Melbourne must still be cheating the cap

[Hutty1986]

4 Players all of a sudden succumbing to injury on game day despite being named a week earlier with no hint of those supposed injuries would seem to indicate they were rested.

Do you reckon the Storm intentionally let in the first 18 points so it would be less obvious they are certainties for the 2011 premiership?

 

[kia ora storm]

Do you reckon the Storm intentionally let in the first 18 points so it would be less obvious they are certainties for the 2011 premiership?

Yes...makes it more fun.

 

[Apey]

They were just practising for when they vs the Dragons

 

[Hutty1986]

Yes...makes it more fun.

Well the cat is out of the bag now!

 

[POPEYE]

Well the cat is out of the bag now!

The Storm are not playing as well as the media like to pretend.

If a team beats them in the 'finals' the media will step up and say things like 'Storm fails to live up to expectation' or other ridiculous assertions.

All it's going to take to beat the Storm is play like the Warriors can. It's not easy for the Warriors to replicate let alone other teams but the game plan is there for all to see.

Manly are more than capable of doing the 'Warriors' thing and possibly a full strength Cowboys, but it will have to be an extraordinary effort from the others

 

[kia ora storm]

Well the cat is out of the bag now!

We will give you 24 points plus a Soward field goal...

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

The Storm are not playing as well as the media like to pretend.

If a team beats them in the 'finals' the media will step up and say things like 'Storm fails to live up to expectation' or other ridiculous assertions.

All it's going to take to beat the Storm is play like the Warriors can. It's not easy for the Warriors to replicate let alone other teams but the game plan is there for all to see.

Manly are more than capable of doing the 'Warriors' thing and possibly a full strength Cowboys, but it will have to be an extraordinary effort from the others

I concur, but they're still winning and thats good for the rest of the comp. All the spotlight is now on them.

Good luck to em. They're gutsy and thats all you can really ask for.

Grubs to a just about a man, but a gutsy mob of grubs in relation to winning games.

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

We will give you 24 points plus a Soward field goal...

:lol::lol:

Thats not enough for us at the moment.

 

[user_nat]

The Storm are not playing as well as the media like to pretend.

I don't know.. They played pretty well against us. Zero errors in 40mins is always good.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

Look we won the WCC without C.Cronk and an injured Inglis who was a passenger that night against Leeds.

 

[eozsmiles]

The Storm are the equivalent of GWS and the Gold Coast in the GAFL. They have basically had a salary cap exemption for the last 4 years and now get to maintain the relationships with those young players they nabbed through advantage (Slater, Cronk, Smith, etc). Those guys are rich now and have less interest in the market for their services.

Billy Slater was on a $600k a year deal (illegally) and has signed a new long term contract for $400k a year. How many of the games elite sign a deal worth 33% a year less than their current deal at age 28? When they have only improved their status in the game sinced they signed their last deal?


Anyone? There is a prize if you can name one.................

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

eoz,

Just because you spend the most it doesn't mean you will win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at the NY Yankees, and soccer, I don't consider it a sport, but look at Madrid, they spend more than anyone yet they don't win much. It's Cameron Smith anyway that makes the difference, if he was playing for the Eels on Monday, they would have won.

 

[kia ora storm]

:lol::lol:

Thats not enough for us at the moment.

How about 30 points and 3 Soward field goals to give you that buffer...

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

How about 30 points and 3 Soward field goals to give you that buffer...

OK. I'll take that.

How much we betting?

I'll be down for the game. You arrange for someone to hold the coin and winner takes all.

Can meet you and the holder at the gate.

 

[azza29]

The Storm are the equivalent of GWS and the Gold Coast in the GAFL. They have basically had a salary cap exemption for the last 4 years and now get to maintain the relationships with those young players they nabbed through advantage (Slater, Cronk, Smith, etc). Those guys are rich now and have less interest in the market for their services.

They've also lost a lot of key players and replaced and trained rejects from other clubs to build this year's team. Smith/Slater/Cronk are all great players in their own right, but you need more than three players to win a game.

 

[westcorridor]

hmmmm tough issue

 

[POPEYE]

I think I can just about call it quits with this thread. I will say in parting that if the Storm had poached champion players from another team

even without the salary cap debacle I would never have supported them or their coach

 

[eozsmiles]

eoz,

Just because you spend the most it doesn't mean you will win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at the NY Yankees, and soccer, I don't consider it a sport, but look at Madrid, they spend more than anyone yet they don't win much. It's Cameron Smith anyway that makes the difference, if he was playing for the Eels on Monday, they would have won.

True, but it generally helps. It's no surprise that in Australian sport the clubs that have been successful in recent years have had plenty of cabbage to spend both on and off the field. Manly were broke and running near the bottom, got some cash and won the comp. Wests and Illawarra were broke, merged and got cash, won the comp. Have a look at Collingwood, they have more money than they can jump over, won the comp last year and $1.90 to win it this year. Money helps no end, otherwise clubs wouldn't complain that they have none.
The Yankees are thereabouts every year. The dollars talk big time.

 

[bottle]

eoz,

Just because you spend the most it doesn't mean you will win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at the NY Yankees, and soccer, I don't consider it a sport, but look at Madrid, they spend more than anyone yet they don't win much. It's Cameron Smith anyway that makes the difference, if he was playing for the Eels on Monday, they would have won.

So why bother cheating? Doesn't make sense. Seems the Cheats management don't agree with you.
It was cheating money that kept Smith at the Storm. If they hadn't offered him a second subversive amount he'd be at the Titans now, and they'd be in better shape.

 

[eozsmiles]

They've also lost a lot of key players and replaced and trained rejects from other clubs to build this year's team. Smith/Slater/Cronk are all great players in their own right, but you need more than three players to win a game.

Well known since the salary cap came into affect that teams missing their two most influential players virtually can't win. In the last 3-4 years this theory has become more refined. The salary cap has really kicked in properly now and a successful team's fortunes are nearly always decided by their spine. The teams that have their dominant and experienced players in the spine are at the top of the ladder - Storm, Manly, Melbourne, Cowboys, Broncos. Teams with their best players elsewhere like Souths and Cronulla are outside the top 8. Since these spine players have so much influence then it makes a bigger difference when they are gone.


Someone said that if Smith played for Parra the result would've been different on Monday. Probably right. The thread is called "Melbourne must still be cheating the cap". They aren't cheating but they are reaping the rewards of their previous cheating. I like a strong team in Melbourne but I'd rather they got there through salary cap concessions or something instead of by being dodgy.