Time to Flick the Storm

[TinghaInMotion]

What future do you see for the game if we give up on expanding the game into Vic, SA and WA, and actually shrink our borders? We'd end up like Rugby League in the North of England - strong in a small area, but with little relevance in the rest of the nation.

Melbourne are an investment. They provide funding for the NRL in terms of sponsorship that would otherwise be unavailable. They offer a path into SA and WA, if managed effectively.

Like it or not, we need to expand in order to ensure our future. How are we to match other codes financially if our supporter base for 16 or so teams, and therefore our revenue potential, is condensed into two states? We won't be able to offer what they do for player salaries. We won't have the marketing potential, and we'll lose young kids to other sports as they get higher and higher profiles.

Think of Melbourne as your pinky finger. It may be your weakest finger on it's own, but it's possibly the most crucial finger if you want to gain a firm grip on something.

Well said!!

 

[TinghaInMotion]

OK, Here is the token Melbourne Storm fan, What a load of inbred garbage. Lets look at the FACTS. Telstra said they wouldn't sponsor the NRL without Melbourne, this is the case with alot of sponsors.

Melbourne is still making a loss but it is smaller than most Sydney clubs, imagine the day when the Tax from the Pokies comes into effect seeya Parra BYE BYE. Parra without the Leagues Club run at a loss as do ALL the NRL Clubs with the exception of Brisbane, New Zealand and Newcastle. I guess we better kick all the other NRL clubs out.

And 'we should relocate them' not kick them out some say, that is the stupidest thing, do you honestly think that Central Coast and Melbourne have anything to do with each other, the Storm tag would not keep it.

The perception of growth determines sponsorship potential, if we cut we look stupid and see ya to sponsors.

Tha facts are people who call for the Storm are the same who call for Souths to stay, HELLO hypocrisy. Don't give me the tradition, that doesn't equate to competitiveness or credibility otherwise Newtown and half the Qld Cup teams shouldd be in the NRL.

With the next TV deal the NRL wants the NRL grant to match the salary cap and I think that would put pretty much everyone above the water line. We all survive.

Ohh.. no interest in Victoria. I guess the Five hundred thousand that watched the Grandfinal who have been drawn thanks (in the most) to the Storm is no one. Vic is hard territory and it is pathetic shortsighted wimps that will bow down to the AFL who atleast along with the ARU have strong vision. The NRL seem to be developing this also, unfortunately some fans are incredibly shortsighted.

LETS GET CREDIBILITY AND GO BACK TO A NSW QLD COMP!!!! yeah that is just incredible logic

Good one!!

 

[Bozza 1980]

I know it is a fantastic hobby for Sydney to bag Melbourne and vice versa, but the constant crap about booting the Storm has got to stop!!

Traditional bases and the like have to be looked after I agree, but you don't have to do that at the expense of a developing market.

The Melbourne Storm are a vital component in the NRL becoming a relevant sporting competition in this country. If it isn't relevant to more than NSW and QLD it has no hope of getting the big sponsorship dollars and consigns itself to permanantly running a side show to the big sports in this country

 

[Front-Rower]

Apart from one person I don't see anyone else saying Melbourne should get the boot.

Melbourne have exceptional management, the two blokes who nearly killed the game.

You say Rugby League should a club in every state. Rugby Union doesn't and its still more popular in other states outside NSW, ACT and QLD.

Maybe its time to stop moaning and groaning about Channel 9 as well. They have two footy shows a week, show 2 games in prime time. If you want every other game get FOXTEL or OPTUS, its only 50 bucks a month, thats only one Saturday not spent down the pub and/or the TAB.

The real deal to having any chance of making Rugby League a national game is to showcase the National team in the other states, if that is successful then research, timing and planning should be put into the creation of the new team, not just whacking them in there and giving them a whole heap of money only to go broke within 2-3 years.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

As much as I love watching the Warriors play, why do you think Tests against NZ have become boring and lop sided on the majority of occassions? Playing virtually the same players with the same coach on a week in and week out basis is certainly going to help the Australian's with a huge advantage over them after seeing the exact style of play in the Test arena as the NRL arena.

So what do you suggest, boot the Warriors to save test football? :lol: :lol: Thats the stupidest idea ever, if you did that Leage would die in NZ with the players quickly being snapped up by the S12 or NPC and the few remaining playing in the NRL. The Kiwi test team would struggle to beat Souths within a couple of seasons. Anyway I don't think the gap between the sides is that wide, in the last four years the Kiwis have beaten the Roos on several occaisions and only copped hidings twice, certainly a comparable record to Great Britain's.
Anyway the only reason the Kiwis are currently stacked with Warriors are that the Warriors are such a strong side, up until 200 they only provided the side with a few players.
Hey how about we kick the Broncos out of the NRL to improve State of Origin? :lol: :lol:

 

[Dani]

how many threads has their been about this?
as one of the biggest one-eyed storm supporters i say GET OVER IT.
sure i respect your opinions, but if you havent realised by now, storm are growing as a club, slowly but surely, and if you cannot see that you're very ignorant. in a few years time you will be eating your words.

 

[Front-Rower]

To SpaceMonley, at least the QLD team can beat NSW, and proved that in 2001 and 2002 (although being a drawn series).

Whose to say that the NRL teams, also, aren't liable to pick up a few of the kiwi's to play in thier teams, or the english teams.

I'm not saying boot the warriors or boot the storm, I'm just saying that some research, time and playing of major games, be it State Of Origin or Tests against the poms or kiwi's need to be played in non league states and if that proves successful, a bit of time and research needs to go into the development of a rugby league team in that area.

If that all fails, how is a town or state going to support a team if they can't even get behind the national squad?????

 

[Surandy]

Rumour has it that Storm have doubled their numbers of season ticket holders compared to last year. If true this is fantastic news.

Where I work there's about 30 or 40 people and last year I was the only member. This year two other guys have signed up, admittedly it's only a three game membership, but it's a start.

As for development of the game here in Victoria, the NRL have come out and funded an additional development officer for Victoria. This shows that their intentions toward retaining Melbourne in the competition is not just lip-service.

Surandy

 

[Big Panther Cool]

The Storm should stay.

Relocate the roosters to the Central Coast instead. No one in Sydney likes them anyway, and by moving to the Central Coast, they'll have an instant supply of "juniors" :lol:

 

[Surandy]

Bah, my rumour source hasn't got a clue. The Storm has yet to match last year's number of members, let alone come close to doubling their memberships. Although given that the season kick off is still three weeks away, four weeks for the Storm, this situation no doubt will continue to improve.

Surandy

 

[Jedda]

Are there sufficient players of NRL quality available to build a successful GC or CC team which will hit the ground running rather than taking 3 or 4 years of being "easy-beats"?

Personally I'm glad that our sport expanded enough to include teams such as Melbourne and New Zealand even though I don't directly support either team.

The renewed interest in League in New Zealand has however come since the Warriors got there finances sorted and actually started fielding a competitive team, rather than the bunch of over-paid antiquated dinosaurs who they originally fielded. The fact the team is now comprised mainly of New Zealand juniors whom the general public can take some pride it, no doubt helps.

What kind of junior development is happening in Melbourne? This is an honest question as I don't know anything about the junior or development situation.

IMO though, Melbourne need to start developing kids from their own state and start introducing them into their first grade squad rather than looking outside the state. While I understand that this won't happen overnight or even the next 2 years surely the Melbourne sporting public will be more willing to support a competitive team of locals rather than a competitive team filled with "Ring-ins".

The longer Melbourne leave their own back-yard undeveloped the longer the arguement of kicking them or re-locating them from the competition will exist.

 

[1999]

I'm a storm supporter, i've grown up in penrith and been here my whole life, born and bred rugby league, been playin since under 6's, ironically i followed the dragons before hand until the joint venture tore me from the game for awhile, but then i regained interest and started supporting the storm, because they bought something unique to the game, they are not only a great asset sponsership wise and corporate wise, their on field antics and off field participation is 2nd to none, they were a bunch of half talents from other discarded clubs adn they came together in the most competitive competiton in the world, and they succeded 2 years in, by taking out the premiership, and this gained them a lot of respect amongst the rugby league world, if in 99/00 u mentioned the possible demise of the storm you would have been laughed at for quite some time, and as this new franchise its slowly but surely gaining momentum, the respect they once had for that premiership however mainly in the sydney area has died off, and people are starting once again to question melbournes viability long term in theis great game of ours, besides the fact that they won a premiership in their 2nd year showing they are more competitive than neccesary to play in the NRL, despite they are trying to develop in the hardest place in australia to develop a new sport because afl rules supreme in melbourne, and yet they still continue to grow, despite they bring in more money to the NRL than your average supporter would care to know, despite the fact they finished 5th this year which is very respectable, despite the fact that they bring meaning to the term NATIONAL rugby league, vast majoritites of people still believe the storm are a poor investment, obviously people that think this have their eyes glued shut, and cannot broaden their horizons and realise that this is infact a national game and melbourne are the fore front of this game expanding even further, even to the shores of WA possibly, Just their competiveness and record, plus funding should be sound enough reason for them to stay in the NRL, but they bring so much more to the game than that, and if they get the boot, it will be a great injustice and im sure that me aswell as every other rugby league fan would feel this way, so if they get the boot, football will indeed lose one fan here.

STORM FOREVER!

Cheers, Tim

 

[AJ]

Doctor Death is just like a buzzard waiting over a potential carcas. At the slightest hint that an NRL club's in trouble, he says axe 'em so his beloved North Sydney Bears (THE DEAD BEARS) can get back in the comp.

GET IT THRU YOUR THICK SKULL DD. THE BEARS ARE DEAD AND THEY'LL NEVER BE BACK IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM.

AJ

 

[El Diablo]

I'm a storm supporter, i've grown up in penrith and been here my whole life, born and bred rugby league, been playin since under 6's, ironically i followed the dragons before hand until the joint venture tore me from the game for awhile,

The JV tore you up but following a team with Ribot as a part of it doesn't bother you?

but then i regained interest and started supporting the storm, because they bought something unique to the game, they are not only a great asset sponsership wise and corporate wise, their on field antics and off field participation is 2nd to none,

Kearney and Bai's tackle ruining McCrackens career second to none?

Rodney Howe's on field behaviour and drug controversy never bothered you?

they were a bunch of half talents from other discarded clubs adn they came together in the most competitive competiton in the world, and they succeded 2 years in, by taking out the premiership, and this gained them a lot of respect amongst the rugby league world,

They're lucky they got first pick at these so called "half talents".

For mine the Storm have done nothing for the game and will continue to do so.

 

[Alan Shore]

What future do you see for the game if we give up on expanding the game into Vic, SA and WA, and actually shrink our borders? We'd end up like Rugby League in the North of England - strong in a small area, but with little relevance in the rest of the nation.

RL already is irrelevant to the majority of Australians :lol:

NSW, QLD and VIC are the only states that matter. NSW + QLD + ACT > 50% Australian population.

Melbourne are an investment. They provide funding for the NRL in terms of sponsorship that would otherwise be unavailable. They offer a path into SA and WA, if managed effectively.

After the Western Reds and Adeliade Rams debacles, RL will never be successful in re-entering the WA and SA markets. People in these states can't stand RL, hence the demise of previous franchises

[/quote]

It's starting to get up in WA, and SA is a shrinking state.

 

[greeneyed]

NSW and QLD and ACT = more than 50% of the population. But so much of the growth is due to southerners moving out of Victoria... so we can't imagine that this makes us in any way secure... all those Victorians in Queensland still support AFL! We have to expand to the southern States and make our own inroads there if we are to be the number 1 winter sport.

 

[xxxx!]

All this concern about "shrinking borders " ,well RL wasn't and still really isn't established in Vic .The comp has always been NSW , QLD and ACT .
Everbody is happy and the NRL boat is sailing along .The Storm can be considered as a dragging anchor .The boat wont make the Western shores with the weight of 10 Sydney teams ,but will go along merrily in it's own waters ,

 

[Anonymous]

Well at least Melbourne managed to win a premiership and that says somthing.

To me Melbourne represents the gateway to the south and west. Adelaide and Perth must be included in the future. Both cities have the people and the facilities for NRL teams. Melbourne is the key-without it there is no chance of getting into Adelaide or Perth.

I have always thought that the Warriors were a bit of a waste of space. It is the NATIONAL Rugby League after all. I think investing in Australian centres of population would have made more sense than a New Zealand one.

Just look at the Swans and the Lions. Two examples of how good somthing can be if you support it, fund it and promote it over an extended period of time. There is the potential for clubs in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to do well provided they stick with them.

 

[xxxx!]

Just how does winning Melbourne have anything to do with WA and SA ?The Storm have in no way prevented RL in WA and SA from disappearing off the general radar in these states .They've been in existance how many years ? and done what ?
Don't bring up the old Lions and Swans comparisons .Both Sydney and Brisbane have a more than century old . multi-divisional local league to build from .
WARL may produce some good junior results ,but there is no depth here ,with the senior comp totally ex-pat .

 

[Surandy]

Rugby league has been around in Victoria for something like 95 years. Unfortunately due to the dominance of aussie rules, rugby league hadn't really taken off here in Victoria until the introduction of the Melbourne Storm to a "national" competition.

Since the Storm started there has been a growing focus on rugby league at a grass roots level. The main hindrance to the further development of rugby league at the grass roots level in Victoria is due to the structure that's in place. The VRL, the NRL and Melbourne Storm need to work in tandem to advance this great game.

At a junior level there have been competive Victorian sides and the game is being played more and more in primary schools. Unfortunately the media feels threatened by rugby league and most won't assist in the promotion of the game. One sports radio personality on Wednesday criticised teachers in Victoria for "allowing" rugby league to be played in primary schools. This comment was due to a talkback caller mentioning a primary school that had won the state championship.

Fortunately the NRL sees a future in this state and is funding an additional development officer. Rugby league is a great game and even though Melbourne is majorly aussie rules mad there is still interest in Melbourne Storm from non-supporters. After every home game I get a number of AFL fans asking me how the Storm went.

Surandy