NRL Rugby League, Melbourne Storm v Warriors at Etihad Stadium. Digital image by Brett Crockford, © nrlphotos
In the post-game show after Monday night’s game, as the commentators sang the praises of the Melbourne Storm and their efforts against the Roosters, I began to join some dots in my mind. The Melbourne Storm are the FC Barcelona of rugby league.
My reasoning for this is two-fold. Firstly, as highlighted at length by Laurie Daley et al last night, the Storm have a system. A simple system, whereby each player has an individual job to do.
If your team mates know that you are doing your job they only need to focus on their own job, it doesn’t matter who the individual actually doing the job is.
Whilst positional requirements mean that this happens in all cases to an extent, the Storm are taking it to the next level in terms of matchday responsibilities, not just positional training. Anybody coming into the Storm’s team not just knows how to play their position, but also their role.
One of Barça’s great strengths has been the “Barça Way”, and the strict adherence to “the way” means that players can move in and out of the team for minor impact on the way it plays.
It means that you can offset personnel losses on match day. Losing a Billy Slater or Lionel Messi are going to have obvious impacts, but if you’ve got a player who can step into the breach, and know what is expected tactically as well as positionally, then you go a long way to offsetting the loss.
The second aspect is junior development.
The Storm have what amounts to a production line of high quality talent come through their system.
While they – like Barcelona – are not alone in this regard, when you couple this to the aforementioned “Way”, it means that any kid that comes through the system can slot straight into the team, and do the job that is required of them. It is a model that allows for near seamless generational change, and can offset the loss of any player due to injury (or in the Storm’s case, the annual Origin drain), as I mentioned above.
One of the things that has always been apparent to me is that the Storm always seem to be a sum of more than their parts. There are very few (I’m struggling to name any, except for Aiden Tolman) Storm players who have left and gone on to bigger and better things, and the club is notorious for taking cast offs and has beens and turning them into decent players.
This was born out of necessity in the beginning (unable to attract players to the frontier) and further perpetuated in recent times by salary cap issues (yes, they actually did lose players for “perceived” cap issues between 2006-09).
I guess the interesting thing, and the ultimate test of “the Storm way” will be if it survives full generational change. Barça have been around for a long time, but “the way” perseveres.
If in three or four generations of players (and maybe one or two generations of coaches), the Storm continue with this system, and it proves to ultimately be successful, then “the Storm way” is very much real and established.
Now, it is in its infancy, but the inspiration is definitely there for what it can achieve long term, but I can say, bona fide, they are well on their way.
Jaceman
Guest
AC Media bias?- The Herald Sun are trying to push Pay-TV subscriptions so hope the Storm do well. The Fairfax papers get plenty of NRL advertising so the coverage in the SMH, Canberra Times, Newcastle and Illawarra papers is quite good and reasonable in the Age (where there are NRL teams). SEN radio has its own NRL segment but obviously is dwarfed by AFL. The AFL on the other hand buys time on 2SM and 2 GB in Sydney - not sure about Brisbane.. GWS got good coverage in Murdoch papers because the AFL spent money spruiking GWS in Murdochs western Sydney community papers. On the other hand, the SMH have ignored GWS because of a dummy spit that the AFL didnt buy ads in the Fairfax western Sydney community papers. Now the Telegraph seems to be boycotting the Swans even though the Swans are spending money on ads on News pay-TV arm. So media bias is transient...
Bagman
Guest
All I'm saying is that somehow the whole questioning of players that may or may not be "superstars" was conveniently left alone. I want a journalist/NRL official/anyone who can inform us to ask them (and get a reply to it) did they sign 2 contracts, and what amount did they put on their tax return. I haven't got s problem with them now - except if they are playing with players that knowingly cheated the salary cap system. May not be the case, but at least SOMEONE in the media could have the guts to ask. It may not be relevant to this story, but no-one seems to have ever asked them - so I am asking now. Anyone else want to know about it?
ac
Guest
My comment about the 10K supporters was in no way to have a go at the Storm. I was a member last year even tho i live in NSW. My comment is just the crowds seem to have dropped. Maybe its because of playing Monday night, maybe it is because the TV exporsure in Melbourne is non existent. Maybe it is because of the Media bias in Melbourne against anything AF. But thats how i see it. I want them to do well.
Wall-Nut
Guest
Melbourne Storm, Barcelona comparison, I've heard it all now. Next week Manchester United, hmmm mm let's see Iceland Yaks!!! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
sledgeandhammer
Guest
I don't support league or football, but seriously, how can you compare a team that struggles to draw 10,000 to a game with Barcelona FC?
I'mastormtrooper2
Guest
ac - Not sure how many other teams would get 9,000 plus at a Monday night game - Storm fans proudly display their support all over Oz, and 2010 is surely the proof of their die-hard spirit and their ability to keep the faith ... I'd say that no other club would have been able to keep their fans and especially their supporters after the turmoil experienced last year ... Melbourne Storm have had only two games broadcast on Channel 9 on a Friday or a Sunday this year, with their game against the Tigers being the third - pretty lousy for a team who is 2nd place on the NRL ladder and without doubt one of the true entertainers, crowd and media pleasers in the game, and who pride themselves by having some of the best players in the world and have done so for many years ... For a relatively young club in the NRL their members numbers and sponsorships aren't exactly falling either ... You hear the players say that there is something special about playing for the Storm and many hold that view long after they have had to leave - and being a Storm fan is an experience that can only behold you, if you are one - fan that is ... I proudly am!!
Jaceman
Guest
They have significant junior devlopment and can anyone explain to me how they get good NZ players to come to melbourne eg Hugh McGahans kid who was captain of NZ RU schoolboys. What happened to the warriors. Similarly with Folau, Inglis and Slater although I think we know how now. They have a good coach and Slater who is dynamite at club level. When he, Cronk and Smith retire they may struggle..Of course Smith is hired by News on a 3rd part contract for Fox and Slater with Nine, the only players on such a deal with Fox and Nine so added bonus to stay in melbourne.. ...
betamax
Roar Guru
Agreed oikee. Even though I'm a Titans fan I love watching the Storm and you can't help but admire the way they bounced back. They are so well drilled and organised in defence, thanks to Bellamy, who is apparently the biggest ball buster in the league. Your right about Melbourne not deserving them. If they really were the "sporting capital of Australia" they would surely embrace a team of this calibre, regardless of the code.
ac
Guest
Melbourne Storm sure have lost a lot of supportetrs this year Or is they are playing lofts of Monday nights. They seem to be getting less than 10,000 to a game these days. Well below what they were getting in 2010, 2009 etc.
I'mastormtrooper2
Guest
First class comment oikee - First class club, coach, players - a winning formula for success - that's the difference, that's what p--ses everyone else off ... I don't care what others say or think, the boys in purple and blue are the real deal - I've travelled their golden road in league and no one can take away that journey, the memories or their rewards from me ... MELBOURNE STORM ARE #1 ...
For storm in PNG
Guest
Dean, useless question mate!
For storm in PNG
Guest
Bagman, stop bragging on salary cap issue and move on mate. After all, they all came thru the storms production line. Storm is the Barca of NRL for sure.
oikee
Guest
Melbourne dont deserve the Storm as a sporting team in there city, fullstop. There coach and players are lightyears ahead of other sporting teams. They are the Barcu of rugby league. nuff said. I dont know why news waste their time in Melbourne, you cant change them , so why bother,. No worries lets just get on with it, we have many other fish to fry. Sorry just being honest. Anyone who cares to know, the Storm and their coach are highly regarded in our game. Bellamy is a mastermind. Cheeky, brilliant, angry, and goes off like the big top. Thank you rugby league gods for giving him to us. Sporting theatre just watching him. Yes i am a broncos fan, but i do admire the Storm from afar. Beating the Roosters was class.
oikee
Guest
Lose supporters to the rebels, ? ood luck with that, give up watching 3 of the best players in our game to support second hand misfits. Go figure the melbourne mentallity. Why are we even talking about the Storm, the rest of the country already know how good they are, Melbourne simply dont deserve the Storm, Fullstop. I will repeat below.
oikee
Guest
Hehe, excellent return serve. Mate we all know our silvertail friends are way over, less be said the better for the NRL. The Rorters, i mean Roosters are sheding players like no toommorrow this year, and they cant even afford to find players with-in the cap, had to go begging to the NRL to allow another player into the game so they could slip him some cash. Its laughable.
oikee
Guest
I can see why allblackfan is unhappy, but gee whiz, rugby league has lost its superstars to union and now afl, you dont see us complaining to much. :(
Matt S
Guest
Football Tragic, don't let your hate get in the way of a good story. The storm actually have started to make a profit for news. Sponsorship levels did go down but Crown casino ensure that hole is now plugged. Membership levels are now close to 11,000 with supporters from around the country chipping in. It must be remembered not all storm fans are based in Victoria. The club also have climbed to over 82,000 Facebook followers, and attendance levels near 2010 level. This should be ensured when the storm play the Broncos & Dragons at home. I'd like the evidence on the Storm supporters who now follow a third rate team, the Rebels? After 100 odd years in the Melbourne market, a 15,000 crowd suggests they have a hard time attracting a crowd let alone relying on the storm for supporters. Ouch.
Stormybill
Guest
Well done Danny_Mac that is news to me! A fine bit of journalistic research if I may say so.
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
No, but that's a pleasant surprise! :-)
Onlooker
Guest
Spain has a history of a civil war and Barcelona has the whole Catalan thing - - so, certainly, there's really no comparison, thankfully, in Australia. In the main we avoid that and in some cases just all hate the really successful clubs. the article Redb refers to on the weekend about Colin Carter was a good read, where upon visiting FC Barcelona he was able to establish that facilities wise, they compared favourably, but, what really stood out was the non attendance based memberships. Carter asserting therefore that GeelongFC should really aim at 100,000 memberships with only a % of those including any form of attendance component.