Storm 'gamesmanship' angers Warriors/ Fined $10,000 by NRL

[The Colonel]

All teams are given a two minute bell before they are to be on the field.....

 

[Hanscholo]

Did any media ask Bellamy as to why this happened? It may have been a misunderstanding. Whatever i guess, there should be a hard and fast rule about it. One thing is for sure Melbourne should have been penalised in some way for it.

 

[Shorty]

All teams are given a two minute bell before they are to be on the field.....

Ok so obviously someone warned them as they had exceeded the two minutes right?
If so,it appears to me that they ran dangerously on thin ice as if it was four minutes when they came out,had they been any longer action would have been taken.

 

[shear_joy9]

play should have restarted without them.

warriors could have racked up a couple tries, that would have shown them.

also, any truth to the rumour that the storm had giant fans behind the warriors, causing them to kick out on the full 3 times?

a penalty at half-way is way to harsh for that error. Should only be a scrum

 

[Ice777]

Does anyone know officially how long the half time break is? Serious question because i've never timed it and would like to know.

 

[JB]

also, any truth to the rumour that the storm had giant fans behind the warriors, causing them to kick out on the full 3 times?

I heard they pulled out a special helium filled ball, just for the Warriors.

 

[The Colonel]

Does anyone know officially how long the half time break is? Serious question because i've never timed it and would like to know.

There isn't an offical time limit as live games generally have shortened half times if they have injuries etc in the first half that eat in to program time.

Ten minutes I believe is the average.

 

[The Colonel]

Ok so obviously someone warned them as they had exceeded the two minutes right?
If so,it appears to me that they ran dangerously on thin ice as if it was four minutes when they came out,had they been any longer action would have been taken.

The ground manager and broadcast manager would have questioned what is taking so long so I am sure there would have been a message conveyed.

 

[Timmah]

Whether or not this is even relevant I don't know but this is the ARL Rules of the game document and under timekeeping:

SECTION 7
TIMEKEEPING

Length of game
1. The game shall normally be of eighty minutes
duration.

Interval
At half time there shall be an interval of five minutes
but this may be extended or reduced.

Changing ends
2. A team shall defend one in-goal for the first half of the
game and then change ends for the second half.

End of play
3. If time expires in either half when the ball is out of
play or a player in possession has been tackled and
the ball has not been played the Referee shall
immediately blow his whistle to terminate play. If the
ball is in play when time expires, the Referee shall
terminate play when next the ball goes out of play or
a player in possession is tackled but time shall be
extended to allow a penalty kick or a kick at goal to be
taken in which case the half is terminated when next
the ball goes out of play or a tackle is effected, unless
a further penalty is awarded in which case time is
again extended for the kick to be taken.

taken from www.australianrugbyleague.com.au

 

[Danish]

I agree in part - when the ref blows time off for the first half, the clock starts. They should have 15 minutes from that point.

At the end of the 15 minutes, if one team is out there and ready, and the other team is not, a penalty should be awarded on the half way line to the non-offending team. They take the penalty when the other team gets out there.

We have a winner....

 

[Jatz Crackers]

I cant agree with allowing one team to commence play without the other team on the park. In such a competitive sport such as ours it would be seen by many as unsportsmanlike and that would only do harm to the game.

Additionally, I cant agree with docking of points as the penalty seems disproportionate to the crime.

A fine seems much more in proportion however I do see the debate in the fact that the fine doesnt necessarily provide a disencentive to repeat the offence especially if the offender is owned by the wealthy governing body.

Maybe the solution is to extend the fine concept. Make the fine substantial enough to directly effect the offenders off field activities and transfer the sum to a grass roots initiative of the club who was the opposing side on that day.

The obvious incentive is that the offending club would be direcrly assisting an opposition team if they offend but at the same time the money would not simply go to one club to use immediately to adversely effect the rest of the teams in the comp.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Just heard on the news over here that the Storm have been fined $10,000.

 

[Timmah]

You serious? :|

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.nrl.com.au/News/Latest/tabid/10244/default.aspx?id=50107

Late Storm set to cost NRL club $10,000
AAP

The NRL has fined Melbourne Storm $10,000 for twice failing to take the field on time in round one.

An NRL investigation found the Storm were more than three minutes late onto the field for the start and after half time of Monday night's game with the New Zealand Warriors at the Telstra Dome.

The fine is the largest for a breach in this area and follows a number of similar breaches by the Storm in recent years.

The NRL said managers for the Storm and Warriors were consulted prior to the match and were advised of the start time and the order in which they were to take the field.

They were advised there would be no two minute warning bell and the directions would be given verbally.

After being late for the start, the Storm were warned at half time to take to the field promptly but failed to do so.

"Getting the team onto the field of play at the scheduled time is one of the most basic responsibilities a club has on game day," said NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley.

"It's a simple matter of complying with the expectations of the opposition team, the fans and the broadcasters."

The Storm have five business days in which to lodge any submissions before the fine amount will be imposed.

 

[El Diablo]

Bellamy's act last night fooled nobody

 

[jc155776]

I hope Ryles gets a hefty suspension for this.

 

[shiznit]

there were no 2 minute bells.... why would they change it now??

doesnt change anything melb deserved the fine...

 

[The Colonel]

The NRL said managers for the Storm and Warriors were consulted prior to the match and were advised of the start time and the order in which they were to take the field.

They were advised there would be no two minute warning bell and the directions would be given verbally.

After being late for the start, the Storm were warned at half time to take to the field promptly but failed to do so.

So no excuse for the second half......

 

[KniGhTs BaTTLeR]

Biggest non-event of the year. Dead-set they waited an extra 5-6 mins in the sheds. Fine them and move on. Black and white really.

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

Well I was partly wrong, the NRL did do something.

Hmm, no I wonder if Melbourne will contest that.

'oh nobody came and told us, we didn't know.' gee that's a great excuse.