
Grand Final - 2009 (Win) - Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith played. STRIPPED DUE TO S/C BREACH.
2010-2011 - a small drought.
Grand Final - 2012 (Win) - Slater, Cronk and Smith played.
2013-2015 - a drought.
Grand Final - 2016 (Loss) - Cronk and Smith played. SLATER INJURED
Grand Final - 2017 (Win) - Slater, Cronk and Smith played.

Cameron Smith - debuted for Storm in 2002, with first full season being 2003.
Billy Slater - debuted for Storm in 2003 with first full season.
Cooper Cronk - debuted in 2004 (half season), full season 2005. Left Storm end of 2017.
Greg Inglis - debuted in 2005 (half season), full season 2006. Left Storm end of 2010.

Storms salary cap breach was from 2005 - 2010 (during which they were in 4 Grand Finals, and maintained 4 superstar core players). When caught out they discarded the one they needed least (Inglis), yet still kept their spine. A spine that would see success both in 2012 and 2017 Grand Final Series. A spine that was retained after systematic cap cheating.

Melbourne have NOT won a Grand Final without the big 3.

2018 - Currently 10th after 5 rounds, nobody expected these results. The missing link - Cooper Cronk.

Which is the point of this thread. Storms success has been due to (largely) Cronk, and the spine constructed whilst breaching the cap.

Looking at the Bulldogs cap situtation, one has to wonder if this is why Hasler constructed the cap like he has (bankended deals), in order to either try and get the most of his players, or in an attempt to have a minor cap breach, retain the spine/players, and benefit from it.

Whilst the glue at the Storm is slowly coming unstuck (and when Slater/Smith retire or if they get injured will expose them more), no other team has benefitted in success the way the Storm have from cheating in the past.... even Parra tried and failed.

I like how you have at least pondered the question

lol reminds me of a scene from the big Bang

 

[The 2nd Spitter]

After Smith and Slater retire, the NRL will always make sure that the best available players will sign with the Storm because without continued success the team will die faster than the South Queensland Crushers.

 

[Wahesh]

JC! GOD & Moses weren’t as talented as Melbourne’s big 3

The big 3 aren't worthy of drinking the remnants that appeared when Moses parted the red sea, jahesh.

 

[Oatley Dog]

After Smith and Slater retire, the NRL will always make sure that the best available players will sign with the Storm because without continued success the team will die faster than the South Queensland Crushers.

So that new centre of excellence for NRL funded by the Vic Government and the relatively new rectangular AAMI Park and the fact that there are 10,000 people playing league in Victoria is not enough to ensure the survival of the most successful footy club in the past 20 years? Na. Not buying that one. They already have good replacements in the pipeline for all their players. They'll be competitive for at least another decade.

 

[Wahesh]

So that new centre of excellence for NRL funded by the Vic Government and the relatively new rectangular AAMI Park and the fact that there are 10,000 people playing league in Victoria is not enough to ensure the survival of the most successful footy club in the past 20 years? Na. Not buying that one. They already have good replacements in the pipeline for all their players. They'll be competitive for at least another decade.

The Victorian Government will also ensure their survival.

Hold on... don't they have some sort of partnership with Manchester City?

 

[Oatley Dog]

The Victorian Government will also ensure their survival.

Hold on... don't they have some sort of partnership with Manchester City?

That's that silly soccer mob Melbourne something or other......