It might be a "fact of life" that "all have players from other areas", but all these clubs don't have ALL their players from other areas. How many VRL players are in the Storm 1st Grade side every week? One? Or is it two? That many? The introduction of Melbourne in to the comp seemed like a great move, at the time (I thought so, anyway) as it brought RL to victoria, in 1st grade exposure. But the positives of Melbourne, as they appeared in the the late 90's, have been more than offset by the negatives. The Storm sucks too much money from the comp, and has consistently brought truly negative play to the game to be worth the experiment.
Don't get this wrong, Vic RL fans are fantastic, more power to them. But the Storm are just not cost effective to the game. They simply cost the NRL too damn much, and bring not nearly enough back to the game- not "The Storm", the GAME. If the fans could be as "passionate" about the junior club comp, as they appear to be about News Ltd Storm, then maybe it would be worth it.
Where is all that money from the NRL going? The supposed "great inroads into Vic" aren't that great, when one examines the balance sheet, and considers the improvements that could be made, with that money, to existing junior bases, and future potential, where talent and support would flow freely. Nine juniors are in the Storm under 20's? How many of these guys are going to actually end up in the Storm 1st grade roster? Another 1 or 2?
It's been 10 years. The Storm should be fielding a majority of locals by now (and taking the results as they come, even if it means missing the 8), not draining the pool from Qld and NSW. There are only a dozen junior RL clubs spread across the entire of Vic. The under 16's comp for VJRL 2008, consisted of only 6 teams. The acheivement of the Melbourne franchise, and Vic RL, by any normal club standard, could be considered a success. But it isn't a normal club. It is News Ltd's special baby.
I suspect that Vic has hit the ceiling in expanding league where it really counts, junior level. Vic/Storm is about where I had hoped they would be by now, after introduction in 98. The finals/GF appearences are above expectations. But that expectation was based upon Melbourne either standing alone as a franchise, OR fielding a hell of a lot more locals, than what they have.
For the disproportionate amount of money that Storm takes, from the NRL, Victoria should be producing it's OWN players. No, 10 years is not a "long time". But for the $$$, it is plenty. If the NRL has to pour so much into Vic, then put it into the junior comp, and quit propping up another Qld team based in Melbourne.
