It’s all about creating a dynasty. For reasons that lie deep within my sub-conscious (the underdog status of being the son of a fish-and chip shop owner, perhaps?), I’ve always loved sports dynasties and sportsmen who have been unrivalled for years in their particular sport.
This the reason, presumably, why I’ll stop watching one of the golf major tournaments when Tiger Woods is out of contention of winning it. Or why I won’t watch a tennis final if Roger Federer isn’t playing in it.
Or why I’m like a little kid when Ricky Ponting is batting, counting virtually every run until he reaches his average score in Tests of just over 50. Sachin Tendulkar gets the same treatment, too, for the same reasons.
This brings me in, a roundabout way, to expressing the hope that the Storm win the NRL grand final against Manly.
Despite Roy Masters condemning all Manly sides to a ‘silvertail’ abyss, this current Des Hasler coached side is a team of honest battlers, with no player of genius in its ranks. Manly, the team, plays with exactly the same boring pragmatism and honest endeavour that its coach displayed throughout his own splendid career.
But great competitions like the NRL premiership shouldn’t be won by teams of journeymen players.
The Storm have lost their inspirational captain, and arguably the best rugby league player currently going around, for stupidly indulging in a grapple tackle when he knew that the NRL was bound to try and put a stop to it.
I’ve railed against the grapple tackle for a couple of years now, arguing that it is only a matter of time before someone is permanently injured and the NRL faces a massive compensation case.
But aside from the inexcusable villiany of the grapple tackle, the Storm are a team that deserve high praise for carrying the flag of the league code in bleak, unfriendly (to other winter sports) Melbourne.
It is a team, too, that plays with sweeping back movements featuring three of the most dazzling outside backs in the modern game – Billy Slater, Israel Folau and Greg Inglis.
These three stars alone transcend the mundane play of their opponents and provide us, the spectators, with glimpses of how league was played in the golden era of the St George dynasty, with its Reg Gasnier, Graeme Langlands, and all the other stars.
It’s safe to say that even if league is played for another 100 years or more, no team will ever rack up the record of that immortal sequence of grand finals victories of the St George club in the 1960s.
But I’m hoping that the Storm will create a dynasty by winning on Saturday that is more atuned to a league code with six tackles rather than unlimited tackles and a salary cap imposition that is designed to stop the creation of dynasties.
For these reasons, because the Storm are refusing to be broken by an NRL-imposed mediocrity, I want them to defeat Manly and lift the standard for all the other teams to aspire to.
The Link
Guest
Spiro, i'll take 'boring pragmatism’ if that's what last night looked like. A fantastic display of Rugby Football. Well done Manly and Des Hasler.
The Answer
Guest
Your opinion Redb, and good luck to you. I have exactly the same feelings towards the AFL which hands out welfare to teams in emerging markets so to increase the revenue of the competition while then corrupting the whole integrity of the competition. Surely News Ltd actions show it is not exercising any influence on the NRL or the Storm which must be seen as a good thing. But I gues sthey can do nothing right in your eyes. Of course for someone who claims to have just a passing interest in the game you seem to know a lot of the details about it, the same reason you are nearly the first to post on nearly every rugby league article. Then again what else is the blogosphere for.
Paul Cotton
Guest
Well don Spiro. Great piece!
mcxd
Guest
Im going for Storm... only for the fact that if they loose i just wouldnt be able to take a barrage of whinging and complaining going on by Belamy and Co about how the NRL is out to get the them by suspending Smith and disrupting them with the potential legal threats.. if they loose, get ready for it.
jbrown16
Roar Rookie
Apparently some punter had $20, 000 on a Hawks/Storm double with Sportingbet.com.au to win a quarter of a million. I reckon he might want the Storm to win a bit more than you Spiro.
Millster
Roar Rookie
Whoa David - not meaning to speak for Spiro or anything but where did that all come from? I read the piece primarily as celebrating the Storm's excellence and hoping that in one way or another - and despite various restrictions and hurdles - their success can go on and set a new benchmark.
David Gilbank
Guest
"Even if league is played for another hundred years"? What a contrived, hopelessly manipulative piece of rubbish. Mate, pack up your pens and go work on the roads or fix socks. Oh, and while you are bringing the workmen their cups of tea and your fluoresent jacket flaps in the wind, don't engage them in talk about Rugby league. You'd be pretending you know what you are talking about. You could mention Rugby Union, but you'd get a tarmac encrusted shovel in your face. Admit it. You are a Rugby Union fan with an agenda. Actually, I might have been a bit harsh. You can spell. Your own name. Your narrative is bloated by a self-taught journalistic would-be gravitas that belongs to a website far-lower down the scales of integrity than this website aspires to reach. Namely, one where unbiased and independent critique is the norm. Adieu. Rugby League lives forever.
Tom
Guest
Stick to union, Spiro, a cursory glance at the NRL table would show Manly scored more points than any team in the comp this year, which would seemingly belie your claim that they play with a 'boring pragmatism'. This would further be borne out in Phil Gould's comments a few weeks ago when he stated he wanted Manly to win the comp, because as opposed to Melbourne and Cronulla, they attempt to outplay their opponents rather than out - wrestle them in an attempt to control the ruck. A minor point also, Greg Inglis is a 5/8, which isn't an outside back position. And although you espouse the virtues of Inglis, Slater and Folau, Stewart, Williams and Matai aren't too shabby either.
oikee
Guest
Redb, we can take the nrl seriously because we have been through tougher times than anything that gets dished out these days, like any organisation things happen that need sorting out, bellyacke will get a slap on the wrist and go into next season refreshed after this years win. As for me i will buy next weeks rugby league magazine to see what new players are coming to the broncos cowboys and titans, something worth cheering about, you should see the bbc rugby league blogs and there excitement of getting crocker next year. Nearly as excited as brisbane getting isreal next year. Melbourne have greg ingliss and cronk and smithy along with billy slater, so there team now alllows for a couple of younger kids to come through. By letting players go you keep the talent coming. And as people might have seen this year, theres lots out there. I remember last year when the storm lost about 5 players and they still are on top. Brisbane also lost heaps and they made the finals, nearly pulled off the biggun. League is fast becoming a production line for talent, not only in league, but also union, as a lot of players have played both. Someone mentioned coaching staff makes the difference, or juniors being coached properly, this is dead right and the nrl has got this absolutely spot-on. Just to see the ball skills and vision of the under 20's comp blew me away.
jimbo
Guest
A sporting contest becomes less interesting when the same team wins all the time - that's why they invented salary caps and performance enhancing drugs. I got a bit tired of the Broncos and Queensland winning everything in sight there for a while. What a breath of fresh sporting air when the Wests Tigers won it. Hands up if you're sick of Manchester United winning the EPL again. The Storm get special concessions because they are located in Melbourne and the NRL and News can't afford them to fail. That's why they have the best players and will line up for a third straight grand final and the same two teams in the grand final as last year. Sure I'll watch it and enjoy it but please - can we have a couple of different teams in the next one?
Norm
Guest
"I don’t really care who wins, the NRL is not a credible competition" What a coincidence..that's my opinion on AFL... and you're the one who cliams to "keep my powder dry" on rugby league
Millster
Guest
Spiro - halle-bloody-lujah to your last 2 paragraphs. And to the sentiment in this piece. Finally an analysis that does not shirk away from the fact that if standards are to lift they may do so unevenly and one team may 'carry the can' for some years. But no, in this politically correct age of the sporting versions of affirmative action - salary caps and drafts - sadly the result of the Storm (or anyone) playing better footy and therefore becoming more valuable as a group of players is that they will be torn apart so that the overall code can settle back down to the level of its shittest and the spoils can be shared around again at that deflated level, just to keep to some idiot's short-sighted insular view of what competitiveness is about. Anyway if I could cheer pieces from you 'proper' journos I'd do so with great gusto.
Skull
Guest
Me too oikee, but I think someone would have to be killed for someone to be sent off in a GF if last year is anything to go by
oikee
Guest
Agree there skull, last game was certainly entertainment plus from Manly. Hope no-one gets sent off, that will spoil it. :(
Skull
Guest
I think to whole show swings on how Inlgis performs. If he turns it on I'm afraid Manly will be disappointed again, but if he plays like he has been lately, then its Manly all the way. I disagree with the comment though about Manly playing with "boring pragmatism" though Spiro, I think you may have mixed up Manly and Melb there as it is Melb that plays a boring pragmatic game - get it to the 20 for the last tackle and then bomb to Folau, whereas Manly have been in sparkling attacking form running in some long range tries and not so long range via fast, skilful ball movement
Jason Gray
Roar Rookie
Agreed, Spiro. Slater, Folau and Inglis are sensational. For me, they remind me of Mullins, Nagas and Nadruku from the Raiders in the '90s. They're great for the game.
oikee
Guest
Looking forward to next year already, have to say that this grand final has been the most exciting i have seen a build-up for, could be like a origin clash the way they are talking about bashing the living daylights out of each other, as for fishing i will do that next week-end redb, you would have to be mad to misss this one. I have a carton on ice and some snags ready to throw, and go the broncos in the under 20's, thats the next dynasty. :)
Alan Nicolea
Guest
Even If Melbourne do win, they will not create a dynasty. There is a thing called the salary cap that only allows good teams to stay on the pinnacle for three or so years. The Bulldogs and the Roosters suffered greatly when they hit their prime. The same will happen to Melbourne. They have already lost Michael Crocker, Jeremy Smith, Israel Folau, Antonio Kafausi and Matt Geyer for next season. Indeed Manly are in a better position to make a dynasty beginning on Sunday rather than the Storm. The Stewart brothers are in their prime and most of Manly's players intend on staying at Brookvale for their majority of their careers. The Sea Eagles will only lose Michael Robertson, Steven Bell, Luke Williamson and Steve Menzies next season. They have also gained the signature of powerful Eels winger Tony Williams.
The Link
Guest
Spiro - I didn't see any 'boring pragmatism' last Saturday when Manly put on a right old show against the Warriors. The GF is on Sunday by the way. One thing is for sure, if Melbourne take it out they've done it the hard way and can't be denied the dynasty tag.
cosmos forever
Guest
I agree dynasties are good for footy, but not a dynasty built in cynical tactics (that in my opinion far outweigh the genius of the backs you mention) and a paranoid coaching staff and administration. The next big dynasty of rugby league begins on Sunday when the Raiders Under 20's win the grand final. Then over the next five years - the perennial underdogs will rise up (with classy and humble players like Alan Tongue and an affable coach who is a true legend of the game in David Furner) to rule league again. Sorry - did I say that out loud ;)