League legend Ray Price says Storm should return premiership trophy immediately
PARRAMATTA board member and Eels legend Ray Price has demanded the NRL trophy be rescued from Melbourne's offices and immediately returned to Sydney.
Price also threw out a challenge to the rorting Storm: Bring the trophy to Parramatta Stadium and let's play for it this Friday night.
"Why is it still in Melbourne?" Price asked yesterday.
Price's contentious comments are certain to add spice to what will be a passionate and potentially fiery grand final replay.
NRL clubs are upset that the trophy - immortalising Arthur Summons and Norm Provan - remains inside the Storm's offices at Princes Park, Carlton. Until an investigation into Melbourne's salary cap drama is complete, the NRL has no plans to return the silverware to Sydney.
"I thought it was taken off them," Price told The Daily Telegraph. "The NRL should take back the trophy. Return it to Sydney and put in the NRL headquarters.
"They won the competition with a team that was over the salary cap.
"Let's play for the trophy this Friday night. They should bring it to Sydney and put it on the sideline at Parramatta Stadium.
"Parramatta isn't playing well but at least we are under the salary cap. Melbourne should bring the trophy with them. It's not theirs any more."
Price also questioned why Melbourne are allowed to send out an illegal team each week. "They are still playing with a team that is $1 million over the salary cap," he said. "That shouldn't be happening either.
"Let's not worry about next year - they should do something about it this season. I know they can't win it or earn points, but they should still be under the cap if they want to compete in the competition. They should shed the players now."
Storm football manager Frank Ponissi said his club had no say over what was done with the trophy.
"It's not our trophy to offer - it has been stripped from us," he said. "It's not ours."
But NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley said: "We will not be putting the trophy on the sideline this Friday night. Melbourne have already been penalised for their salary cap breaches."
Asked why the trophy remained in Melbourne, Annesley said: "We have spoken to the Storm about having the trophy returned but there are a number of other pressing issues we are trying to resolve that are more important at the moment."
Eels chief executive Paul Osborne said his side had to win Friday night's match - whether the trophy was there or not.
"Ray [Price] is entitled to his opinion. He is a very passionate Eels man," Osborne said.
"But we are looking to the future, not the past.
"We have to start winning some games starting this Friday night against a very good Melbourne side."
