Melbourne Storm still the benchmark

wouldnt expect any other response from a Storm fan or Victorian. I actually felt sorry for you lot when your team screwed you all over so bad.

Scott, Say what you believe, think what you must, but please realise not everyone holds your beliefs, so my advise for you is to take a long standing jump, preferrably off a very tall cliff, you hypercritical ignoramous ... GO THE MIGHTY MELBOURNE STORM !!!

I personally am sick to death of hearing the Storm feel good story this year about how they have risen from the ashes of last year and even more so how the Victorians have been bitching about the evil NSW people who inflicted so much pain on them and their poor little rugby league team and how this year is revenge. What they and some clowns in the media (Laurie Daley is a prime suspect) seem to forget is the shame this team brought on the sport of Rugby League. By blowing out the salary cap by as much as they did and the sly underhanded tactics certain members in the set up used to hide it was an absolute disgrace and they were lucky they didn’t get handed an even harsher penalty such as being kicked out of the comp. Do you think if the sharks or one of the other smaller non New limited clubs had done it they would still be in the comp? I’m not sure they would be.. Forgive the average league fan if they still feel a bit dirty that they not only cheated so bad and have been subject to their whingeing about it ever since. Do you think the fans of teams such as the Illawarra Steelers, North Sydney Bears, Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs magpie who no longer play in the NRL because the NRL abandon them to set up teams like the Storm have any sympathy for what has happen. Do you think fans of teams like Parramatta and Manly have any sympathy for the years the Storm was stripped of their premierships when their teams were beaten by a team well over the salary cap? Im a Manly fan and I certainly don’t, even though we thrashed them in the 08 Grand Final. I commend Bellamy and his staff who clearly work hard to make their team the team it is, but there team is still a reflection of the players involved during their time they cheated and given that they seem to pinch the cream of other clubs juniors (16 year old are still someone else’s juniors) it is no wonder they have depth and success in there club. I suppose being owned by News Limited who basically own the NRL would help their cause. And don’t get me started on the bitter taste i have regarding Cronk, Inglis, Slater and Smith signing multiple contract and receiving such items as fishing boats without punishment - you can’t tell me they didn’t know something dodgy was happening. If the players were lesser known players do you think they would have gotten away with it? Doubt it.. Mind you none of the 4 mentioned look like the brightest people so maybe they didn’t?? The Storm may well win the premiership this year which will no doubt please there fans, the club, News Limited, David Gallop, and certain members of the press, in fact most will see it as sticking it up NSW and redeeming some part of all the evils the NRL have done to them, but I can assure you that they won’t being winning over any new fans nor will the premiership be given any real accolades by the average league fan who were let down is such a disgraceful fashion by the conduct of that club in the period when they were so badly rorting the system and sticking it up the sport and its supporters in such an insulting fashion.

widdop came across at 14, not 16

The salary cap issue had little to do with attitude - The salary cap issue had little to do with the players ... The salary cap issue did not have enough weight to bring any one person let alone the Melbourne Storm club, it's former CEO and administrators, coaches or players before a court of law ,,, Personally for me, the way the NRL and News Limited dealt with this situation is more than questionable ... What has been underestimated is the strength and ability for everyone affected to keep their faith in the Club and the outstanding belief in our team to recover ... The Melbourne Storm players and fans where unforegiveably punished and the attitude of these two groups and the coaching team, lead by Craig Bellamy can hold their heads high ... The Melbourne Storm team could not earn points last year, but had they been allowed they would have well and truely made the top 8 and threatened for the 2010 title, such is their attitude and their couragle under extreme bias ... That's the attitude I talk about to everyone I can, and in 2011, the Melbourne Storm team and coaches are displaying the same attitude that has always always been of pride, passion and a healthy dose of respect for their devoted fans, who like me know exactly why we stand beside them, beside the fact that they are such wonderfully talented athletes who live by guts and glory ...

BJ I am a league lover to and a Melbourne Storm supporter and I will never forget the misery and the suffering that The NRL put myself and other supporters through either. Melbourne were the unlucky team to be caught, not like probably every other team in the comp that didnt leave a paper trail to be followed by Schubert and co, perhaps you can tell me how the Broncos, Manly etc could run around with teams full of internationals and state of origin players and were never over the cap. Melbourne have been over punished already so get over it. We will see how they go this finals series with a legit team.

The Storm's attitude to be coached by the best in the business and to play till the final whistle has not changed one iota,since Bellamy was in charge. The only change was the removal of the so called people who did not lead by example ,but rorted the system. The Storm are playing in the same mode as they did in previous years,and deve;loping young andtalented newcomders and rebirthing some older ones.

"It goes to show you that money alone does not win you premierships." So since getting caught in the most massive cheating scam in the sport's history, the Storm have decided to change their attitude?

We have the same difficulty in Sydney ,not knowing when the AFL team playing where it is playing,and after 30 plus year,you would think we would have some idea,with all the promotion and marketing . BJ I think the word you are looking for is Niche: a niche market.

Does anyone in Melbourne ever know when the Storm are playing ? Never really taken the market by" Storm " have they!

jIMMIE - great comments, fair and constructive. Go Storm.

Last year hurt like hell, most of us in Victoria took Melbourne Storm into our hearts & when the stories broke we were all hurt & felt cheated & under no circumstances could the NRL do anything other then what they rightly did. However when the Sydney mafia turned on our boys & demanded they get kicked out of the competition us Victorians said screw that no way &we stood by Storm even though they played for nothing. Yet the NRL in there wisdom still allowed a illegal team to play rather then say storm cull your roster back. What the nRL should have done is stated. Once Storm had a legal team they could only use those players & they nor any other clubs could use the players outside the culling. It was pleasing that many Broncos supporters stuck by our lads which is why Victorians have respect for the broncos footy club & the bulldogs supporters who went through the same thing also posted many positive comments for our team. We Victorians have enormous respect for Smith, Slater, Cronk, Sika Manu the brick with eyes as us AFL supporters refer to him & of course the coach Bellmany. We all felt for them when they stood united on a ground they had yet to play on & declared we aren't going any where & that's when the rally cry was heard by us. Just look at the construction workers reactions in the back ground putting the finishing touches to our new stadium, they too felt for Storm & almost stood for them out of respect & clapped them off after the press conference. Of course we all felt gutted by the salary cap cheating that took place, but Storm is as much in our sporting culture now as Aussie Rules is. So when you pick on them you pick on all Victorians. It is nothing short of inspirational what Melbourne Storm have achieve thus far regardless of whether they manage to win the minor premiership or NRL Premiership trophy this year, as I still think St.George & Manly are the two teams to beat because of the talent on their rosters, regardless of Storm being currently first. But none of us are surprised because we knew how hard storm boys work they work their back sides off & we Victorians who love AFL, know it doesn't matter how talented you are, if your not prepared to work all the talent in the world won't help you. Maurice Blair, Adam Woolnough, Troy Thompson, Jeremy Lowe, beau Champion, Kevin proctor, Ryan Hitchcliffe are proof to the work ethic Storm has had from day one. The under 20's Toyota cup side which won the cup two years ago & are fourth at the moment showing the depth in the future to come.

Yep - I doff my hat to Craig Belamy. He's a great coach who can turn a mediocre player into a champion. I'm still not in agreement with the wrestling tactics he adopted in the play the ball area. Cameron Smith is the master, who continually turns players sideways after a tackle is effected, to slow the play the ball down, and Cameron seems to be involved in most of the tackles towards the middle of the park. Unfortunately other clubs are now emulating these tactics, and attacking league style backline movements are the casualty. The NRL needs to step up quickly and rid the game of the sideways movement once a players momentum is halted. On a side-note (no pun intended) the Storm have had a great year, though I doubt they will go all the way. Let's see what happens when they face the Eagles and Dragons over the coming weeks. My gut feeling is that when the big games come around, that their lack of experience across the park will reveal the holes that many suspect are being plugged up by their stars.

Oh yes those evil Storm people. What we call a salary cap breach the AFL call a developmental leg up. But no, we do noting to ensure the Storm are on TV at a decent hour etc and expect them to compete. This year the Storm have proven they are a club that can develop players from nothing. Once again, there is a new crop of no bodies that are now worth much more and the Storm will once again face the prospect of losing these players because too few clubs can develop players the way the Storm can. The Storm were victims of their own success. Even staunch ARL stooge Phil Gould criticized the NRL's respionse to the Storm. Shame NRL, shame the critics.

What a bunch of dribble. The breach of the cap by this mob is an absolute disgrace. Probably in other better run sporting competitions across the world,the Melbourne Storm would have been ejected from participating for a period of time or permanently. True league lovers will never forget the misery this club brought on the game and the suffering their own clubs endured for a few seasons this charade went on by having to compete and win against an illegal team. The author of the article is dreaming.

You could make the exact same point for 3 of 5 Super rugby teams, at least half of NRL teams, and virtually every AFL team.

Ahh wasnt it Dennis Fitgerald from Parramatta who some years ago, said that Melbourne Storm shouldnt be in the competition.

Melbourne only by name great team or not.

What an absolutely awesome article. Nice to see some decent recognition for all of the Storms hard work , but coming from a family full of Stormers, we already knew this. Great bunch of guys as well.. yes even bellyache! Definately no airs or graces with these guys just friendly and down to earth. However on the field though is another story and they are by far one of the most entertaining sides in the game. Through thick and thin we've been there with our boys in purple and thats certainly not going to change. Go the Mighty Melbourne Storm !!!!

Well I am a Melbourne Storm fan and supporter and this report brings tears to my eyes ... Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou - I am so over hearing about the Dragon's and Manly and not that they aren't great teams, but hey, it seems as though, the Cowboys, Bronco's and Storm have been given a proverbial back- hand in the race for the Minor Premiership and Premiership by those in the NSW NRL camps ... And, of course there could be threats from the top 8 and even those outside the 8 ... It all comes down to how many games can be won in their next 5 encounters for the Minor Premiership and of course the battle for those contesting the Premiership ... "Call it an angel, call it a muse, call it karma you've got comin' to you" ... And, I'm no different to any other, I think my team should, can and will win ... GO THE MIGHTY MELBOURNE STORM ...