Melbourne Storm....best club side in the modern era

[Paullyboy]

I love it how people try to discredit the storm out of jealousy. Only an absutely deluded fool wouldn't realise they have been the deserved best team for a long time now.

Their indiscretions were minor in my eyes, they didn't poach anyone, they merely retained their own talent (which the NRL should allow all clubs to do anyway).

I do agree that it's purely thanks to smith, Cronk and slater. Any other semi reasonable first grader around them will thrive.

 

[Grapple]

Absolutely clinical team coached by a master. The San Antonio Spurs of the NRL.

 

[Der Kaiser]

End of the Day The Storm have never gone out and bought a Name Player. Even Cronk, Smith and Slater came through the System. They bring in Has beens like Jason Ryles and no names that nobody wants (Bryan Norrie) or youngsters like Griffin, Widdop, Harris etc. Yes they did cheat the cap but so have the likes of Brisbane, Parramatta, Canterbury, St.George, Wests, Gold Coast etc. They all cheated to some degree.
And just because you have money and spend big it doesnt guarentee you will do well- See the Roosters how they have tried to buy big with little reward. Melbourne have a culture where you are pushed to the limit both mentally and Physically in Pre Season and that sets them up for the year. Each player knows what is required. Yes Smith, Cronk and Slater get all the plaudits. But without the hardwork of the rest then they are nothing. If the others were not happy then the team would not function as well as it does. Instead of people just being jealous or ignoring Melbournes feats people should look beyond that and see why Melbourne can bring no names and has beens and get something out f them where others cant or wont. You cant really compare teams as different systems and different types of footy. But we should admire and respect clubs that set the standards over an era and other clubs should look and make changes to match them. Sadly many just want to make excuses and point the finger instead of looking at the good

 

[beefstew]

With no Slater the Storm would be a decent team but nothing like the quality we're seeing now.

 

[Tooooks]

I love it how people try to discredit the storm out of jealousy. Only an absutely deluded fool wouldn't realise they have been the deserved best team for a long time now.

Their indiscretions were minor in my eyes, they didn't poach anyone, they merely retained their own talent (which the NRL should allow all clubs to do anyway).

I do agree that it's purely thanks to smith, Cronk and slater. Any other semi reasonable first grader around them will thrive.

I can't believe there are people who think like you (their success, even while cheating was deserved?). No one discredits a team out of jealousy. Would I have liked my team to cheat in the same way and reap the benefits two years later? No, I really wouldn't. They discredited themselves due to their systematic cheating over many years. People still don't get it and I'm amazed at their ignorance. Had they achieved what they have without cheating, I'd have nothing bad to say about them (I always liked Melbourne before this salary cap story broke).

Under your rules, if teams could pay whatever they like to retain their juniors (that's what your saying, right?), Parra would still have the likes of Inu, David Williams, Tony Williams, Mateo, Gallen...I could go on and on. The teams without local juniors could still buy them but would have to pay massive overs to attract them away from their own clubs. In other words, it's a ridiculous idea, which wouldn't work.


Sorry about the rant, and no offence meant to you, Paullyboy, but I just hate that attitude that what they did was 'minor'. It ruined the comp for those years, not just for my team, who were cheated out of a premiership (09) and a grand final appearance (07), but for every team they beat in those years.


Despite all that, I have to admire them as a club and acknowledge they are now within the cap, so you can only give them credit for what they are now achieving.


Here's a few things that struck me during last night's game:

1. They are amazingly well coached. Everyone knows exactly what they're doing at all times. Nothing looks off-the-cuff. They are a well-oiled machine.
2. They seem to get the best out of the ?scrap heap? players, such as Ryles.
3. The professionalism of their big three can only be rubbing off on the rest of the team. Cronk in particular, doesn't appear to me to be a born star, but his attitude and commitment are top notch.
4. They continue to promote new players who are a bit raw, but have a ton of potential. Their talent scouts are the best in the league.
   
5. No other team will come near them this year UNLESS one of the three are injured.
6. Billy Slater is the best fullback. Ever.
7. They will win at least 3 of the next 5 premierships, if their luck with injuries continues (they will not win it if any of their three suffers a season-ending injury).
   
8. See 7: If they can do that, there will be no disputing they are the best of the modern era.

 

[mongoose]

Whats really bad for the Storm is that they probably still would have won those 2 comps (07 and 09) even if they didn't cheat.

06* Minor premiership
07* Minor premiership and Premiership
08* Minor premiership
09* Premiership
11 Minor premiership
12 Premiership

Although those first 4 years are tainted and dont count thats the most dominant club side I have seen over such a period.

 

[Boy]

Whats really bad for the Storm is that they probably still would have won those 2 comps (07 and 09) even if they didn't cheat.

06* Minor premiership
07* Minor premiership and Premiership
08* Minor premiership
09* Premiership
11 Minor premiership
12 Premiership

Although those first 4 years are tainted and dont count thats the most dominant club side I have seen over such a period.

Hang on so in your way of thinking
the first four years can be excluded
so they have
A minor premiership and a premiership
Back to back
And that makes them the best???

 

[great_head]

if people think they would have stayed even if they didnt cheat, then why the need to cheat in the first place? they would have lost that spine for sure.

 

[LESStar58]

End of the Day The Storm have never gone out and bought a Name Player. Even Cronk, Smith and Slater came through the System. They bring in Has beens like Jason Ryles and no names that nobody wants (Bryan Norrie) or youngsters like Griffin, Widdop, Harris etc. Yes they did cheat the cap but so have the likes of Brisbane, Parramatta, Canterbury, St.George, Wests, Gold Coast etc. They all cheated to some degree.
And just because you have money and spend big it doesnt guarentee you will do well- See the Roosters how they have tried to buy big with little reward. Melbourne have a culture where you are pushed to the limit both mentally and Physically in Pre Season and that sets them up for the year. Each player knows what is required. Yes Smith, Cronk and Slater get all the plaudits. But without the hardwork of the rest then they are nothing. If the others were not happy then the team would not function as well as it does. Instead of people just being jealous or ignoring Melbournes feats people should look beyond that and see why Melbourne can bring no names and has beens and get something out f them where others cant or wont. You cant really compare teams as different systems and different types of footy. But we should admire and respect clubs that set the standards over an era and other clubs should look and make changes to match them. Sadly many just want to make excuses and point the finger instead of looking at the good

Well, actually we did; Lazarus, Kearney and Crocker. All "name" players... Top post though.

 

[LESStar58]

Hang on so in your way of thinking
the first four years can be excluded
so they have
A minor premiership and a premiership
Back to back
And that makes them the best???

Get back to me when a team in any professional sport can overcome such a set back to achieve what Storm did. If they go back to back (and I think they will) it'll just reinforce how great they are.

 

[LESStar58]

I want you to start a survey, ask a wide variety of people this question:

Out of Cronk, Inglis, Smith & Slater, which player would you rather not have in the Melbourne team?

I guarantee the answer is Smith, everyone knows why, I don't need to explain it

I may look like a genius here but let's face a few facts, when your team gets thumped by Melbourne tell me it's not running through your mind, that this Melbourne team was assembled in a manner that is not within the current rules of the NRL, so why were they allowed to maintain the very spine of the team that was assembled using systematic cheating of the salary cap in the first place

No way. Ingliss and it was him that went. Ran hot and cold week after week.

The consistency he has shown at Souths is way above the potential he showed at Melbourne.

 

[DoggiesBroke]

I think Bellamy is terrific. He has fabulous coaching skills which are matched by pure intensity.

I don't think it's fair to discredit his coaching ability through his Origin record. You give him time (ie. a full preseason) and he'll turn a team of nuffies into fierce competitors.

 

[Bulldog Benny]

No. I would have to say manly. 3 gf's in 5 years, winning 2. The 08 win, 40-0, against an over the cap storm was special.

 

[DoggiesBroke]

40-0. It's hard to believe that players like Cronk, Slater, Folau, Inglis & J. Smith were on the wrong end of such a hiding.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

if people think they would have stayed even if they didnt cheat, then why the need to cheat in the first place? they would have lost that spine for sure.

Exactly right. They would not have had near the success they've had, if they hadn't cheated. They'll always remain a tarnished club.

 

[mongoose]

Exactly right. They would not have had near the success they've had, if they hadn't cheated. They'll always remain a tarnished club.

Right... so how much of the Storm's success do you attribute to cheating and how much is due to great coaching and a culture of discipline and hard work?

or do you beleive the good coaching and good culture came from cheating the cap, like so many other logic challenged posters here

 

[Butters]

It's good to see so many enlightened minds in this thread. I of course have been arguing the point of Melbourne being the greatest team to ever play the game since their supposed "cheating" was revealed. It's a shame so many posters still refuse to accept the fact that Melbourne's success came from excellent coaching and a great club culture, not because some players supposedly were paid more than others in the NRL.

 

[Patorick]

I can't believe there are people who think like you (their success, even while cheating was deserved?). No one discredits a team out of jealousy. Would I have liked my team to cheat in the same way and reap the benefits two years later? No, I really wouldn't. They discredited themselves due to their systematic cheating over many years. People still don't get it and I'm amazed at their ignorance. Had they achieved what they have without cheating, I'd have nothing bad to say about them (I always liked Melbourne before this salary cap story broke).

Under your rules, if teams could pay whatever they like to retain their juniors (that's what your saying, right?), Parra would still have the likes of Inu, David Williams, Tony Williams, Mateo, Gallen...I could go on and on. The teams without local juniors could still buy them but would have to pay massive overs to attract them away from their own clubs. In other words, it's a ridiculous idea, which wouldn't work.


Sorry about the rant, and no offence meant to you, Paullyboy, but I just hate that attitude that what they did was 'minor'. It ruined the comp for those years, not just for my team, who were cheated out of a premiership (09) and a grand final appearance (07), but for every team they beat in those years.


Despite all that, I have to admire them as a club and acknowledge they are now within the cap, so you can only give them credit for what they are now achieving.


Here's a few things that struck me during last night's game:

1. They are amazingly well coached. Everyone knows exactly what they're doing at all times. Nothing looks off-the-cuff. They are a well-oiled machine.
2. They seem to get the best out of the ?scrap heap? players, such as Ryles.
3. The professionalism of their big three can only be rubbing off on the rest of the team. Cronk in particular, doesn't appear to me to be a born star, but his attitude and commitment are top notch.
4. They continue to promote new players who are a bit raw, but have a ton of potential. Their talent scouts are the best in the league.
5. No other team will come near them this year UNLESS one of the three are injured.
6. Billy Slater is the best fullback. Ever.
7. They will win at least 3 of the next 5 premierships, if their luck with injuries continues (they will not win it if any of their three suffers a season-ending injury).
8. See 7: If they can do that, there will be no disputing they are the best of the modern era.

Especially if they don't have to play the Warriors in the finals...

 

[blaza88z]

I was probably too hard in my summary of the storm, Bellamy deserves all the credit in the world, his coaching is really good, the only thing that tarnishes them imo is their spine able to remain in tact after the obvious discretion

Yes Manly and other clubs have kept their spine but there's a bit of a difference between the spine of Melbourne compared to the spine of any other club and that is what makes me believe without cheating the cap, that spine would not still be together, other clubs could build a team around any one of the "big 3", Melbourne have been able to retain all 3, that's where their continued success comes from and those with smart minds can make the decision as to whether they would still be there if it wasn't for the rorting

I am obviously not the only one with this view

 

[POPEYE]

40-0. It's hard to believe that players like Cronk, Slater, Folau, Inglis & J. Smith were on the wrong end of such a hiding.

Yes, irrefutable proof that Melbourne paying their players what they deserved meant sweet f**k all