betcats said:
Bellamys attitude is what pisses people off imo. Acting like they deserve those premierships is insulting, they cheated to get them, whethor he knew or not doesnt matter, fact is they cheated to get them so they dont count, no matter how hard they worked they still cheated.
And that's the problem.
If Melbourne win this years comp, they will deserve our recognition as the best team in the comp. Bellamy, Smith, Slater and co will expect it, and probably crap on about some vindication over the stripped comps.
But if they expect it - and expect us to be gracious - that would be hypocritical and arrogant, because they never paid the compliment back to us in kind when they were found out. They still hung on to the emotional territory that comes with wining comps. As a Parra fan it would be wrong of us to claim a de-facto premiership from their disqualification in 09, but f*ck me their entire club crapped themselves in the back end of that GF when Eric Grothe Jnr and Fui Fui Moi Moi ploughed over the top of them to get us back within 6. Apart from game day platitudes, Melbourne never acknowledged what they robbed from us that day by their cheating, or Manly in 07, or anyone else - they also just beat us in the prelim final of 07 too.
Canterbury were more complicit, and got on with things. Folkes, Mortimer, Peponis, Price or Mason never campaigned against the verdict, and when they won their comp, while there was a whiff of an illegally assembled side, the Dogs never rubbed anyone's nose in it, and we were free to congratulate them and drop the subject - some internet banter aside.
The club caused the game a massive wound, which can only heal if they grow up and shut the f*ck up whenever someone gives them the opportunity to do so.
But if they wont, we cant expect their dumber fans to. It must be a real bitch to their decent supporters who have elected to do the right thing and let it go - waiting for the rest to catch on.