Are Melbourne throwing games?

[Springs]

JEEZ you guys are sad excuses for human beings!!! not happy with all the put-downs, hate, gloating etc, etc over the past few months - now that its getting sorted you wanna find something else to lay on them. You are a bunch of half-empty glass, tunnel-visioned, bigoted sh*t-for-brains no-hopers. How does it feel to be so unhappy & disgruntled ALL the time. Give us a break FFS.

Uh... what?
Find me a sentence where I put them down, find me a post I have made that criticises the Storm. You can shut the hell up. I supported the Storm through the scandal, I even believed they should have played for points this year, I thought their players and fans were unfairly criticised. So you can shut the hell up.

 

[NorthShoreEel]

Over the history of sport, there have been plenty of examples of "fixes" - Boston Black Sox comes to mind.

It has been revealed this year, that at least one team in the NRL were cheating the system.

Money talks.

Whilst Rugby League has had issues over the years with drugs & alcohol - I am of the firm belief, that punting (on anything) is a much bigger issue. The AFL have had a few stars come out and admit it - so I am not saying that this is just in the NRL - it happens in just about every sport that you can bet on.

As I mentioned in the first post, I found Finch's inability to get out of the play the ball area, and lay instead on a player(whilst talking to them) very strange. 5th tackle, 5 metres out from the line. I just think it needs some scrutiny - and yet nothing has been said about it, in the media?

 

[Patorick]

They're trying hard, just don't have the intensity they use to. I'm sure they'll get it back over the off season though.

 

[sharko]

Maybe the NRL is becoming like the WWE, where players are like wrestlers and whisper to each other in the corner of the ring what their next few moves are going to be..maybe Finchy wa saying to the Manly bloke, I,ve given you another six now score within the next 4 tackles...gambling maybe one way of avoiding the salary cap!

 

[timka4]

Well initially I thought they would beat the various teams that they wouldn't want to make the top 8. After losing to the Eels though I thought that this may be wrong.
But down in Brooky when they lost and didn't look enthusiastic, I knew that this wasn't their plan. I just think that
1. Manly did play very good against the Storm (loved T-Rex running over Slater, good stuff)
2. They are showing up for their home games, pretty sure they have won all of their home games since the cap rort? Can't remember if Broncos was before or after.

Like Patorick said aswell, they'll be back next year, but not as strong thankfully, it was soo obvious they were over the cap, this was especially obvious over the past 3 years.

 

[Chook Norris]

I've heard this far too many time and I just can't cop that excuse. I play touch footy on a Monday night. We must be in about the 3rd or 4th lowest division - naturally none of us get paid and there is no silverware on the line and we turn up to games with a few beers in the gut half the time. But as soon as we step on that field we are all determined to win, and every other team is exactly the same.

If they can't find the motivation to win once they step onto that field, then piss off out of sport and go get a real job.

but your monday night touch team has never played for points. I think it's obvious what kind of an impact that sudden change would have on the Melb players.

 

[Paullyboy]

I don't think it's obvious at all, I think it's just excuses. If any sportsman (particularly a rugby league player) goes onto the field and doesn't have full intensity - there is a huge chance they'll end up getting hurt. All it takes is one half-hearted run and you'll get absolutely snapped.

If people were abusing me for something I didn't do (which is still being debated mind you), I'd care about one thing - shoving it back in their faces. The only way to do that would be to keep winning. I know if I was a Storm player I'd be so desperate to get more points than the team that came first so you could forever call them a Clayton's premier. As it stands this year, the Storm are just an average team and whoever wins will have the right to consider themselves the real thing.

 

[Sleep]

Their heart isn't in it. It's as clear as day. They know regardless of the result they get nothing and they're putting in accordingly.

 

[simostorm]

Ridiculous statement. They are not throwing games.

 

[Eels Dude]

I'm pretty sure players aren't allowed to bet on any games in the NRL, it'd be part of the player code of conduct thing, surely

Yeah they're not. There's nothing stopping them from giving a bag of cash to a mate in a brown paper bag though...

 

[Apey]

Their heart isn't in it. It's as clear as day. They know regardless of the result they get nothing and they're putting in accordingly.

This sums it up for me.

Physically you wouldn't notice much of a change.

Anyone who thinks the situation wouldn't have an effect on their mentality is delusional.

 

[Stormsally]

Melbourne have played some very, VERY ordinary games....which is unlike Melbourne.
Granted they arent playing for points, but have a look at the week to week games & the difference between their best & worst is as noticable as dog b@lls on a kitten.

Show me a team that hasn't had such a difference between their best and worst? Parramatta!!! Panthers !!!!! Warriors - almost all the teams. I haven't seen a lot of Dragons but they seem to be playing great or average (rather than pathetic).

Apart from the Broncos, Roosters and Mainly games we have been well and truely in the game to the last minute. If you saw the way the players ran to the scrum in the loss against the Bulldogs - you would see that they have put in the effort.

Of course it would be affecting them, especially the contract negotiations etc - not knowing who you are playing for or where you will be living has to play on your mind.

Having said that - what is the excuse for the other clubs.

Re the Finch penalty that started this thread - I got the impression that the player was hanging on to him - it was a long time in the tackle.

 

[Lambretta]

With the Storm, they're losing, but they're not losing by much

That means they're putting in effort, but when it comes to the crunch it's 1% extra efforts that can make all the difference.

For the teams playing the Storm those things matter. It's often life or death, but for the Storm there is something missing and the games are poorer because of it.

Not many people have stood up for the Storm like I have, but even I conceed that the mental battle has been largely lost and the players are going through the motions ro a degree and looking forward to next season without the threat of injury hanging over them.

 

[Dazraider]

i think melbourne do throw games as against manly they were woeful and have played awesome prior to that, the bastards would be having mates throw money on for them

 

[oxenham]

They've won 4 of their last 5 at home whilst losing their last 5 on the trot away. They are only showing up in front of their home fans and TBH who could blame them?

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

They've won 4 of their last 5 at home whilst losing their last 5 on the trot away. They are only showing up in front of their home fans and TBH who could blame them?

As much as the whole situation has affected them I don't buy that as a legit excuse for them to under perform regardless. There are still games to be played and should be played out. If they can't be bothered putting their effort or their heart into it that's fine but don't waste peoples time in the first place.

They could have very easily said they wanted to pull out but they choose to stay on play for their pride etc which is well good and fine but I'm sorry as professionals there is no excuse!

 

[stormbati]

Oh yeah like we all know how it feels.
They have also had all their achievements taken away, all their futures been up in the air until recently and who knows what's going on behind closed doors! Their families are effected too.

A lot of these guys are young men, we can't expect them to handle this sort of situation.

 

[Nightward]

I thought Brett Finch was the acknowledged biggest sledger in the game? Him having a (lengthy) word in someone's ear shouldn't be all that surprising, really...

 

[Firey_Dragon]

I've heard this far too many time and I just can't cop that excuse. I play touch footy on a Monday night. We must be in about the 3rd or 4th lowest division - naturally none of us get paid and there is no silverware on the line and we turn up to games with a few beers in the gut half the time. But as soon as we step on that field we are all determined to win, and every other team is exactly the same.

If they can't find the motivation to win once they step onto that field, then piss off out of sport and go get a real job.

There's a big difference between a local footy comp and the NRL. It's a chalk and cheese comparison. Even if you're 5% less motivated than your opposition you'll get flogged in the NRL. Adding to that... Crowds screaming at you, the media slamming you and the constant sledges you'd cop on the field. When something doesn't go your way it'd start to get pretty demoralising. I'm not saying with 100% certainty that what I'm saying is going on, but I wouldn't know, I'm not in their shoes. It'd be pretty humiliating I imagine, but it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of blokes IMO.

 

[cornerposter]

I've heard this far too many time and I just can't cop that excuse. I play touch footy on a Monday night. We must be in about the 3rd or 4th lowest division - naturally none of us get paid and there is no silverware on the line and we turn up to games with a few beers in the gut half the time. But as soon as we step on that field we are all determined to win, and every other team is exactly the same.

If they can't find the motivation to win once they step onto that field, then piss off out of sport and go get a real job.

f**k me, this is a ridiculous analogy. Even for you.