The Storm: How Do They Do It?

[KniGhTs BaTTLeR]

These guys are unbelievably good and getting away with crap in the play the ball. They lie their forever and don't get penalised.

We were getting penalised left right and centre for lying on the play the ball even when it was a dominant tackle, they were just getting a role on every set because we had to get off them so quick or be penalised. They do it to so many teams. They were on us an eternity I had enough time to order a schooner and get back to my seat after 3 tackles when we had the ball. I did it when they had it and the set was over and we were on our 1st tackle. I don't blame Badger becasue they do it all the time and get away with it? HOW!!!!! :crazy:

 

[Frederick]

News Ltd is bum-buddies with Robert Finch

 

[Doctor]

These guys are unbelievably good and getting away with crap in the play the ball. They lie their forever and don't get penalised.

We were getting penalised left right and centre for lying on the play the ball even when it was a dominant tackle, they were just getting a role on every set because we had to get off them so quick or be penalised. They do it to so many teams. They were on us an eternity I had enough time to order a schooner and get back to my seat after 3 tackles when we had the ball. I did it when they had it and the set was over and we were on our 1st tackle. I don't blame Badger becasue they do it all the time and get away with it? HOW!!!!! :crazy:

They're a very well drilled team. I suspect that they know the precise limits of what they can get away with and the referees end up being quite pleased with the fact the Storm appear to listen to the advice without really doing anything to speed up the play-the-ball.

Most tellingly is their ability to play the ball off the mark, whether it's by running over the markers or by merely shifting the ball 30cm to one side, forcing the markers to realign and therefore catching them out. It's all very subtle -- especially the grapples when they're defending -- which makes them very good exponents of the rules. The problem is with the officiating -- there seems to be a blind eye turned to their unsavory tactics, perhaps because the Storm fans wouldn't understand why their team is being penalised.
It's not a good look to have a team, in grassroots territory, being penalised all the time -- all the fans who are trying to get into the game see is a sport that awards penalties too often (see Netball and indeed Rugby Union).

It's unfair to suggest the referees are in on this -- in fact I doubt it's the case at all. But you can see how all of this is beneficial to the NRL, regardless of if it's a big conspiracy. The real reason they get away with it is because they know the limits of the present rules. So did the Tigers and the Roosters during their respective successes over the last few years. Eventually the NRL will crack down on that kind of play, and the games will be opened up again. Ironically, the Storm love the open games when they have the ball, but are very good at slowing it down when they're in defence. It's very skillful, highly suspect and a blight on our game all rolled into one.

 

[KniGhTs BaTTLeR]

They're a very well drilled team. I suspect that they know the precise limits of what they can get away with and the referees end up being quite pleased with the fact the Storm appear to listen to the advice without really doing anything to speed up the play-the-ball.

Most tellingly is their ability to play the ball off the mark, whether it's by running over the markers or by merely shifting the ball 30cm to one side, forcing the markers to realign and therefore catching them out. It's all very subtle -- especially the grapples when they're defending -- which makes them very good exponents of the rules. The problem is with the officiating -- there seems to be a blind eye turned to their unsavory tactics, perhaps because the Storm fans wouldn't understand why their team is being penalised.
It's not a good look to have a team, in grassroots territory, being penalised all the time -- all the fans who are trying to get into the game see is a sport that awards penalties too often (see Netball and indeed Rugby Union).

It's unfair to suggest the referees are in on this -- in fact I doubt it's the case at all. But you can see how all of this is beneficial to the NRL, regardless of if it's a big conspiracy. The real reason they get away with it is because they know the limits of the present rules. So did the Tigers and the Roosters during their respective successes over the last few years. Eventually the NRL will crack down on that kind of play, and the games will be opened up again. Ironically, the Storm love the open games when they have the ball, but are very good at slowing it down when they're in defence. It's very skillful, highly suspect and a blight on our game all rolled into one.

There are heeps of penalties but it's never Storm on the recieving end. I don't get how the refs can miss it. It's so blatant everyone at the pub could see it.

 

[Ben]

I don't know how they get away with it week after week, but it has to be put down to them being very subtle and if you want to put it this way, skillful with what they do.

 

[Apey]

Not like it effected the game or anything, but it certainly did happen.

He missed a f**k load of should-be penalties for the Storm tonight :|

 

[Nuffy]

The movement off the mark in the play the ball is prenounced when they are going to run from dummy half and it allows the dummyhalf to get beyond the markers every time.

Tonights performance by the ref had zero consistency, that made the result even more lopsided than it could have been.

I suspect that the Storm have reached the point where the Roosters were in 02-04, at that time the entire RL world seemed to think that the Roosters were faster, stronger and better drilled than anyone else and therefore I think that when they came up from an offside position, the refs subconsciously believed that they hadn't come from a inside the 10 position, the preception became reality in the minds of officials and the Roosters got away with plenty because of it.

Now we have a crack down on grapples, so the ref goes to Melbourne knowing the scrutiny that will be on him and pings Newcastle a few times just to be seen to be even handed, the Storm downplay the grapples and proceed to go penalty free for 79.40 minutes even after completing numerous grapples during the game.

Newcastle get pinged for any number of play the ball infringements, Melbourne get away scott free all game.

Can anyone actually suggest that Melbourne didn't infringe on the rules for 60 minutes!

Of course Melbourne looked faster and stronger, they got to play the game at their pace, uptempo in attack and as slow as you like in defence. Coupled with any number of piggyback penalties down the field and the game was a foregone conclusion.

They are a good team with a great roster thats is allowed to play games at the pace that suits them by officials who seem unwilling to look beyond a superficial view of the game, surely Melbournes tactics are discussed during ref training, tonight was a exhibition in stretching the rules to breaking point with the assistance of a clueless ref.

 

[KniGhTs BaTTLeR]

Where do I sign up to be a ref?

 

[Luke Hatherley]

They won't take you, mate, you've got half a brain more then any of them.

 

[CJKnight]

They won't take you, mate, you've got half a brain more then any of them.

:lol:

 

[darkness]

I am a wrestler and the knights have two coaches who help them with there wrestling and they both help coach our class. I asked them about the storm, and they told me they are so good at controlling a player and when the ref calls movement, they can still absolutely control the player even as they start to stand to marker, hence by the time they stand up the player is still on his ass, that control is what wrestling is all about, even I can see that. John Donohue is there coach and very well known to all wrestlers, and they are contracted solely to the Storm, are not aloud to speak to anybody the media or even fellow wrestlers, thats how much Bellamy respects what they are teaching. One of the guys from our club who help the knights say the knights and probably most other teams don't really focus a great deal on that part of the game just cover it briefly and not enough to grasp it unlike the storm who do 2hrs a week on it alone( I can't say how they got that figure, thats just what he said.) as opposed to maybe 20mins if there lucky for the knights. The knights got pinned for the neck grapple as well which the storm don't do anymore, and the perception that this is what the grapple is can't be any more wrong. Maybe thats why the storm are so strong , who knows, but you put any NRL footy player against a wrestler and he will get manhandled for sure as its more technique then strength. Bellamy obviousyl saw that. They are talking about changing the rules and saying only 2 men are allowed in a tackle, well that will just favor the storm even more, there just so good at it.

 

[Rusty]

These guys are unbelievably good and getting away with crap in the play the ball. They lie their forever and don't get penalised.

We were getting penalised left right and centre for lying on the play the ball even when it was a dominant tackle, they were just getting a role on every set because we had to get off them so quick or be penalised. They do it to so many teams. They were on us an eternity I had enough time to order a schooner and get back to my seat after 3 tackles when we had the ball. I did it when they had it and the set was over and we were on our 1st tackle. I don't blame Badger becasue they do it all the time and get away with it? HOW!!!!! :crazy:

Easy, the Storm were playing at home so everytime Storm fans booed for a penalty Badger gave them one.

They played exceptional and they would with the lopsided penalty count favouring the home team.

 

[darkness]

It was a 14/3 penalty count, cause they can't hold people down without being so blatantly obvious.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Gavin Badger. Get it. You badger him enough and he will give you a penalty. It is a deadset conspiracy. They are like the Colonel Klink of rugby league, the refs. "I saw nasink!'

 

[Pika]

darkness is correct.

Lets not forget that the Storm have had wresling for over five years now.

Thats a lot of catch up for the Knights and other Clubs.

They do it well, simple as that.