Storm player Billy Slater skips away from Andrew McCullough during the Rugby League, NRL Round 2, Brisbane Broncos v Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium, Friday March 20, 2009. Broncos won 16 - 14. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)
Thursday April 22, 2010 will now forever be remembered as the day Australia’s biggest sporting scandal was uncovered – for five years, including two premierships and three minor premierships, the Melbourne Storm had been systematically rorting the salary cap.
The NRL’s most powerful and successful club on the field over the past decade has been brought to it’s knees after the penalties handed out by the NRL against the club for the running of two separate books within the club’s administration.
They have been stripped of three minor premierships, tw premierships, fined $500,000 and ordered to pay back $1.1 million dollars in prize money. In addition to this, Craig Bellamy’s side has been stripped of all 8 premiership points earned in season 2010 and will not be able to accrue any further points for the remainder of the season.
The punishment, whilst necessary, threatens the very existence of the Storm in Melbourne.
This is a club which has done remarkably well in recent times to fit into the an AFL dominated sporting landscape where rugby league was once on the periphery. If the Storm where to fold, the NRL would be virtually back to square one in regards to their own expansion hopes.
A two state competition is hardly a ‘National’ Rugby League.
Effectively, the rest of the 2010 season is a write off for Melbourne. Their players have nothing to play for, their fans have nothing to cheer for. No premiership points can be gained, none lost.
As to how many supporters show up to their matches, it remains to be seen.
In my opinion, it is the apparent ‘innocent’ parties in this trainwreck are the ones who can save the Melbourne Storm: the players.
The nucleus of players upon which Melbourne’s now tainted dynasty was built hold the keys to the franchise’s success. Greg Inglis, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk are no longer dual premiership players, nor is Craig Bellamy a dual premiership coach.
If the likes of Slater, Inglis, Smith and Cronk and even Bellamy move onto other clubs, or even overseas, the Melbourne Storm is as good as dead.
However, if this group decides to stay together for the good of the club and their supporters, they have the potential to save the club. Now, obviously they would have to take a pay-cut, as well as depend on News Limited to keep propping them up financially.
But this would give them an opportunity to right the huge wrong which has almost wiped out the club. It would also hand them the chance as players to put their names in the record books, ‘officially’, as premiership players for the Melbourne Storm.
If the current batch of players stick by the club, so will the majority of the fans.
Chances are, if this happens, they may well survive.
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