The big three are three years too old

[Drew-Sta]

It seems to me Melbourne lost because their spine was too old. Smith is clearly past it and Slater simply doesn't cut it these days. Age has caught up with them. Where will their next superstars come from do you think? I got 62 last time, can I get 63 fishies?

 

[typicalfan]

Smith was playing injured.

Jesse Bromwich is already a star as well.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Cameron Munster is a superstar in the making.

 

[rabbitohs95]

Kurt Mann i rate highly he'll be in the centres or back row imo

 

[BranVan3000]

The Storm era is over

 

[typicalfan]

Would any of the big 3 consider retiring from rep footy? Do what Freddie did.

 

[MacDougall]

I thought Slater was good. Cronk and Smith looked off the pace but Smith was playing hurt. The Dogs just bashed the shit out of them tbh. That game was played and won in the forwards. Who were best for Dogs? Graham, Eastwood and Williams.

 

[BranVan3000]

Storm are just a shit defensive team this year, that is their real problem. Need an overhaul outside of the spine

 

[adamkungl]

I don't think Bellamy is future proofing the Storm at all. Isn't looking past his own retirement. Huge problems incoming when the any of the big 3 retire

 

[eozsmiles]

I don't think Bellamy is future proofing the Storm at all. Isn't looking past his own retirement. Huge problems incoming when the any of the big 3 retire

Pretty hard to avoid though. Probably stating the obvious but knock a spine player or two out of any team that has real quality there and they will struggle to replace them.

 

[eozsmiles]

.....and premiership windows are small. If you have three legitimate guns and have a shot at building a winning team around them, you take it. They might only have 5 years of playing at their peak. You can't waste 3-4 of those years either re-building or future proofing.

 

[maple_69]

Smith was injured but is certainly past his peak. Cronk was outstanding just last year. I do think Slater is now a bit too old. I think they'll get one more solid year out of the three, then they should try and arrange Slater to retire in 2015, Smith 2016 and Cronk 2017.

 

[user_nat]

Didn't the big 3 win a premiership less than 3 years ago..

So they were 1 year too old then?

 

[adamkungl]

Pretty hard to avoid though. Probably stating the obvious but knock a spine player or two out of any team that has real quality there and they will struggle to replace them.

There just seems to be a different attitude at Melbourne to a club that is actually working for his next contract. Can't put my finger on anything specific but I'm just not seeing where the replacement quality will come from, and I don't think Bellamy actually gives a shit.

 

[BunniesMan]

I've been saying it since the start of 2013. If Billy Slater made his debut on round 1 2013 he'd have been dropped by now. His reputation is bigger than his production.

Their time as a premiership heavyweight is over. Of course they'll develop good players in the future but they will never hit the jackpot with 3 superstar spine players being born within a year of each other (2 of them on the same day!) and hitting their peak together.

They should have punted Slater instead of GI. Slater was the better play for the next 18 months. They should have thought about the long term.

 

[Slug]

Put a fork in 'em.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

Bellamy will coach 3 more to equal talent and ability or my name isn't POPEYE.

 

[Usain Bolt]

Storm will become the Sharks once the big 3 are gone

 

[--Storm--]

We havn't had a out and out star come through since Folau and before him Inglis so apart from the big 3 the rest are just solid first graders.

 

[oikee]

The Storm much like the Broncos when they lost Lockyer, will go the same way as the Broncos, be allowed to rot and fester ,like a dried fart in a change-room.
Sydney has got what it wants, a all Sydney comp once the cows bow out. We already know their fate.
The code has lost another 4.
NZ, QLD, and Melbourne wont be watching, expect a dismal drop in viewers, again.

They are brawling on the streets in Ipswich because of the bad ref decisions. It has now drifted down to the lower grades.
Well done NRL.
3 million and four drop in viewers and counting.