I agree with Scarves, this is the time for cool heads and contemplation of where the game moves to from here, rather than the frantic dishing out of penalties so that the NRL can appear tough.
There is a saying that if you fail to plan you plan to fail and the NRL hasnt sat down and thought their plans through.
Yes I know that what the Storm has done is wrong. But the NRL really needed to consider the ramifications of its announcement today before it went headlong into the situation we now have.
Rugby League faces expansion into its traditional markets from a cashed up and aggressive AFL. AFL is a code that will play the long term game quite happily and is prepared to pay for it and dig in for a long drawn out conflict. Rugby League appears to be setting itself up for a fall and planning is once again at the heart of the issue.
The Melbourne Storm has been about the only positive that Rugby League can talk about as far as capturing new markets since the end of Super League. It has grown a juniors competition and with the next TV deal should be in a position where the game is shown on Free to Air down there. They have a new stadium to play out of, members have grown and the average attendances are on the increase. All positives for our code.
You can bet that this situation will reverse much of that hard work. It will take a massive concerted effort from everyone down there just for the club to stay afloat.
This situation has come to light at what can only be described as a wholly fortuitous time for the Melbourne Rebels Union team. Rugby being played in Victoria and them with no tight cap issues. An interesting turn of events for the NRL to consider I would have thought? Who did the outing of the Storm here btw?
Melbourne must have had reasons for rorting the cap in the way they did and we need to reflect a little on why they possibly took the actions they took. Growing in a hostile environment, no free to air exposure, need to highlight successes and retain the best players when their market values increase etc. Not reasons for us to ignore the issue, but reason for us to act upon it in other ways than petulance and punishement.
The AFL had similar issues for the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions and what did they do? Did the AFL make them play on a level playing field when they knew it was anything but to start with? No, they gave them salary, funding and draft concessions to enable them to build and maintain strong teams.
What did the NRL do in the light of Melbourne not having an all important juniors structure? Well, they errr made them abide to the same cap everyone else does. No favours here. Sink or swim is the call of those that are swimming fine enough themselves.
Again, we failed to put proper planning in place and it's come back to bite us. Yes the Melbourne Storm are accountable for their actions, but we have to recognise that some concessions need to be made towards them for the good of the game as whole.
Advertising all their sins in public on day one was not the answer. Stripping them of past Premierships is not the answer. We all know who won those games, lets move past it.
Today is a truly sad day for Rugby League. Not because a team cheated. Show me a team that hasnt cheated. Maybe not all in the same way or to the same degree, but no one here is innocent and some of the pathetic comments by supporters of other clubs have made me sick to the core of my being.
What is really sad for League is that we're losing a very important war and we dont even seem to realise we're even in one.
