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A couple of week ago, the Melbourne Storm started the official countdown to the 2018 NRL season, playing the World Club Challenge against Leeds Rhinos.
That night, it was proven once again that Super League is of a far inferior quality to the NRL, that the team that has to travel all the way around the world into odd conditions is at a huge disadvantage, and, finally that Melbourne are essentially unbeatable.
If you count the premierships stripped from the club for salary cap rorting, no team in the history of Australian Rugby League has ever been so successful.
In their 21 seasons played, with five grand final wins, they basically start a season with a 25 per cent chance of ending that year as premiers. That is mind-boggling statistic.
While most fans will agree the Storm salary cap issues would make any list of the greatest sports scandals of all time, the way the club responded in rebuilding its culture, fan-base and reputation proves that there is more happening down Mexico way than just a bunch of dollar signs.
The question to ponder, therefore, is how do they do it? How do they continually refresh their team, find rough, young gems and polish them into diamonds, reboot the odd stalled career, and most importantly, continually roll through their opposition?
Photo by Matt King/Getty Images
Let’s consider the generally accepted logic that there are two main factors in their continued success: their playing strength and their coach.
The Billy Slater-Cooper Cronk-Cameron Smith axis has been the spine and core of their team for the best part of a decade, having been on the park in all four grand final wins of the new millennium – even as a cavalcade of superstars came and left around them.
Then there is Craig Bellamy. When considering win percentage, comps won over seasons played etc. the guy has no peer. Consider that of coaches who’ve had more than 100 games, only Norm Provan – as captain-coach of an actually unbeatable Saints team in the 1960s – has a better winning percentage.
Bellamy is a constant innovator, who often seems able to bend the rulebook to his will.
The coach certainly has haters, but most are just jealous of his stunning success. A stint as Origin coach is the only blemish on his copybook, which at the time solidified a feeling among the naysayers that his players had a greater hand in the success of the Storm, as when he had to coach against his legendary spine at state level, he came up short three years in a row.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
While neither of the factors I’ve mentioned thus far is single-handedly responsible for the winning ways of the Melbourne Storm – and therefore the combination: players + coaching = success – it is my contention that a third factor, never mentioned by anyone involved in the game of rugby league is the true secret ingredient.
Melbourne itself.
If you’ve ever been to Melbourne, you’ll know it’s a decent, fun and interesting town. You’ll also know it has a parochial attitude, a legendary ‘chip on the shoulder’ rivalry with Sydney and a disdain bordering on xenophobia for anything from north of the Murray.
I’m from Sydney and the difference between the two cities is straightforward: you never hear a Sydneysider going on about how great Sydney is and bagging Melbourne in the same breath. Sydneysiders just know they live in one of the greatest places on Earth. Melburnians always feel a need to tell you about how great it is and naturally why it’s better than Sydney.
Now invert this culture and consider the attachment felt by the entire state of Victoria to AFL. In terms of outright commercial success and saturation levels of public attention, nothing in Australia comes close to AFL.
It is dissected daily via radio, TV, web, print, mags, taxis, trams and in workplaces and schoolyards to a level mostly unseen outside of baseball and NFL.
Therefore, coming into Melbourne with a rugby league team, the sport from Sydney, was always going to be met with disdain and hostility. All you need do is stay for 20 years and be immeasurably successful and maybe you’ll garner some attention – even some pride, perhaps.
All of which is to explain, in a roundabout way, that the key to the success of the Storm is Melbourne itself. Because no one really gives a toss if you play rugby league in Melbourne. Oh sure, they’ll wish you well, but they won’t hound you, fawn at your feet or revere you like they do their AFL players.
If you find the right characters to fill an environment like that, those who have no need for adulation and care only about winning, then you cannot lose.
Consider Cameron Smith. Future Immortal, multiple record holder, Queensland and Australian captain, making his million or so a year and not being bothered by anybody on a daily basis. He works every day for success and nothing more, with no other distractions, unwanted attention or undue stress. He can walk about the city and be recognised for his achievements as an extraordinary athlete and leader, but not troubled.
To the right type of player, to the right type of character, the type who puts success on the field above all else, this is enormously attractive.
Melbourne and its rabid love of AFL are the key to why the Storm are so successful and why everyone else is simply playing catch-up.
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