It's just a simplistic view to have for people who don't really get professional team sports. The Storm have enjoyed some benefits and possibly some unfair advantages (salary cap cheating was completely wrong) but they signed a great coach which they got lucky with cause the Raiders stupidly turned him down in 2002. They poached some gun juniors from Brisbane but they still had to give these players a lot of coaching and development. Only dumbs shits think an NRL player is a finished product when they are 17. The Storm obviously have a great front office and work ethic within the club, this wasn't given to them by News or anyone. The club could have fallen into oblivion after News pulled out but they didn't, they built up their membership and sponsors and even rebuilt the team after the big 3 retired and won another premiership.
Now I feel dirty for giving that club so much praise but you're an idiot thinking the people at the club have had no role in their success.
You're arguing that News Ltd didn't provide the Storm with a front office?
Melbourne Storm were created by John Ribot, you f**ken idiot!
Remember him?
He worked for News Ltd and ran Super League.
Their first CEO was John Ribot's mate from the Broncos, Chris Johns.
A landmark moment saw the first Melbourne-based professional rugby league Club formed. This came after a significant push from former Super League boss John Ribot who founded the Victorian Club and brought Chris Johns on board as inaugural CEO.
Ribot then set about signing premiership-winning coach Chris Anderson from the Bulldogs before the pair turned their attention to the playing squad.
Storm History
www.melbournestorm.com.au
Ribot, Johns and Anderson worked with News Ltd's Super League. It's no coincidence they ended up in Melbourne.
The Storm have new owners following the sale by media outlet News Corp. The financial depth of the new owners is unknown, and only time will tell if they can make the highly successful football club a financial success. The Storm has been overspending to the tune of between $2 million and $5 million for 15 years. This shortfall has been financed by News Ltd and the amount spent by the club does not seem to be falling since the salary cap scandal in 2010.
The Storm football club spends about $20 million a year, or about $2-$4 million more than most other clubs except for the wealthy Broncos. The new consortium of owners, led by New Zealander Bart Campbell, are projecting the club will break even in five years, which is a long time to be losing money. The Storm has risen to the top of the competition by overspending; if the club has to curtail its expenses it is very difficult to see the performance on the field continuing, placing greater financial stress on the group.
amp.smh.com.au
News Ltd were taking $8m out of the game and investing it in the Storm:
News Ltd's three NRL clubs
THE $8 million News Ltd draws annually from the NRL is returned to the code via its ownership of the Melbourne Storm.
The grand finalists made a loss of $6m last year and invested a further $2m in development of the game in Victoria.
However, News Ltd's other two clubs - Broncos and Cowboys - now make a profit.
The publicly listed Broncos, owned 67 per cent by News Ltd, made profits of $2.2m and $2.3m the past two years, with minimal support from their profitable licensed club.
amp.smh.com.au
The Storm were funded for another 5 years after News Ltd sold the club. I think the sum was $30n, or close to it. To argue they rebuilt the club without assistance is bullshit.
