The disgraced Melbourne Storm can use their NRL season to become the Harlem Globetrotters of rugby league and revolutionise the way the game is played, says Penrith coach Matt Elliott.
The Storm are facing a pointless season – figuratively and literally – unable to compete for the premiership as part of the massive penalties imposed on the club by the NRL for salary cap breaches.
But Elliott belives Storm coach Craig Bellamy and his star-studded team can produce a positive outcome from their dire situation by emulating basketball’s Globetrotters, who showcased brilliant new skills and techniques in exhibition matches that are now commonplace in the NBA.
“Melbourne are now in a position to do something very special for rugby league as far as what happens on the field,” Elliott told the Nine Network’s Sunday Footy Show.
“I draw an analogy to the States where they had ‘barnstorming teams’ that didn’t play in competitions for points and they changed the dynamics of how the game is played.
“The Harlem Globetrotters are one of these teams, they upped the skills and techniques because winning or losing didn’t matter to them.
“And with the talent that Melbourne have got there and the coaches they have … they can change the way the game is played forever.”
Barnstorming teams were prominent in America in the 1920s, travelling to small towns to play exhibition matches.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Melbourne's star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has suffered a lower leg fracture in a nailbiting 22-20 win over the gallant Gold Coast. The rugby league…
Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster had a dream milestone game, scoring a try and getting a win. Fox League's Cooper Cronk tried to humble…
The game was on the line with only two points in it, but Bunker ruled the Gold Coast player stripped out the ball giving…
Just a week after Api Koroisau was denied a similar try, the Bunker confirmed a try to the Gold Coast that surprised everyone -…
After his goal-kicking heroics a few weeks ago in Canberra, the commentators joked he must be a "sideline specialist" after missing this penalty that…
Having a week off to recharge their batteries during the bye did nothing to stop South Sydney’s season from hell descending further into the…
