For the best part of a decade we’ve talked about Melbourne’s “big three” as if they have little or no competition when it comes to being the best trio of key players at any one club.
Of course, it used to be the “big four” until the Storm had to shed one of those – Greg Inglis – to get back under the salary cap after an investigation in 2010 found the club had cheated it.
But that still left Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith as the cornerstone of a team that bounced back from that drama to win the premiership in 2012.
That was then though, this is now.
Instead of being a comfortable top-four team and pressing for the minor premiership, as you would normally expect from them, Melbourne are in seventh place and must be careful over the closing rounds just to make sure they finish in the top eight.
They should get there. They’ve got Cronulla at home, Penrith away, the Sydney Roosters away and Brisbane at home over the last four rounds. But given that the two middle games promise to be tough, they probably can’t afford to slip on a banana peel in either of the other two.
It might not be a massive decline from the Storm, but it’s a decline, and it began when they didn’t win a game in last year’s finals series and went out with losses to South Sydney and Newcastle.
The statistical comparison from last year’s regular season, in which the Storm finished third, to this year is stark.
Last year, they scored 589 points in their 24 games, at an average of 24.5. They conceded 373 points an average of 15.5.
This year, they have scored 430 points in 20 games, at an average of 21.5, and conceded 408 at an average of 20.4. The difference between the tallies has dropped from nine points last year to 1.1.
Melbourne won 16, drew one and lost seven games in last year’s regular season. They currently sit at 11 wins and nine losses for this season.
Slater, Cronk and Smith are all still great players, but just how great? Are they as great as they were three or four years ago, or even last year?
I’d say Cronk is. I think he has actually improved over the last few years. But I don’t think Slater and Smith are as good as they were.
That doesn’t mean they have gone “downhill”, so to speak. It would be ridiculous to suggest that. But I reckon they have levelled off and have now started to move – ever so slightly, mind you – in the opposite direction.
No amount of blowing up by the club about referee Ashley Klein – even if the NRL effectively agreed with the Storm’s criticism, since he was sacked from first grade for this weekend – can convince me that the Storm of old would have let that game against Newcastle get away from them last weekend.
Not under any circumstances.
The Storm won’t win the premiership. I notice bookies are keeping them relatively safe at odds of $8, but that is a judgement being made on reputation more than anything.
If the Storm were being judged on form as team ‘X’ against 15 other similarly-marked teams, they would be at double-figure odds. Souths and Manly are two clubs that can at least match Melbourne for a “big three” now.
For the Rabbitohs, I see it as Inglis, obviously, Sam Burgess, quite obviously as well, and Issac Luke. For the Sea Eagles, it’s Brett Stewart, Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans.
Some people may argue the Sea Eagles actually have a big four, like the Storm used to have, if you want to throw in Jamie Lyon as well.
If I had to pick one of the big threes from Melbourne, Souths or Manly to rely on in the finals, I’d still go with the Manly trio at this stage.
I know, the Rabbitohs dined out on Manly last week and then belted Brisbane last night, with Inglis extremely prominent, but I want to see what the Sea Eagles do this weekend on the road against Gold Coast, for a start.
Manly’s game against Souths was just one game. There is a hell of a lot more to happen before anyone wins this competition.
Angus
Guest
I'm with you Scott...agree with all your comments so no need to add anything apart from this...Greg Pritchard...you my friend are a stuck in the mud NSW Storm HATER...always have been...always will be...enough said!!!!
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
bbqer My ratings suggest you are incorrect. As I said go and watch Slater the last time he played Hayne and GI. Smith is simply tired but he will recover.
djcooper
Roar Guru
Strongly disagree with this article and I think you will see he best of the storm in the next few weeks. Their biggest problem this year had been the support players consistently putting in solid performances week after week. They don't have a problem getting up for the big games and last week was a prime example of just doing what they think they had to (which obviously wasn't enough).
Shaun Mancini
Roar Pro
People have been keen to push the panic button on the Storm in regards to the decline of the big 3 for years now, i do laugh every time. They are all probably on a slow decline i suppose but how many players are still heading towards the peak once they tick over 30? They have actually continued to preform at a higher level then i had predicted them too. I think a lot of people have been pretty harsh on Slater this year. He's had his issues with his knees but since Origin he has looked as good as he's been in the last 3 years. Billy still has plenty to give. Cronk has been outstanding and his broken arm is the reason QLD didn't make it 9 in a row I don't think the Storm will win this year but the fact they still have the Big 3 playing at a very high level means that you can never write them off. They've had some issues this season but they've still won a fair share of the big games, one of them was a comfortable win against Souths in Sydney. The supporting cast is still good enough too. Jesse Bromwich is a top 3 front rower in the game this year. Chambers has been outstanding since origin. Procter, Hoffman Hinchcliffe, Harris are all solid support acts. It's been tough going in the backline and it lacks the attacking brilliance of a few years ago but its hard to find a Billy Slater, Greg Inglis and Israel Folau every year They will be ok
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Fittler and Lockyer both stayed around a few years longer than their best, 2004 Fittler had nothing on mid-late 1990s Fittler.
Storm Boy
Guest
Put your money on the Storms. Will we prevail come October long weekend.
bbqer
Guest
They are not as good as they were. They have both lost pace, Smith is a slow as these days. Slater knees are very average. They were outplayed by NSW (Hayne and Farah). In past years that never would have happened. Watch video of them from 4 or 5 years ago and you can see the difference. Unfortunately time and age does not discrimate. They are still great players no doubt but not as good as they once were. I think Cronk is though. He is playing great footy and still has his pace and step. They have played a bucket load of footy and it's catching up with them now.
mick
Guest
Agree Scott - Slater was phenomenal in Origin, and the weeks leading up to it. Just when all the headlines started coming out about Slater losing it, he absolutely smokes the next 6 weeks.
Don
Roar Rookie
Spot on. In fact Slater has had a better year than last season. Cronk has been amazing and Smith is still the best hooker going around. Replacing Widdop with Roberts was always going to weaken one side in both attack and defence. I think it was the game against Canterbury when he was kicking the ball away on the third tackle without his team mates knowing what he was going to do. Bellamy could have followed the Kiwi example and played Tohu Harris at five eight rather than Roberts. Good points made about the forwards Scott. I guess they were also hoping George Rose would have given them more off the bench this year as well. A case of the wrong player at the wrong club...
Rod
Guest
I agree, the big three are going ok. But the team is simply not as good as it once was. I doubt they can win the title this year
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Greg, Your heading is totally incorrect so I will assume the editors did it. Let me explain why: * Billy Slater. He was simply outstanding in the Origin. Go back and have a look at how he played against Greg Inglis in round 10 and Jarryd Hayne in round 15 and you will see that he made those two champion fullbacks look second rate. He has been consistently outstanding for yet another year and I don't think he has lost anything. * Cooper Cronk. We all saw how the Maroons improved when he came in to take over from DCE, surely the greatest compliment. he is STILL the best talker/tactical kicker and organiser in the game. * Cam Smith was good in Origin without being outstanding. Dont judge him on last week as it was his third match away in a row and after leading by 10 points with 3 mins left he dropped off a little. He is a freak and I have no doubt that he will finish the year off strongly and still be number 1 next year. The problem is not the big 3 (its actually the big 4 now as I include Jesse Bromwhich). I rate Craig Bellamy as the games best coach but his one and only weakness is his blind loyalty to his players. The Storm forwards, as a pack, have been ineffective all year and struggle to get over the advantage line: * Hoffman dies with the ball and breaks down plays. He is gone next year to NZ * Bryan Norrie's figures are terrible and should not be playing 1st grade * Ryan Hinchcliffe is too small for the modern day lock and should be off bench at best. I have no doubt that if Tohu Harris and Jordan McLean started they would be more effective. * Ben Roberts has cost the team at least 3 wins this year with dumb early kicks and poor reads in defence. As many clubs have discovered, he is NOT a 1st grade spine player. Blake Green will be the 6 next year and Nelson Asofa-Solomona will replace Hoffman while they have several young guns to replace Waqa. I have zero concerns about the big 3 being just that for a while yet,
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Correct, though Cronk has a couple less years of first grade (even when he started he was mostly coming off the bench) and also has been fairly fortunate with injuries.
Radelaide
Guest
Ah father time... the cruelest of masters to a sportsperson and their fans, if only we could stay young forever. At least we got to see some truly awesome players play in the same era together after all when will we see 8 origin wins in a row again? I mean sure there are other players but when Lockyer and Civonirceva retired Queensland were still winning and so they should be considering they had 7 Daly M's in that team and 5 of them were shared between 3 Storm players. It's like the Brisbane Lions in the AFL, they had 3 Brownlow medal winners in that team when they won their 3 in a row including their captain who was a great leader of men just like Cameron Smith.
Luke M
Guest
All 3 are the same age.
Happy jack
Guest
When the big 3 esp Cronk don't play they are hopeless so they are still going OK and have been written off before...
Don
Roar Rookie
A big thing that has impacted on their attack is the loss of Gareth Widdop to St George. With him and Cronk you had options either side of the ruck and Slater took a lot of inside passed from Widdop to score tries. This year they have had Ben Roberts as a stop gap who is not close to the calibre of Widdop. Widdop is also a very strong defender and his replacements haven't been. Teams have been hitting Melbourn on the edge of the ruck where Widdop used to stand.
Swampy
Guest
Regardless of how they fare this season it's been a decade of consistent brilliance. Cronk being a bit younger has probably a little more time at the top to go but let's appreciate what Cam Smith and Billy the Kid have done. They have been absolutely super at all levels of the game. Not to mention as loyal as they come. Let's hope they finish as one club players. In time we will remember them as up there amongst the very best who've ever played. And they've been just as superb as role models off the field as on it. Who knows what might have happened to the fledgling franchise in a Melbourne had they not been able to hang on to the trio through the length of their careers. Not so sure about Billy but I'd imagine when Smith feels his body cannot take anymore punishment there will be teams fighting tooth and nail with each other to bring him into the coaching fold. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Rich21
Roar Rookie
Yeh you maybe right but they are 3 superstars in one team who have played for a long time together but than you look at Thurston and than you wonder. He is just a superstar who has been with the big 3 through countless years of footy, origin, world tours and all and he is just one man in Cowboys IMO to be a GREAT you have to be the best until you hang up your boots (eg. Locky, Langer, Johns, Fittler) and if they are declining, they'll be considered some of the best but not GREAT
Lachlan Bickley
Roar Guru
Completely agree that the big three aren't quite so far out in front as they were a few years ago and with commenters above noting that workload must a be a huge factor. A huge part though is the gradual decline in the Storm squad after the cheating era. When they were cheating they could afford to stockpile a much higher quality supporting cast - players like Jeremy Smith, Dallas Johnson and Ryan Hoffman. Now that the club can't cheat to match the fair value bids those guys are getting elsewhere attrition is gradually eating away their advantage
The eye
Guest
It was brave because the 2 points they forfeited in that warriors game may be the 8 difference if the dogs knock them over this week,and I'll be very surprised if your man Dessie loses this one..