Can Melbourne Seriously Be Stopped in 2012?

[wibble]

Storm are definitely the team to beat, and look very likely to top 4, which gives them a real shot at the premiership. They are a very consistent side, but like the Dragons at their best in recent years, they are hardly ever out of a match when being outplayed, but are also often not too far in front when they are dominating (which allows teams to come back, like NZ last year). Though against some weak opposition this year they have put the game away at the end, which is no doubt pleasing for their coaching staff.

Manly looked as good and then lost Stewart, Matai, Williams, Lyon and now maybe Foran. They are still tough, but this shows all teams are an unlucky run away from a few losses. That is why it is important to get competition points when you are playing well with a full roster, and the Storm have done that.

Plenty of season left, and they will no doubt lose some matches this year. But they are looking good so far.

 

[StormHi]

Storm are definitely the team to beat, and look very likely to top 4, which gives them a real shot at the premiership. They are a very consistent side, but like the Dragons at their best in recent years, they are hardly ever out of a match when being outplayed, but are also often not too far in front when they are dominating (which allows teams to come back, like NZ last year). Though against some weak opposition this year they have put the game away at the end, which is no doubt pleasing for their coaching staff.

Manly looked as good and then lost Stewart, Matai, Williams, Lyon and now maybe Foran. They are still tough, but this shows all teams are an unlucky run away from a few losses. That is why it is important to get competition points when you are playing well with a full roster, and the Storm have done that.

Plenty of season left, and they will no doubt lose some matches this year. But they are looking good so far.

Good insightful post...... Maybe you could give some posting lessons to Dunniesman and Doggiesbro...... Although I doubt anything will stick..... :roll:

 

[wibble]

Good insightful post...... Maybe you could give some posting lessons to Dunniesman and Doggiesbro...... Although I doubt anything will stick..... :roll:

Thanks.

I don't need to tell Storm fans that a year of consistent form and great play can be undone by misfortune at the wrong moment- '06 GF (string of bad calls), '08 GF (Smith out) and having their premierships stripped when everything clicked in the GF (could have been any club- many dodgy club officials out there).

The players and coaches are doing all they can at the moment, and the fans have to hope it is enough to carry them through rough patches (all seasons have them) and to a premiership.

I think the OP is really part of the whole Storm vs rest of NRL niggle that develop here on LU, but the honest assessment after round 5 really has to be: the Storm are playing the best of any team at the moment, they look capable of winning, and it is too early to say they are "unstoppable" (I'd say you need to be up by 20 with 10 minutes left in the GF to be unstoppable).

And flame away if you need to, but I like Bunniesman and DoggiesBro. They have lots of passion for their teams, and that is part of what makes league so great. I'm also a little jealous of Bunniesman's relentless optimism. Plus we all get plenty of LOLs from their extraordinarily one eyed opinions. If you allow for their Red and Green or Blue and White coloured glasses, sometimes they have good insights as dedicated and long time fans of two great old clubs. And sometimes they just wade into every troll booth around, and that is funny too.

 

[Spanner in the works]

I hope they go on to win the lot. They'll be called cheats again for it, but revenge is oh so sweet.

 

[Loudstrat]

*Bump* Smashed one of the "Heavyweights" of the comp, Spine now has 24 try assists and 14 tries between them in 5 games, still think were not the best 1, 6, 7, 9 in history? LOL@LUW***ERS!

Best spine in history? How f*cking old are you? Im not so certain that its even the best spine in the comp - and if it is its on the back of Slaters sparkling form against some comp nuffies. The Manly spine is a damn good one. Besides, that great spine had to smash a salary cap and get a dodgey penalty to scape over a spine that contained Robson, Mortimer and Kingston!

The 4 truly great sides I have seen - Easts in 75, Parra 81-83, Canterbury 84-86 and Canberra 89-94 had better spines.

BTW, your original stat says more about how crap the rest of your side is - considering the other gun sides would spread the workload around. And claiming the best of all time after 5 rounds - :lol: - we were going to go winless all year last week.........

Get over the Dogs, Dragons, Manly, NZ and Broncos first. And us.

 

[StormHi]

Broncos manly dragons No problems NZ gives me pause for alarm and the dogs well Im just waiting for reality to set in and for them to crash and burn hehe

Loudy Your team is a bunch of baboozled Nuffies

 

[kia ora storm]

Storm have certainly started well but it is the back end of the season that counts..injuries, close losses etc will occur and Bellamy will be aware of the fact that we got rolled by larger forward packs in crucial games last year.

I just think that we may be one or short of large props to take the pressure off Ryles, Norrie and Bromwich in the big games.

Time will tell..

 

[Loudstrat]

Broncos manly dragons No problems NZ gives me pause for alarm and the dogs well Im just waiting for reality to set in and for them to crash and burn hehe

Loudy Your team is a bunch of baboozled Nuffies

Ahh the old "I cant win this argument so I'll bag your team" tactic.

I could probably name one spine from each club's history that would crap on yours. Even lol@souffs. And they would all be legal too.

 

[afinalsin666]

I could probably name one spine from each club's history that would crap on yours. Even lol@souffs. And they would all be legal too.

Not being a smartass, but... Do it. Always interested in history, and you seem well versed.

 

[POPEYE]

Ahh the old "I cant win this argument so I'll bag your team" tactic.

I could probably name one spine from each club's history that would crap on yours. Even lol@souffs. And they would all be legal too.

Can't argue with you there L'mouth . . . when it comes to crap you're king of the kids

 

[AlwaysGreen]

I hope they go on to win the lot. They'll be called cheats again for it, but revenge is oh so sweet.

Revenge? You usually only take vengeance when you've been wronged.

 

[Rhino_NQ]

Everyone looks to the big 3 when the storm are doing well and although Slater has had the best start to a season i've from any player in recent history alot of success has been due to getting the best out of the mid range players and squad fillers. The differences in the likes of Waqa, Norrie, Hinchcliffe etc from their previous club(s) to now is pretty substantial

 

[Nice Beaver]

I hope they go on to win the lot. They'll be called cheats again for it, but revenge is oh so sweet.

Revenge????:crazy::crazy:

They cheated the cap and got caught. How the f*ck are they exacting revenge by winning the comp??:roll::roll: Nothing they do changes the fact they cheated in previous years.

 

[POPEYE]

Revenge? You usually only take vengeance when you've been wronged.

All those years in tertiary are finally paying off. Now you're beginning to understand 'all is not as it seems'.

Next we can work on 'deja vu' and 'que sera sera'

 

[POPEYE]

Everyone looks to the big 3 when the storm are doing well and although Slater has had the best start to a season i've from any player in recent history alot of success has been due to getting the best out of the mid range players and squad fillers. The differences in the likes of Waqa, Norrie, Hinchcliffe etc from their previous club(s) to now is pretty substantial

Give the man the pick of the top shelf. All a club needs is 3 superstars, a great coach and the guts to give ordinary footballers a chance to show their wares

 

[Ozzy]

All those years in tertiary are finally paying off. Now you're beginning to understand 'all is not as it seems'.

Next we can work on 'deja vu' and 'que sera sera'

AG is saying that the Storm has nothing to have revenge about.

 

[betcats]

Dw pops is just fishing, you've just become another yabbie to be notched onto his redneck belt.

 

[POPEYE]

AG is saying that the Storm has nothing to have revenge about.

Gee Oz, I didn't realise. Maybe I should build another hot rod and let the cops take it from me and give it to AG because he can't build one of his own. Then I could sit back and watch him win shows he didn't deserve and brag about how good it is.

Knowing me I'd more than likely break into his sty one night and burn the f**kin thing to the ground. Better still I'd booby trap all the important parts so that when he tried to drive it they'd fall apart.

Revenge is sweet

 

[POPEYE]

Dw pops is just fishing, you've just become another yabbie to be notched onto his redneck belt.

And you sir prove yourself less significant every day . . . just something to trip over

 

[betcats]

And you sir prove yourself less significant every day . . . just something to trip over

Oh no you've just ruined my day, i will be crying myself to sleep tonight.