Melbourne Storm all the rage

[broncos_warriors_storm]

Storm all the rage

Herald Sun

Friday, 5 March 2010







HAVING confirmed its status as the best club in the world, Melbourne Storm is confident it can successfully defend its NRL title, and its rivals are quick to agree.

© Melbourne Storm
Hoffman says the Club's preparations were the key to the World Club Challenge win

After winning the world crown against Leeds on Monday, 12 of the 16 NRL club captains named Storm as the "team to beat in 2010".
It is some form of belated recognition for Melbourne after four straight grand final appearances.
In a captain's poll before last season no skipper picked Storm to reach the grand final.
With coach Craig Bellamy and captain Cameron Smith saying the squad was better placed than at the same stage last year, punters are betting Storm could make it five in a row.
More than 10 per cent of premiership betting has been on Melbourne - up from 2 per cent at the same time last year - and $10,000 was plonked on Storm for the minor premiership, TAB Sportsbets' equal largest NRL wager this year.
"The reason there was a lack of money last year was because of the players leaving and the fact they came off a 40-0 grand final thrashing," TAB Sportsbet's Glenn Munsie said yesterday.
"This year they won the grand final, and the World Club Challenge, and kept most of their stars and that $10,000 to be minor premiers was a real show of confidence."
The players resumed training yesterday after returning from England on Wednesday and back-rower Ryan Hoffman said everyone had readjusted to time zones and temperatures.
Storm played in Leeds in 1C and rain. Yesterday it was 32C.
"All the work we did in pre-season really came to the fore (against Leeds) because we didn't feel like we hadn't played together," Hoffman said.
"We'd drilled so well during training it felt like the second or third game, but it was the first. That's the most pleasing aspect."
Hoffman said the players would hit the ground running in Round 1,despite their arduous travel schedule.



http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.aspx?s=article-display&id=23105&storm-all-the-rage

 

[Perth Red]

"Hoffman said the players would hit the ground running in Round 1,despite their arduous travel schedule."

What's so arduous? I travel around the world regularly. You go to the airport, sit on a plane for a few hours and get off. couple of days to orientate to time and bobs your uncle. Hardly tough!

 

[Canard]

"Hoffman said the players would hit the ground running in Round 1,despite their arduous travel schedule."

What's so arduous? I travel around the world regularly. You go to the airport, sit on a plane for a few hours and get off. couple of days to orientate to time and bobs your uncle. Hardly tough!

I think he means despite them going on a 3 day bender at the Church and Temple walkie.

 

[MSIH]

How are the Broncos and Warriors shaping up?

 

[Loudstrat]

Painfully close to an infomercial. Of course they are in the frame but the last time I looked they were not favorites.

 

[kia ora storm]

"Hoffman said the players would hit the ground running in Round 1,despite their arduous travel schedule."

What's so arduous? I travel around the world regularly. You go to the airport, sit on a plane for a few hours and get off. couple of days to orientate to time and bobs your uncle. Hardly tough!

Agree...a day to sleep off the travel and then back into it.

 

[innsaneink]

Thought this was about something else:
Storm brings chaos to Melbourne


http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/storm-brings-chaos-to-melbourne-20100306-ppm4.html

 

[Non Terminator]

Happens every year. Blah blah.

 

[big_matt]

Yea I saw this article in the paper and its a bit of a cheesy hype piece, but I do think we'll be better than last season for the following reasons:

1) We have a settled halves pairing. The first 8 games last year we were all over the place trying to use Maloney etc in there.
2) The young guys like Tolman have had a full season and finals experience and I expect big things from them this season
3) Quinn is back which gives us stability on that wing. Tomane was horrendous in defense last year
4) Sika Manu is back who is arguably our best forward.
5) New stadium with much better facilities for the players in terms of recovery, weights etc.
6) Awesome toyota cup players coming through
like Duffie
Overall before last season I didn't really know what to expect from the team but this year I have big expectations again.

 

[Perth Red]

Given how well Melbournes jnrs and under 20's are travelling they look good for a fair few years to come yet!

 

[beads6]

If Injuries finally strike some of Melbournes big stars you can say good night to there finals chances!!

 

[Evenflow]

If Injuries finally strike some of Melbournes big stars you can say good night to there finals chances!!

Blah blah blah we keep hearing the same thing every year. It's pretty pathetic people people have to wait for injuries to think that's the only reason why the Mexicans will finally be knocked off their perch.......good luck with that :lol:

 

[beads6]

Blah blah blah we keep hearing the same thing every year. It's pretty pathetic people people have to wait for injuries to think that's the only reason why the Mexicans will finally be knocked off their perch.......good luck with that :lol:

hahaha DOuche!! Storm have not been withouth any of there key position players for 5 years they have been seriously lucky with Injuries. If other clubs had the same luck I doubt the Storm would have been as succesful!

 

[Evenflow]

But but but, if if if.......If's but's and maybe's dont win comp halfwit.


Could you please let us know the unlucky major injuries other teams have had which would've won them the comp if they hadn't had them?

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

"Hoffman said the players would hit the ground running in Round 1,despite their arduous travel schedule."

What's so arduous? I travel around the world regularly. You go to the airport, sit on a plane for a few hours and get off. couple of days to orientate to time and bobs your uncle. Hardly tough!

Dumbest comment i have read in a long time.. You can't compare travelling and sitting in an office to travelling and playing professional sport.

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

If Injuries finally strike some of Melbournes big stars you can say good night to there finals chances!!

Unlike other teams who can afford to lost their best players and still compete.. Is this a genius competition in this thread?

 

[kia ora storm]

Given how well Melbournes jnrs and under 20's are travelling they look good for a fair few years to come yet!

Wait for the trolls to start the old "but they are not from Victoria" dribble...

 

[stormbati]

I think the Storm will start slow, a few losses probably and gain momentum around their new stadium opening when most/all players are back.

Injury list
Cooper Cronk, Todd Lowrie, Sika Manu, Brett White, Ryan Tandy, John Kite, Chase Stanley, all in the top 17 maybe apart from Kite.

 

[Evenflow]

Unlike other teams who can afford to lost their best players and still compete.. Is this a genius competition in this thread?

Any thread that Beads chooses to post in always runs the risk of turning into one of those. His mental ineptness only rivals the likes of Gaba and Loudstrat around here. There's your 3 stooges right there.

 

[big_matt]

hahaha DOuche!! Storm have not been withouth any of there key position players for 5 years they have been seriously lucky with Injuries. If other clubs had the same luck I doubt the Storm would have been as succesful!

is that apart from missing cam smith for the finals 2 years ago? Or having no established five eighth fir the first 8 weeks last season? Or when cronk misses first 5 rounds of this season? Last year we lost quinn, manu (our best forward arguably), GI for a while, cross, proctor etc. Every team has injuries, and we had more regulars missing than the eels in the gf.

Excuses excuses excuses.