Whether Melbourne are the best team in the competition remains open to debate. But there is no doubt the Storm are the smartest team.
Or the most cunning, depending on which way you want to look at it.
Likely both. And have been for years.
Personally, I’d still pick Cronulla to win the 2016 premiership ahead of them at this stage. But the Storm are proven over many seasons, and the weekend showed yet again how good they are. One area the Storm are far and away the best in the business should be highlighted.
Andrew Johns, on The Sunday Footy Show on Channel Nine, said of Melbourne in the wake of their 16-8 win over North Queensland on Saturday night: “I think their line defence, they defend inside the ten metre mark better than any club.”
They are terrific at holding teams out – they have clearly the best defensive record in the competition – but how much of it is sheer ability and desperation in defence as opposed to how often they get away with slowing down the play-the-ball beyond what should be the limit?
Melbourne have worked out how far they can push the envelope in that area without being punished with a penalty very often, which is clever of them.
They must practice it relentlessly at training, because the timing is so good. You can sense the seconds beginning to run off in the players’ heads as soon as they get an opponent to the ground.
But do other teams get the same latitude from referees? In a lot of cases, no, but that is often the fault of the teams at least as much as the referees.
The thing about the Storm is that they’re so consistent about what they do. Nothing looks much different from tackle to tackle.
But with many other teams there is an obvious gap between the shortest amount of time they will hold a player down to the longest. So the longest time stands out.
Other teams might get pinged with a penalty for delaying the play-the-ball for too long when they have done nothing much different to what the Storm do consistently, but there’s the difference – the Storm do it consistently.
They know what they can mostly get away with and they’re running with it. You can’t blame them for that. It’s up to other teams to match them in that area, because it’s not very likely the referees are going to change the way they look at it.
Johns also said the best way to combat Melbourne’s defence was to not wait until you can work your way down inside their 20-metre area before you try your best tricks.
“You have to roll the dice and have a gamble between the two 40s,” he said.
“So around that halfway line, that’s where you need to attack. Between the two 40s and roll the dice there, because their on-line defence is so organised and the fullback pushes into the line and you can’t play around it, especially in a night game, you can’t play those set plays and play around them, you’ve got to play through them.
“Offloads, short passing, play through them.”
Too many teams play into the Storm’s hands by paying them too much respect. They don’t want to make a mistake that is going to gift Melbourne great field position, so they’re prepared to wait until they can somehow force their way downfield before opening up.
They mostly get there either by starting from good field position themselves and putting together a couple of strong charges, or through a penalty, a Storm mistake, or a repeat set.
But, of course, the problem is that the Storm then know better than any other team how to repel that close-range challenge.
It makes sense to be prepared to sometimes try your luck from a lot further out, even at the risk of making a mistake.
When you’re playing the ball less than ten metres out from the line, with the defence set and able to get to you quickly, the Storm have usually got you covered.
Bill Blazejowski
Roar Rookie
I am a Sharks fan living in Melbourne and it would help if some Storm fans could take off their navy and purple glasses occasionally and be objective. Lots to like about Bellamy and the way he gets the best out of fringe players and has the team competing hard every week in a competitive sports town. They do however get away with much in the play the ball area and that is what is what irritates many supporters. In the same way supporters get tired of the soft frees given to the Hawks in kickable range.
Bill Blazejowski
Roar Rookie
Have a lot of respect for Bellamy and his ability to get the Storm playing upbeat footy week in and week out. He also has the ability to take fringe players and cast offs from other clubs and gives them a role to play and gets good footy out of them. In saying that, I am no fan of his defensive style of gang tackling and stifling the play the ball with any number of grubby tactics. Gallop and Smith during their watch could have stepped in but it has never been stamped out of the game and is still in vogue and in fact the norm for most other teams and coaches now to copy that style. The Storm get much leeway from officials in the play the ball and ruck whilst other lower placed teams constantly get pinged. It will take a good attacking team with crafty offloads/second phase come September to interrupt their gang tackling and keep their defensive line guessing and not allow them to shoot up quickly. Strong officiating in September will also be needed to ensure teams constantly slowing down the rucks will be penalised.
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Yes, forget the salary cap scandal all clubs are at it - Storm were just morons for the way they got caught .
Big J
Guest
yeah I thought it was barry, good to see you back my brother
The Barry
Roar Guru
Really?
Benedict Arnold
Guest
Appreciate the article Greg but it does have that tone of: "they get away with it more" to it. But alas, I expect more articles in the coming weeks taking aim at the storm because they are a good team. It's always amusing disappointing to read about them being knocked for their tactics. I believe they work hard ,and subsequently hard workers make their own luck. Defence is a part of rugby league that requires the most effort. It is the least glamourous job in RL that needs to be done if you are to ensure that you give your a team a decent opportunity to victory. They have clearly been the best defenders this year, they try so hard to defend their try line. They should be applauded for it. Yet often it gets ridiculed and criticised and lamented because they don't get pinged by the referees enough. A lot of people with inbuilt biases will think a team they don't like gets away with more just because of that inbuilt bias. They will find something to critique. They will look for something that isn't there. No better will you witness such things like when you are hanging out with mates watching state of origin. You even see it in media circles, such as earlier this year when QLD went on to win game 1, only for nsw journos to pick out a bunch of referee calls that cost them - yet failing to acknowledge the forward pass that led to their own try. I challenge anyone to go back and watch the cowboys/storm game again and watch it closely. In fact just focus on the ruck and the defence from the two teams. You will see the cowboys get away with being a long time on players especially when they are defending their line. Melbourne does get away with a lot but then again the cowboys got away with a lot. Yet we aren't talking about the cowboys are we? Like I say, people will see only what they want to see. I mean, Paul Green's comments are laughable when you look at the 6-5 penalty count at full time. Both teams had their fair share of 50-50s.
bob johnson
Guest
What's with all the hate presented to storm? Is it that we are situated in Melbourne or the success associated in the past decade? (bar the salary cap scandal)
Muzz
Guest
This Storm team is good, really good! Ironically, they appear more potent and less predictable without Slater. Storm v Sharks GF.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Did you actually read the article...? Johns was nothing but complimentary about the Storm and didn't accuse them of anything. More blind anti-NSW bigotry.
The Barry
Roar Guru
"Ahem to that..." Brilliant!!!
The Barry
Roar Guru
I've read this article but haven't checked out any of the comments yet. I'd be cracking the poops if I was a Storm fan. These sort of articles about them winning because they "bend the rules without breaking them" are non-stop. It basically amounts to calling them cheats without having to come out and accuse them of anything specific. They may not have the best track record in the fair play department but I don't see them doing anything that the other 15 clubs aren't doing or trying to do. They win because they've got the one of the best coaches in the game, the two best on field game managers in the business, good players throughout the team and a system where everyone - whether the best player in the world, a rookie coming through or a journeyman in his last season - knows what's required of them.
Andrea
Guest
Every team tries to slow the play the ball these days. The Storm have just been the ones to utilize it first and have perfected it. They aren't cheats, they have learnt to push the boundaries and worked out what can and cant be tolerated by the refs. They are coached by the best coach in the NRL as he has proved year after year.
Big J
Guest
Ahem to that my brother, the best to teams in the comp must fight it out that is the storm and the cows. I feel sad that the sharkies might choke like they have in previous years. If fact either of these teams playing each other at the gf would be great
RICK 88
Guest
Greg Pritchard, You seem to have a pet hate against the Storm writing articles that readers and especially referee's read your views. At the beginning of the season one Roar expert predicted The Storm would not make the eight, then down the track a bit it was obvious they would, then it was they won't make the final 4.. please say they won't win the Grand Final, or even win it, so much for the so called Roar experts, it is quite obvious you don't like Melbourne, it must be the Weather.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
I'm sure people do, but I reckon if you asked all League fans they'd have the least support, besides maybe the Titans. I also reckon they'd possibly be the most hated, overtaking even the Broncos and Manly, though those two run deep.
JVGO
Guest
Exactly, the low penalty count mantra has destroyed origin as well. A fast open game is a good game. Get them off him and get them back.
Peter Mc
Roar Rookie
Greg Prichard Greg Prichard has spent all of his working life in the media, from way back when journalists were still using typewriters. He has covered rugby league, football, AFL and various other sports for News Limited and Fairfax Given the above, all you can say was this was a lazy article. No facts at all. Seems to be a poor attempt at raising an issue to the attention of the greater public audience including I guess, in the end, the referres. Greg, redeem yourself with some factual evidence such as average time from the ref calling tackled to the time the Storm - and all other teams - release the man to allow the ball to be played. Generally enjoy your articles but you bowled a Harmy on this one!
Brendon
Guest
Its a shame the 'journalists' on this site can't be impartial in their writing. I can appreciate them being fans of other teams, but give the storm basing a rest. Its hilarious that no article this week is complaining about Reynolds the grub tripping, surely thats a much more interesting point right?
Brendon
Guest
Well the only logical way to support your argument is to look at the membership counter isn't it? If your not a member, then surely you dont care. Sure do hope Cronulla with their 14000 members dont make the finals then. It would have to be Brisbane vs Souths, since only they have supporters that care right?
SVB
Guest
When I think of sides who score great tries I think of the Raider or Broncos of the 90's, or the Eels of the 80's. Storm of the 2000's will always known as the 'wrestlers'. They don't rank up there with those teams.