No fairytale this year, folks – not even the hope of one.
When the whistle is blown at full-time tonight – short of an added bit of rugby league by way of extra time if the scores are locked – one of the most hated sides in the NRL will be the 2018 premiers.
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The Roosters and Storm are two sides that few fans of any other club could find themselves getting behind.
Sure, it’s always a bit of a struggle to support any team other than your own, but the last few years, there has been a clear sentimental favourite for the masses to support come the last game of the season.
Last year, North Queensland limped into the finals, then blitzed their way to the decider without the services of co-captains Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston. Add the fact their opponents – and eventual conquerors – were the Storm and it was an easy choice for the rugby league world to cheer on the Cowboys in their doomed fairytale.
While the Sharks’ tactics and general attitude to the world make them hard to like, the 2016 grand final was the club’s first premiership since their inception in the 1960s. Again, add in the Storm as their opponents that night, and most people were singing ‘Up, up Cronulla’ in the stands.
In 2015, we were treated to another inaugural premiership, this time as the Cowboys claimed their first major piece of silverware by getting one over on their ‘big brothers’, the Broncos.
As for 2014, seeing history made as the Bunnies beat the Bulldogs to break a 43-year premiership drought meant most people were barracking for the ‘Pride of the League’.
You’d have to go back to 2013, when the Roosters beat Manly 26-18, for a grand final when there was no real easy pick for neutral fans. Because – and this will be confusing for those who have come into the NRL fold in the past two or so years – once upon a time, not that long ago, Manly were among the most hated sides in the comp (now they’re just kind of pathetic, which is actually quite sad in itself, but that’s for another day).
So we’ve had a pretty good run of underdogs and Cinderella stories, but tonight it’s all about the baddies.
But what is it about the Storm and Roosters that make them so unlikeable?
The common factor generally comes down to two words: salary cap.
Melbourne famously cheated the cap for a number of years and have never really washed off the stink, while the common refrain regarding the Tricolours is that they actually wear a ‘salary sombrero’.
However, running a quick eye over their respective squads for the granny, you’ll discover an oft-ignored fact – particularly when it comes to the Roosters.
While ‘Uncle’ Nick Politis pulled out the club chequebook over the off-season to recruit superstar duo James Tedesco and Cooper Cronk, the rest of the side is largely Bondi through and through.
Cooper Cronk (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Rep players Boyd Cordner, Latrell Mitchell, Dylan Napa, Daniel Tupou, Jake Friend, and Isaac Liu have only ever pulled on Roosters jerseys, while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has just six games for the Sea Eagles on his CV, and Sio Siua Taukeiaho played one game at the Warriors before crossing the ditch.
Of the lesser lights (at this stage of their careers), Joseph Manu, Mitchell Aubusson, Victor Radley, Lindsay Collins and Nat Butcher are one-club men, as are Paul Momirovski, Ryan Matterson and Sean O’Sullivan – although the latter trio are off to other clubs next season.
Meanwhile, Blake Ferguson and Zane Tetevano arrived at the club as damaged goods who the Roosters took a punt on, while Luke Keary left Souths due to a falling out with Russell Crowe, not because the Roosters poached him.
They may not have the league’s greatest juniors and the point of the salary cap is to equalise talent – even if your club has to lose players they made into stars – so seeing the Roosters with such a star-studded roster is frustrating for supporters of, say, Newcastle and Parramatta, which are talent-rich nurseries but have taken out six of the last seven wooden spoons.
But to say that the Roosters ‘buy’ premierships is disingenuous – this is a club that develops kids and has-beens into blokes who’ll get you to a grand final.
I’ll argue there’s no need to run the same rule over the Storm’s squad, for the simple fact if you haven’t realised Craig Bellamy turns rocks into diamonds by now, you haven’t been paying attention for the better part of 20 years (plus, a large part of last week’s column was dedicated to this point).
So why do we hate the Roosters and Storm? For the simple fact that success breeds contempt, and these two sides have appeared in 14 of the past 19 grand finals.
It means that having the rest of the league hate you is a badge of honour to be worn with pride.
So to the Roosters and Storm fans out there, we hate you.
Congratulations.
Jim
Guest
Ask anyone involved in Rugby League at a junior level and you will know that the Roosters use their money to go around and buy up all the talent from other clubs. They may end up at Bondi but the players have been mostly developed by other clubs who have the Roosters come in and throw big money at them. I can tell you how frustrating it has been for many clubs to have some of their best young talent lured away by Politis and the almighty dollar. For that reason I didn't even bother watching the game yesterday. The competition is a joke. For Robinson to assert, "Thank God for the salary cap to make the competition even" a few weeks ago was quite rightly scoffed at by everybody in the know involved in Rugby League.
parkhacker
Roar Rookie
I watch grand final tonite with a complete feeling of detachment or feeling sort of like watching a game of lawn bowls between 2 90 year pensioners.Who wins, am Bulldogs fan, I care not my last underdog team Panthers knocked out some time ago.Break out the chardonnay at Bondi Junction. Am sure there big a huge demand at Roosters club
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
This article is nothing more than an outline of your own personal biases, snore.
Chris
Roar Pro
Well... Most NRL fans continue to mock and look down on Cronulla for the whole 'peptide' saga, so 2016 wouldn't have been much fun comparatively. 2015 was an all-QLD Grand Final which we know the same people trashing this game would love. And if you really think that Souths were sentimental favorites then.... wow. There is no deluded like a salty NRL fan
MORDAC
Guest
What utter nonsense! Blake Ferguson was highly sought after when he joined the Roosters and when he re-signed. Mitchell was one of the most highly sought after juniors ever. And then they recruit not one, but 2 superstars, one pretty much at the beginning of his career, and then can still scam their way to one of Souths best players nd now apparently be offering huge money for Munster. They are making a mockery of the competition.
Tom G
Guest
What he said
The Barry
Roar Guru
Mostly tin foil hat stuff (conspiracy to create and fold three clubs so that Melbourne could be instantly successful? FMD - that’s next level) but even if we agree it’s all true does it really warrant so many expert articles banging on about why we hate the teams rather than an analysis of the game? Fan articles are fine. But experts? Anyway. Every club has the opportunity to arrange a TPA and sign a SBW. If Politis was good enough / smart enough to actually get it done...good luck to him. I don’t get the point of moaning when the rules are the same for every club.
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
The Storm made up of the remnants of 3 clubs in the SL plus Lazarus (from co-owned Broncos) win in their second year. It begs the question why they didnt put an original team in melbourne to start with (Super league in perth and adelaide before melbourne - doesnt make sense) so one assumes they wanted to get the best roster from 3 teams in a merged competition. (The Western sydney wanderers creation model) Then News Ltd blamed the salary cap exceses on Waldron and player agents but didnt go back to work what happened before Waldron turned up. Then they warehoused players to other clubs to be bought back when the heat died down and paying juniors to go to melbourne heaps more (folau and Inglis were star juniors but left brisbane to go to Melbourne??? Or the head of Channel Nine and easts board member Gyngell complains to NRL that the Swans have signed Franklin so we need something to counter them so as late as November (with the roster finalised) signs SBW to a fat contract under the sombrero. Yeah plenty to dislike
Joe Frost
Editor
By that logic, Cam Smith and Billy Slater aren't Melbourne through and through.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Is this really the only narrative that journos can come up with in grand final week. There’s been at least half a dozen Roar expert articles with pretty much the same premise this week. Storm and Roosters fans must be pulling their hair out... https://www.theroar.com.au/2017/12/22/five-reasons-roosters-wont-cap-2018/
Phil
Guest
Fair enough. M made comments of similar quality on another topic.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Ask M, above. Seems to think the Murray-Kearns regime far better than Bellamy-Smith partnership.
Phil
Guest
Mark Murray = best coach Storm ever had........................Is that another joke for Sam Thaiday???
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Except probably today. Mark Murray = best coach Storm ever had.
M
Guest
Not in all cases Mc.T I'm a former storm supporter who walked after Bellamy/Smith influence soured the club. I just prefer my team to win fairly. At this point give me Manly over Melbourne any day.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
"So why do we hate the Roosters and Storm? For the simple fact that success breeds contempt, and these two sides have appeared in 14 of the past 19 grand finals."
peeeko
Roar Guru
"largely Bondi through and through." they are not Bondi through and through - they were imported and moved away from their real homes as 18 year olds. that is not Bondi through and through
McTavish
Roar Rookie
Tall poppy syndrome and jealousy. Pretty much sums up all the faux "protected species" /salary cap/ "so and so is really a grub" rage.