Playing for ZERO points?

[*Paul*]

But what if was November when this blew up? Play 2010 for nothing, or make acceptable personnel changes and soldier on?

It's an ugly business with no pretty solutions, but these pointless matches will bring more harm than good, IMO.

 

[johns_reds]

In my opinion they should have the chance to lower thier salary, if they get it under the cap and can show the NRL they have legitimately done it then they should be able to continue on once they have done that.
Until that point all points are deducted, so for example if they can get contracts renegotiated or decide let players go in the next 3 weeks then starting from week 11 they can start accumilating points, until such time they should stay on 0 pts.


** edit they also need to show that next 2-3 years they will be under the cap as well, they can't just offer players a pay cut this season then top them up next season, they have to show thier plan for the next 2-3 years that they will be staying under the cap.

 

[mickdo]

They're over the cap by $700k this year!!! There is no alternative. THEY MUST NOT MAKE THE FINALS.

 

[fightingirish69]

They're over the cap by $700k this year!!! There is no alternative. THEY MUST NOT MAKE THE FINALS.

yes at the expense of the growth of the game down here

i'm not a fan storm in the least

 

[mickdo]

yes at the expense of the growth of the game down here

So frigging what!!! The game is dead in Melbourne already. It was a waste of time in the first place.

 

[mattyVOK]

In my opinion the NRL had to ensure that the Strom did not make the finals this year, however I think they should come up with another way.

The integrity of the competition needs to be maintained and that means ensuring that the Strom try each week so that points earned/lost against them are legitimate. How this could be done is very difficult to say; a couple of ideas of my own though;

- What about stripping them of their 8 points so far and then say a further 12 points so they are on -12. There is no way they would make the finals from there but at least they are playing for 2 points each week and possibly to avoid the wooden spoon. The problem here of course is that why should any other club get the spoon?
- Another idea is to possibly dock the storm 20 points for next year with the provision being that any game won this year is 2 points added to that and if/when they win 10 games this year they will start on 0 like everyone else for next year. That would give them something to play for, at least for 10 weeks anyways. That idea is a bit left field but just a thought.

 

[gronkathon]

Players will be playing for contract value elsewhere as well I assume

 

[Pierced Soul]

The season is lost in my eyes.
As mentioned alot of times in this thread - how are Melbourne going to motivate themselvs to play this week when they walk away at the end knowing it doesent change them on the ladder.

How do other teams feel about losing to a team of cheats as well as they could sustain season ending injuries to topline players agasint a bunch of blokes who probably dont care..

What effect is it going to have on rep teams too ?

agree 100%, thsi punishment was not thought out clearly by the NRL. they're obviiously still in so they dont break their agreement with foxsports but you may as well put a group 6 team in the comp to make up the numbers. this will be the most farcial premiership in the games history -worse than the split in 97

the storm have a lot of good players whoa re going to struggl;e to perform or eb at their peak for rep games. this will especially affect qld and aus, you cant expect players like smith, inglis, cronk and slater to be running on all cylinders come game time when they've been playing menaingless matches in the elad up.

i'm also going to assume the storm wont get any more FTA games (given the games mean f**k all) and watch crowd numbers at away games drop as fans dont want to watch their team playing a nothing game

 

[fightingirish69]

So frigging what!!! The game is dead in Melbourne already. It was a waste of time in the first place.

oh the fact that numerous pubs were packed watching the grand final means it was a waste of time?

 

[mickdo]

oh the fact that numerous pubs were packed watching the grand final means it was a waste of time?

Wow. A couple of pubs had people in it. Big deal. They were probably Parra fans.

 

[redvscotty]

i'm also going to assume the storm wont get any more FTA games (given the games mean f**k all) and watch crowd numbers at away games drop as fans dont want to watch their team playing a nothing game

I agree withthe FTA sentiment, and it shouldn't be any other way. Can you imagine WIN Jubliee packed (ie sold out) with red and white, with no purple in sight. The insults and sh*t from the crowd youd be enough to break the whole melbourne team in a quivering vagina like state. A sold out crowd, only there to boo you and cheer on the 1000 tries they would let in. Ultimate humiliation.

Of course you can supplement your home ground and team colours, but the idea remains the same.

 

[myanonymoususername]

agree 100%, thsi punishment was not thought out clearly by the NRL. they're obviiously still in so they dont break their agreement with foxsports but you may as well put a group 6 team in the comp to make up the numbers. this will be the most farcial premiership in the games history -worse than the split in 97

the storm have a lot of good players whoa re going to struggl;e to perform or eb at their peak for rep games. this will especially affect qld and aus, you cant expect players like smith, inglis, cronk and slater to be running on all cylinders come game time when they've been playing menaingless matches in the elad up.

i'm also going to assume the storm wont get any more FTA games (given the games mean f**k all) and watch crowd numbers at away games drop as fans dont want to watch their team playing a nothing game

Maybe the Storm should have thought about all the possible consequences before they embarked on their cheating course?

I'm fine with the zero points punishment - the guaranteed wooden spoon is designed to humiliate the club and all associated with it for the rest of this year, and remind everyone about what they did. That's good! One of the key points of punishment is to send a message to anyone else who might be tempted to do the same things.

 

[forward pass]

They're over the cap by $700k this year!!! There is no alternative. THEY MUST NOT MAKE THE FINALS.

Totally agree - but surely they could have been docked say 20 points putting them into negative and then they can continue to play for points (provided they reduce their cap somehow) - but still won't make the finals.

At least there may have been some interest to see if they could wipe the deficit!!:lol:

 

[mickdo]

Totally agree - but surely they could have been docked say 20 points putting them into negative and then they can continue to play for points

Maybe, but you're talking about very little realistic difference in the scheme of things. It was far simpler for the NRL to say they get 0.

(provided they reduce their cap somehow)

That just isn't realistic for this year. They're over by $700k and their players all have contracts for that money! They can't just stop paying them... imagine the squealing from the players and player association

 

[Pierced Soul]

Maybe the Storm should have thought about all the possible consequences before they embarked on their cheating course?.

unfortunately the idiots at the club who have destroyed 13 years of hardwork didnt expect to be caught. and unless we know how many people were involved its hard to tarnish the whole club (which is admittedly whats happened). from the initial reports we're not tlaking about every employee and all board members being in on it, we're talking about a small number of inidividuals in key positions who have caused this problem. If the players and coaching staff knew nothing about the rort then it's not their fault, its the administrators

I'm fine with the zero points punishment - the guaranteed wooden spoon is designed to humiliate the club and all associated with it for the rest of this year, and remind everyone about what they did. That's good! One of the key points of punishment is to send a message to anyone else who might be tempted to do the same things.

i agree it needs to eb a deterrent but 2010 is now a farce. it doesnt matter who wins the comp it's a farce cos it was a 15 team comp with one team who ahd the ability to take away other teams points but not accrue any of their own.

stripping a club of its premierships and minor premierships is a pretty big deterrent cos honestly, none of us would have seen tha t coming. but dont f**k with this season - every round there will be 1 nothing game now and the only thing teams playing the storm will hope for is no injuries

 

[mickdo]

but dont f**k with this season

They're $700k over the cap THIS season! :lol:

 

[Quidgybo]

I think the no accrual penalty is the only part they got wrong. It's counter productive for Rugby League as a game going forward, especially in a frontier market. I don't think they should be allowed a reasonable chance of making the finals but to have them running around literally for nothing until March 2010 is only going to damage the fragile hold Rugby League has in Melbourne at a crucial time as a rival Rugby code is setting up their team and Soccer is expanding. I agree with all the other penalties...

* Striping premierships and minor premierships - good but largely academic.
* Replayment of prize money - definitely, it's ill gotten gains.
* Significant fine - good but probably should also count against the salary cap over a number of future years.

I still think they should have lost all points won so far this season. But rather than leaving them with nothing to play for for the remainder of 2010, I think they should not be allowed to accrue any points prior to the end of round 13 (halfway mark of the season) or until they reduce player payments for 2010 to under the salary cap - whichever comes later.

Essentially the club would not be allowed back into the premiership race until they are under the cap, they would still be penalised by lose of all points won so far and barred from earning any points for the first half of the season.

That would allow them to play the rest of the year with it actually counting and a slim chance, albeit largely theoretical, of making the finals. Given the need to win all 13 games straight, it's highly unlikely they would make the finals, thereby achieving the aim of excluding them. But in the very unlikely case they did get to 26 points and it was enough to make the finals, then it would be a spectacular feat in itself, worthy of witnessing.

Don't give them much. They don't deserve it. But at least give them some ray of light if only for the bigger picture of the game's survival in Melbourne and the negative effect its withdrawal from there would have on upcoming television negotiations.

Leigh.

 

[Smithtown]

Nothing to play for is going to be very hard psychologically.

If I were part of the Melbourne coaching staff I'de try and salvage something from the season by changing the style of play from their consistently succesful but dour arm wrestle stuff to an attack at all costs policy.

Might win them some respect from opposition fans and importantly give them a reason to go out and do it all. Hell they might even have some fun doing it as it's gonna be a long year.

 

[forward pass]

Maybe, but you're talking about very little realistic difference in the scheme of things. It was far simpler for the NRL to say they get 0.

I don't disagree - but any team who gets beaten by the Storm this year has been beaten by an illegal side. They have every right to be dirty.

They're over by $700k and their players all have contracts for that money! They can't just stop paying them...

No - but they can stop playing them.........;-)

 

[myanonymoususername]

stripping a club of its premierships and minor premierships is a pretty big deterrent cos honestly, none of us would have seen tha t coming. but dont f**k with this season - every round there will be 1 nothing game now and the only thing teams playing the storm will hope for is no injuries

The problem with that is that while their record has been expunged, the players and fans can still console themselves with "we won on the day". Making them play for no points rubs their nose in it day in and day out all this season - and gives them a trophy none of them want and will never be able to get rid off.

And its not really the case that there is a nothing game each round - the other team still has to win. I agree its a nothing game if the Storm players just pack it in and say stuff it we're not even going to try.