State of Origin robbing Storm of their players
Roar Rookie By doubledutch, 16 Jun 2012 doubledutch is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- Billy Slater, Melbourne Storm, NRL, Rugby League, State Of Origin
Mercurial Billy Slater for the Melbourne Storm in the NRL (Image: AAP)
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Can just one Origin fan justify losing Billy Slater to us Storm fans? Since moving to the beautiful city of Sydney five years ago, I have done my best to get into the league spirit and culture.
I follow pretty much every sport, but growing up in Melbourne leads you down a very different sporting path to that of Sydney folk.
I have been to a dozen Tigers matches at Leichhardt oval, despite being an avid fan of the Storm. I live in the inner west so this is my local team, and I must say I do love watching the Tigers, in particular Benji Marshall.
I went to the 2009 grand final, seeing my beloved Storm win the premiership, only to have it and their 2007 premiership stripped because of salary cap breaches. All of this I can handle – just!
What I can’t handle and perhaps never will is seeing one of our players representing a state which I have no interest in, risking it all when it is the Storm who are paying a vast amount of Slater’s yearly wage. It is the Storm along with all their fans which have to watch their star players risk everything with no reward for them whatsoever.
I can’t think of one competition in the world which asks this of their clubs and fans. I really can’t, so I want someone here to justify to me why I as a Melbournian (who is trying so hard to love this game in a foreign city), should care about NSW and Queensland potentially destroying the one thing I am interested in; the NRL premiership!
How is it you can have a code which has the pinnacle of its season culminating in a three match series disrupting a third of the NATIONAL competition which represents only two states?
Billy Slater, Copper Cronk and Cameron Smith were all out prior to game one, along with game two. The Tigers defeated the Storm last week while the Storm was deprived of probably the three finest players in their respective positions in the land. The Tigers were only asked to release their captain, since their best player in Benji Marshall is not eligible, thus giving the Tigers a significant advantage.
Excuse me for saying, but this is just rubbish! I am furious and I have left it a few days before writing this article to let my emotions settle somewhat.
Billy Slater has been ruled out with a PCL injury, which in all likelihood will rule him out for four to six weeks. He has no chance to run on it, which means it will take most likely a further two or three weeks to get back to match fitness.
I can tell you now, if you do not find yourself in the top four under the new finals system, you will most likely have no chance of winning the premiership. If the Storm continue to drop games because of this Origin series and more players become injured, this seriously jeopardises their ability to challenge for the premiership.
The argument that all teams have the same issue does not hold weight, so I don’t want to hear it. Most teams are in NSW and Queensland, so if you people want your players risking themselves for a cause you love so be it.
Us Melbournians don’t and I personally can’t wait for the day the Storm refuse to release their players to a state we care nothing for.
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- Explore:
- Billy Slater, Melbourne Storm, NRL, Rugby League, State Of Origin
June 16th 2012 @ 1:57am
llieno said | June 16th 2012 @ 1:57am | Report comment
I can see where you’re coming from posing the argument that if Slater were never involved in this game then he wouldn’t have been injured, but injuries are a fact of life in professional sport. Hell, even when professional sport isn’t involved they’re a fact of life. Ask David Kidwell when he tore his ACL trying to avoid falling on his daughter or that Canberra player who injured himself on a trampoline. If Slater wasn’t playing in this game then it could well have been the game this weekend or the one after that, who knows?
Unfortunately, until Melbourne start producing their own talent your angst will continue. I can’t speak for the Storm players but it appears they are willing participants and noone is forcing them to play.
I was disappointed last year when my team lost Thurston, virtually killing any chances we might have had for a top four berth, but the prognosis was that the injury wasn’t as serious as first thought and he would come back before the season was out. I don’t want to get rid of state of origin, nor do the players and I think that’s just what we have to deal with.
I think just be grateful he will be back in four to six weeks to lead your finals charge.
June 16th 2012 @ 2:36am
jdubya said | June 16th 2012 @ 2:36am | Report comment
Origin is on another level, it dwarfs the NRL massively. Us fans just have to put up with the negatives and appreciate that we have something as unique and amazing as Origin.
It will be a must watch international sporting event in the near future, up there with the Ashes and Lions test matches.
June 16th 2012 @ 1:18pm
Calcio said | June 16th 2012 @ 1:18pm | Report comment
Lions test matches? In rugby union?
Please.
June 17th 2012 @ 7:14pm
Mantis said | June 17th 2012 @ 7:14pm | Report comment
What is going to happen ‘in a few years’ to make it any better then it is now?it is good, but a must watch international sporting event is a bit of an overstatement
June 16th 2012 @ 4:15am
peeeko said | June 16th 2012 @ 4:15am | Report comment
maybe you should ask the players if they want to play origin? how many players would go to the storm if they knew they couldnt play origin? this happens to all clubs mate and the storm get the best deal with regards to byes ie they only miss their players for 1 game, other clubs dont getting any byes the week before origin
June 16th 2012 @ 4:16am
peeeko said | June 16th 2012 @ 4:16am | Report comment
you also stated that they were missing before game 1 – i think you will find that Melbourne had a bye
June 16th 2012 @ 4:21am
NSWelshman said | June 16th 2012 @ 4:21am | Report comment
Poor Storm………..what about all the other teams who have players missing because of Origin duty. The Seaeagles have had Brett Stewart, Glen Stewart, Anthony Watmough, Tony Williams, Jamie Buhrer all out because of Origin……….are they complaining? NO! So stop your whingeing!!
June 16th 2012 @ 5:18am
steve b said | June 16th 2012 @ 5:18am | Report comment
DoubleD you’ll just have to cop it sweet and keep supporting ,,because its not going to change..The players love it the fans love it and the t.v network make a fortune SOO is here to stay,,,oh and poor Billy he comes From QLD he cares about his state even if you dont ..And im sure if you could ask any player do you want to be part of SOO the answer will be yes …So maybe you need to change sports i hear AFL is looking for supporters out west !!!!
June 16th 2012 @ 8:47am
Cameron said | June 16th 2012 @ 8:47am | Report comment
“And im sure if you could ask any player do you want to be part of SOO the answer will be yes”
But how do the clubs feel about it? after all, having their players involved in SOO contributes nothing to their club winning the premiership. No club official is prepared to say so publicly, but you reckon clubs wouldn’t have a few misgivnigs having their players playing in a game where they can get injured, then jeopardise their clubs chances at a premiership?
June 16th 2012 @ 9:39am
steve b said | June 16th 2012 @ 9:39am | Report comment
Cameron your right the clubs hate it and so do a lot of coaches ,,but mate whats the answer ? their is argument for it to be a stand alone weekend , or play it in a 2 game series one at the start of the season one at the end after grand final,,no one has come up with a viable solution to the problem ..your argument is supported by many ,, have you got the answer ?
June 16th 2012 @ 10:36am
Cameron said | June 16th 2012 @ 10:36am | Report comment
No, quite frankly. I don’t. There are no workable solutions that I can see that would satisfy all parties, so I think the status quo will remain.
June 16th 2012 @ 11:08am
steve b said | June 16th 2012 @ 11:08am | Report comment
Spot on Cameron , until they come up with somthing that goes close to pleasing the majority it will stay the same., I personally would like to see it on three stand alone weekends ,,with maybe Tonga v N.G or under 20S SOO, on as a curtain raiser,,but this would mean extending the season by three weeks.., Their are alot ideas floating around out their lets just hope the new commish have a few of their own ..
June 17th 2012 @ 7:25pm
Mantis said | June 17th 2012 @ 7:25pm | Report comment
Between missing players in SOO, the placing of byes and an uneven playing schedule (i.e. playing some teams but not all teams twice), the NRL is fairer to some teams than others. SOO should be on stand alone weekends, which would go a long way to sorting out the missing players and bye problems.
Now how to sort out the extra 3 weeks in an already crowded schedule? I might not be the first person to say this, and it is unlikely to ever happen due to TV rights etc… But why not decrease the season length to play every team once. A team would play 7 home and 8 away, or vice versa, then flip the games the schedule the next year, so who you played at home you then play away. this would be a 15 week season, plus 3 weekends for SOO / rep footy, plus a few extra weeks to incorporate byes. the season would be about 20-22 weeks long (with teams having 1 bye each), which would then go onto finals. End of season tests could then be played.
With the extra time, there could also be a knockout comp on selected weekends, a bit like the FA cup. Could be a bit ambitious but just a thought.
June 16th 2012 @ 12:45pm
soapit said | June 16th 2012 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
playin rep makes you a better player. the clubs understand this. they would probably just like to change the timimng
June 17th 2012 @ 12:26am
bjt said | June 17th 2012 @ 12:26am | Report comment
Is just part of all REAL sports. Clubs probably don’t like it, but I’m pretty sure they accepted it like, 100 years ago… I’m also pretty sure they actually hold it as an honour. I doubt that the Bronco’s hate the fact that Locky has such an impressive rep record, because it surely has nothing to with him becoming a legend, getting people to the games and always being associated with the club.
Of course we could go the way of America, have no representative level and let the clubs (or franchises) dictate the game.
June 16th 2012 @ 6:57pm
Balmainslipperyeel said | June 16th 2012 @ 6:57pm | Report comment
Except for Jamie Lyon Steve…he politely declined to represent his state, even though he is in form and is one of the best centres in the comp. All because he got criticised by certain sections of the media for an average performance in a test match. What a pea-heart.
June 16th 2012 @ 7:23am
Dean - Surry Hills said | June 16th 2012 @ 7:23am | Report comment
The Dragons had 8 players out last year and they also went through a losing period with absences and key injuries.
Generally, the step up to Origin is meant to enhance a players ability, and hold them in good stead for future NRL matches. The price to pay is a small one in my opinion, and eligibility is usually the measure of how well your team is traveling.
Be thankful that the team you support has 3 Origin players doing the rounds, week in – week out.
Some teams are lucky to have one player considered to be worthy of selection.
I also like seeing young players given the opportunity to play first grade when a star is missing due to representative duty. Blooding these youngsters now, rather than later, provides coaching staff with a real measure of their worth.
June 16th 2012 @ 7:30am
Andy said | June 16th 2012 @ 7:30am | Report comment
Melbourne should start developing their own junior players instead of using QLD and NSW juniors, then you would have nothing to worry about.
June 16th 2012 @ 8:39am
Cameron said | June 16th 2012 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Yes they would. They would still be just as concerned about their own (club) players being injured and not being available for club games.
June 16th 2012 @ 8:16am
Crosscoder said | June 16th 2012 @ 8:16am | Report comment
Cronulla probably will lose Gallen today,that’s life,the club gets on with it.He could just have easily injured his knee in a club game.Clubs if they use their noggin,create depth.Young players like Townsend come up to the plate,and perform admirably.
Some players get injured, warming up before a game.
SOO is what the players desire to play.It creates far more general interest than NRL games..It provides huge income for the code,which in turn goes to players and grassroots.
It is a high speed contact sport(nay a collision sport),injuries whilst unwanted happen,and the players are fully aware of this.Injuries occur in just about every sport known to man or woman.Ask a netballer jarring of the knee from sudden stopping can do.
No fan of any sport wants to see players injured.
June 16th 2012 @ 1:03pm
JVGO said | June 16th 2012 @ 1:03pm | Report comment
Gallen did in fact suffer the initial injury during a club game, assuming what has happened is an aggravation of the original ligament tear.
June 16th 2012 @ 8:36am
Cameron said | June 16th 2012 @ 8:36am | Report comment
Things like when key players are out due to injury is a big reason why the AFL do not hold SOO, because when things like this happen it can jeopardise a club’s chances of winning a premiership Now Slater missing for a few weeks won’t hurt the Storm a whole great deal, but what had it been an ACL? That would have been a travesty for the Storm. After all, he has been injured playing in a game that contributes zero towards the Storm winning the premiership. Even if he had been injured during a Storm game, it would have been easier to swallow, because at least he would have been contributing to their club winning the premiership, unlike playing SOO.
The fact that all the media talk since Wednesday night has been all about “Slater to miss Origin III” and barely a mention of how many club games he will miss or how it will effect the Storm just shows that overall, the supporters and media followers of Rugby League view SOO more important than winning the premiership.