http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp.../story-e6frexnr-1225857778294?from=public_rss
THE NRL has been accused of acting too hastily and ripping the heart out of the 2010 premiership by kicking Melbourne Storm out of the competition. Pressure was mounting on chief executive David Gallop last night from all areas of the game - including broadcasters Channel Nine - to consider hearing an appeal from the Storm if the disgraced club can offload $700,000 worth of players.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal senior players, including Origin stars Anthony Watmough, Johnathan Thurston and Kurt Gidley, support Melbourne being allowed to compete for points this year if they can release players and get under the cap.
As emotional Storm coach Craig Bellamy said they would "stand and fight" and "not surrender", his beleaguered club won support from across the game.
Nine boss David Gyngell has been in contact with Gallop every day, urging him to allow the Storm to restart the premiership from zero points.
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The plan to reinstate Melbourne would work like this:
* Taking $700,000 out of their salary cap to bring the club back to what other clubs are spending;
* Pay out the contracts of three players for the remainder of the season;
* Using Brett White, Ryan Hoffman and Luke MacDougall as examples, you place them into a draft where all clubs can bid for their services. Because they are already paid by the Storm for 2010, rival NRL clubs would be invited to sign them for 2010 and for the next two years;
* Putting the Storm back to zero but allowing them to compete for competition points for the remainder of the season;
* Clubs that have already played the Storm in the opening six rounds would be given the two competition points.
NSW Origin captain Gidley says he would support the idea.
"The concept makes sense so that the week-in, week-out contests are all viable," Gidley said. "If they can get under the cap, then it would be a level playing field, so why not?"
Watmough agreed: "If they can get under the cap then I can't see why they should not be allowed to start from zero points at that time."
"Absolutely," said Thurston, "because this is not the fault of the players and they need something to play for. It is the right thing to do because most of the players are innocent of this and they need to be playing for points."
Souths star John Sutton also supported the idea of not making the Storm lame ducks for the rest of the season.
"The competition won't be the same without them," Sutton said. "They have been the benchmark team for so long. If they can somehow get under the cap, then I don't have a problem with it.
"We would like to play them and beat them knowing they are playing for something."
Even Sharks coach Ricky Stuart, who could finish with the wooden spoon if Melbourne are allowed points, gave conditional support to having them back.
"I think the game has to make a decision on how it affects the great progress rugby league has already made in Melbourne," Stuart said last night.
"I'd be very open to having Storm involved in the competition if there is a fair and reasonable way it can be done."
