Cameron Smith’s stunning call for NRL to return Melbourne’s stripped titles

[nick87]

What’s the big issue sharks have admitted to cheating in the years leading up to the grand final win and the years after. The small window of not cheating is when they won the title

If the squad they won with was built illegally, then the stain is already there
Hypothetically you're saying the Broncos could go out this year, hand out paper bags all over the show to pay in advance for player services, and then cease payments in 2021 but have them on the books for 1/4 of their market value, which frees up space to recruit an all star line up "legally"
Well how f**king legal or fair is that? It's not

If Cronulla were systematically cheating the cap before and after 2016, then i think it's reasonable to say their squad was built and maintained illegally and they should be stripped... Now that doesnt erase the memories of Sharks fans or players, they'll always have that and im not sure if i were those people i'd give much of a f**k what the official record books say... but the record books have to reflect this, if indeed the Sharks were systematically cheating in the years leading up to and after 2016

 

[Generalzod]

Just take a look at 02:10

 

[Generalzod]

If the squad they won with was built illegally, then the stain is already there
Hypothetically you're saying the Broncos could go out this year, hand out paper bags all over the show to pay in advance for player services, and then cease payments in 2021 but have them on the books for 1/4 of their market value, which frees up space to recruit an all star line up "legally"
Well how f**king legal or fair is that? It's not

If Cronulla were systematically cheating the cap before and after 2016, then i think it's reasonable to say their squad was built and maintained illegally and they should be stripped... Now that doesnt erase the memories of Sharks fans or players, they'll always have that and im not sure if i were those people i'd give much of a f**k what the official record books say... but the record books have to reflect this, if indeed the Sharks were systematically cheating in the years leading up to and after 2016

Then you can say that about all those team that have won the premiership and have had salary cap issues including the Magnificent Raiders team of the late 80s early 90s the it’s a known fact that they where over the cap do you suggest we should take the premiership of the Raiders, thing what needs to be fixed is TP payments

 

[nick87]

Then you can say that about all those team that have won the premiership and have had salary cap issues including the Magnificent Raiders team of the late 80s early 90s the it’s a known fact that they where over the cap do you suggest we should take the premiership of the Raiders, thing what needs to be fixed is TP payments

100% you can. And should. The Raiders had their roster stripped significantly, they almost went broke because of the cap situation. They rallied from the brink of extinction and won another comp. As did the storm. Nothing to suggest the Sharks couldnt do the same.

Next question... i guess?

 

[firechild]

Just take a look at 02:10

The look on Gallop's face at 3:10 is priceless. Pretty standard Gallop though.

 

[AJB1102]

If Cronulla were systematically cheating the cap before and after 2016, then i think it's reasonable to say their squad was built and maintained illegally and they should be stripped

I think the tricky bit is that even if you add the TPAs (paid and not paid) to the cap like they should have been, we were still under.

Again its frustrating as a Sharks fan that we tried to cheat when we didn't need to.

 

[Generalzod]

I didn’t realise that one little premiership win hurt so many people...

 

[Pedge1971]

I vote yes, yeah yeah Smith is scum and I hate the storm but I wasn't even watching that hard during those years and it was pretty clear they were cheating at the time and no one at NRL HQ said anything. Give them back the titles at least so the league doesn't have a gap in the history.

So change history? Lets just give the merkin whatever he wants eh?

 

[Pedge1971]

I tend to agree - it is up to the NRL to police this better. If the NRL can't work out who is over the cap before a premiership is won then leave it. It is a farce to see gaps in the premiership record for those years. Fine the hell out of them and strip points for the next season (effectively ruining the season) if you have to, but don't strip titles - it just makes the game a laughing stock.

Smart. Then everyone does it. Not just the storm, roosters, broncos like now....

 

[AJB1102]

So change history? Lets just give the merkin whatever he wants eh?

He wasn't really watching back then so, you know, like, who cares?

 

[Pedge1971]

i have no doubt the Sharks would have copped a lot more including loss of points to start the year if this was found by the NRL, but sobbing ourselves in to the NRL is the reason we have been spared that.

Thanks Barry, we can now start fresh and know there are no ghosts in the closet.

I truely hope no other clubs have such ghosts they aren’t fessing up to

So Barry wasnt so shit as many (incl sharks fans) implied in the other thread?

 

[Miller was a legend]

So Barry wasnt so shit as many (incl sharks fans) implied in the other thread?

We know different people will have varying views on it

 

[Pedge1971]

If you think a "reasonable" average home crowd to be 12,700 in 2018 and a membership figure of 15,802 in 2018 is "reasonable" and demonstrates a strong NRL club in the middle of league heartland, either you are delusional or the NRL can't be a real national competition. Those numbers are woeful for a club in the biggest Rugby league city in the world.

Interesting you take a swipe at Storm fans for not travelling to away games-- they have to take a plane to get there, Cronulla fans are reluctant to even jump on a train a Allianz Stadium.

Cannot

We know different people will have varying views on it

Fair.

 

[simmo05]

Then you can say that about all those team that have won the premiership and have had salary cap issues including the Magnificent Raiders team of the late 80s early 90s the it’s a known fact that they where over the cap do you suggest we should take the premiership of the Raiders, thing what needs to be fixed is TP payments

Take 89 off them

 

[Knight Vision]

They rallied from the brink of extinction and won another comp. As did the storm.

as did the Bulldogs, they also won a comp 2 years after being caught cheating the cap. It proves that cheating works. They should have been made to purge the top 10 players from the roster.

 

[Westernised Panther]

I didn’t realise that one little premiership win hurt so many people...

Losing it for cheating will hurt so many more...........

 

[Generalzod]

Losing it for cheating will hurt so many more...........

Who’s losing it tell your story walking

 

[Iafeta]

Who’s losing it tell your story walking

Every premiership now is mired in suspicion. That’s the biggest legacy Cameron Smith and his merry men will leave on this game. It’s the Storm Skid Mark.

 

[Generalzod]

Every premiership now is mired in suspicion. That’s the biggest legacy Cameron Smith and his merry men will leave on this game. It’s the Storm Skid Mark.

Let’s not forget the grapple tackle, chicken wing tackle, Greco Roman wrestling, .
f**k nothing gave me pleasure when they lost last years Grand Final...

 

[Iafeta]

Well they say Bellamy is a coaching genius etc. But when you are given a roster you were never entitled to in the first place, develop wrestling techniques completely contrary to what the game should be, I think there’s doubt frankly.