If you’re up to date with the NRL or the NFL, you would most likely understand this comparison.
If you aren’t, let me take you through the comparison, brick by brick.
In the NRL, the Melbourne Storm are the league’s benchmarks. Since their inception in 1998, they have been heavily present in dominating that era. They have been in eight grand finals in that 20 years, winning five of those eight (two later stripped), and featuring heavily in major finals games.
Since 2006, the Storm have been in seven grand finals, winning eight minor premierships along the way in that 13-year span. That’s an incredible feat.
Along with those accomplishments, they have also made the preliminary final in ten of those years. 10/13 is a great feat in today’s modern game.
The key to their success? They’ve had the same head coach, the same core players and the same structure, where they make average players into great players.
Moving over to the NFL, the Patriots are literally identical in terms of success and core figures within their system.
Since their first title in 2001, the Patriots have gone on to win another five titles since then, the latest one in 2018. The remarkable thing about the Patriots, however, is exactly like the Storm in that since 2000, they’ve essentially had the same core, with a key player and coach.
Quarterback Tom Brady has been at the helm since 2000 along with coach Bill Bellichick. In their tenure together, they have won their division 16/18 times, along with winning their entire conference (AFC) nine times. They have obviously been to nine Super Bowls, winning six of them.
Incredible feats.
Now to intertwine them together.
The Storm’s main figures since 2003 have been captain Cam Smith and coach Craig Bellamy.
Along with Cam, however, Bellamy has had two other key players who stayed from 2003-2017 altogether, those players being Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater, who happen to be all-time top-five players in their positions. Very handy to have.
On the flip side, the Patriots, as said before have had Tom Brady and Bellichick as staples since 2000, and if there have been other key players throughout the runs it would be tight end Rob Gronkowski and players such as Julian Edelman, Adam Vinatieri or Vincent Wilfork.
Throughout these teams’ runs, they have had other great players play for them as well. Some for a short time, but have all pitched in for their clubs.
For the Storm, players like Dallas Johnson, Ryan Hoffman, Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Matt Geyer and so on.
For the Patriots, players like Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law, Rodney Harrison and Richard Seymour.
So many class players have played for both organisations, but there’s always one common thread: the key player and coach never change.
Both clubs have a notorious reputation as clubs who can pick up average and used-by players and turn them into strong clubmen who fulfil their potential. For the Storm, players like Ryan Hinchcliffe, Tim Glasby and Adam Blair played their best footy under their system when they didn’t have much going for them otherwise.
With the Patriots, Deion Branch, Asante Samuel and Edelman are players who sparked to life in the Pats’ system.
Another crazy but true comparison between the two teams is that people love to hate them. Both teams have had their fair share of controversies: the Storm for the salary cap drama and wrestling techniques and the Patriots for the tuck rule and deflate-gate.
Opposition fans love to g=hate them. They never let their downfalls slide, and those fans let them know when they falter.
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Fans also love to predict that the given team will crash and burn once and for all. They may be due to stop succeeding, but both teams just don’t stop winning. They find new ways to stay successful and they are still both their league’s benchmarks.
They have been for over ten years, an amazing feat in today’s modern era of sport.
The last thing, which fans hate to agree with but know is true, is that the two key components to each teams success are arguably the greatest ever in their given position.
Many NRL heads have called Storm captain Cam Smith the greatest player of all time. Funnily enough, Storm coach Craig Bellamy is also arguably as the greatest coach in NRL history.
On the Patriots side, it’s less argued, but more envied, that Brady and Bellichick are the greatest in their given positions throughout the NFL’s history. Bellamy and Bellichick…ring a bell? Moving on.
It’s crazy to think that two sporting organisations that really wouldn’t know each other well can be so similar and have similar success, all the while having similar methods in reaching that success.
Same key player. Same coach. Steady culture. Strict guidelines. The most hated clubs, but that’s all based on one thing – winning.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Ken is correct
Greg
Guest
Papenhuyzen played S.G.ball for the Balmain Tigers, then he playeed for Wests Tigers U20's.......why are you lying to make up a point? Even his official profile on the Storm website proves you wrong! A promising fullback who can also play in the halves, Papenhuyzen has represented NSW at both Under-16s and Under-18s level and was also selected for the Australian Schoolboys in 2015. He comes to Melbourne highly regarded after impressing with Wests Tigers Under-20s program, pace and ball playing ability two standout features of his game.
Greg
Guest
The NRL minimum wage is $100K. Looks like one of us is a liar, and it isn't me...... https://www.nrl.com/operations/integrity/salary-cap/
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
I wish this was a comparison with the Baltimore Ravens....alas :crying:
Rellum
Roar Guru
Just get the two coaches to sit down for a drink and let them talk.
Sammy
Guest
The Storm won 7 Minor Premierships in the 14 Season from 2006 to 2019: * 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2019. They won 4 Premierships in the same 14-year period, but NRL-2019 is not over yet: *2007, 2009, 2012, 2017 They were Runner-up 4 times: *2006, 2008, 2016, 2018
Ken
Guest
Your 100% right , the blind hate is funny but when they just make up lies than you have to pull it up , ohh the TPAs allow them to buy players lol , no it allows us to pay players what they deserve an allows corporate sponsors to align themselves with a winning culture, the conspiracy theory about Curtis an papenhyzen was so easy to disprove, Ryan is on $150,000 a season that's the base for nrl players , this liar claims we bought him lol , he could have stayed for the same money at the tigers but they told him he was too small , so he came to us for a opportunity an he was behind 2 other fullbacks at the storm, an thru injuries he got his shot , Curtis was behind Cheyse Blair before Blair got injured an he took his shot we develop players than make sure they get sponsored an paid what they deserve , that's what good clubs do ...u think we should just develop them an let lazy clubs come in an steal them ? I think not lol .
RoryStorm
Guest
Some of the serial crybabies on here do give me a good chuckle Ken. Mostly the same people carrying on about any minor things they perceive the Storm have that the Sydney (mostly) teams don't have. Why wouldn't you Sponsor the Storm and it's players when they are consistently at the top or close to the top every year. I get it why in Sydney they hate our team, after all funnily enough, the team is not from Sydney. It's all jealousy Ken as you would know. Personally I love reading the hateful comments on here about the Storm. If they're not posting hateful and jealous comments about my side it just means they've locked themselves away with their Cameron Smith & Craig Bellamy voodoo dolls. It's a bit like the AFL supporters in Melbourne. I've yet to meet anyone down here who has a good thing to say about GWS. But the difference between the Storm and GWS is the AFL bend over backwards to try and help GWS get stronger by giving them all type of ludicrous concessions that no other team in the comp gets. Heck the AFL have come out publicly supporting the GWS player who was caught on camera giving one of the worst blatant cases of eye gouging you could ever hope to see. He only got a fine and he's claiming he was hard done by. He makes the Burgess eye gouger look like an amateur. If you haven't already seen it I suggest you have a look at the video. It makes you shudder to think that is only worth a fine. And I used to think the NRL were a joke when it came to the judiciary. Sam Burgess gets a week for just pulling a guys hair. Pass the peptides will you Ken, I've got a game tomorrow.
Ken
Guest
That’s just so easy to disprove as a lie it’s funny , Curtis was offered contracts by all clubs l he admitted he was hangung with a bad element in Cronulla , his manager an parents wanted him away from the negatives influence an he had choices of brisbane or Storm hen chose storm ,Papenhyzen was told he was too small to play nrl by the tigers coaching staff who were focused on tesdesco he dropped out of footy an ended up playing touch footy for Australia , the storm picked him up for virtually nothing an 2 years in the system is a future super star , why are you lying to make up a point ?.
Greg
Guest
Their strategy is to use their massive salary cap advantage to out-bid all of the other clubs for the best young talent in the game. Take Curtis Scott as an example, he was captain of the Sharks premiership winning S.G.Ball team and was the player of the tournament at the Australian Schoolboys tournament. He had 11 clubs chasing him but the Storm easily out-bid them all. The Tigers wanted to keep Ryan Papenhuyzen but couldn't afford to at the time because they were trying to lock down Tedesco.
Ken
Guest
we expect the storm hate but it’s alway s funny when the usual culprits come on an bag the storm about their questionable tactics when their own clubs are just as bad if not worse , but the facts are there is no club in the last 20 years with that sustained finals pedigree ,most gfs made , most gfs won even if you take the 2 out we still have 3 more than most , but I’ve been told fans hate teams that regularly beat their team an we have a winning record over every team in the top 8 so hate away , the nsw media stirring the pot an the brainwashed masses looking for any reason to justify their feeling of helplessness as they watch the storm smash their teams over an over ...ohh but the salary cap , grapple tackle ...it was over 12 years ago but I’ll keep using that as a reason lol , pathetic when you realise the cap Rorts from the Eels since than , the steroid injections from the Sharks , eye gouging forearm drops by the Rabbitohs all inside the lasts 6 years ....buttt ...lets keep the hate going for something from over 12 year so ago lol ....ohh but Cameron smith rubbed the raiders ear a bit hard ???? ,makes me wonder if most of the people on here have ever played the game , can you imagine in a game standing up an saying “ hey he rubbed my ear hard “ your team mates would question your manhood , it’s pathetic an funny cus it’s true .
Ken
Guest
Yes an No , so the storm go out to corporate Melbourne in competition with 9 other AFL Victorian teams an get sponsorship for their players under the NRLs rules , now your saying we win cus we pay our players more money lol , we do pay Cameron Munster more you know the 18 year old that trialed for the Brisbane’s Broncos An was told he was too soft to make it a few years later he’s a superstar at the storm , or maybe Ryan Papenhyzen he was told by West’s Tigers he was too small to make it in the nrl when he was 18 , this year at the Storm he’s the nrl leading metre eater at over 260 metres in every full game hes played , now the Tigers are trying to offer him over $700,000 to come back .The Storm develop unwanted talent others miss an make them stars thru their systems an also their own hard work , if that allows them to get better pay from corporate Australia than good for them ,maybe you’re own clubs should go out an find that same sponsorship instead of crying about the Storm making sure their players get paid what they deserve .The money comes from their hard work on the field which made corporations want to align themselves with winners ,they didn’t all of a sudden become good because they got paid more , the nsw excuses an lack of credit for the storm turning cast offs into superstars is typical.How bout your own teams go out an find their own sponsors instead of bitching about the storm finding theirs . Let’s see the Storm win cus of the salary cap , the storm win cus of the Big 3 , now it’s the Storm no cus of the Tpas what a joke of a excuse , how bout “ The storm win cus their coach is better ,they train harder an smarter an they identify unwanted players An turn them into superstars “ that is the real reason they succeed , Milford an Darius is paid more money they haven’t performed , Kalyn Ponga more money , another failure , so many salty excuses not enough credit for the genuine hard work.
Brendon
Roar Rookie
Oh my friend, I don't envy the attack you are going to receive on here for a pro Melbourne article!!!
Superspud
Roar Rookie
Good article and good comparison. There are a few more similarities in relation to some questionable tactics employed by both.
Superspud
Roar Rookie
To put their success down to this and this alone would be a massive oversimplification. Just about every player they have signed have either been still green on the tree or over ripe at other clubs. I can't think of a genuine star signed from another club. What could definitely be argued is that they are able to keep players they have developed where other clubs have to let them go.
Greg
Guest
The key to Melbourne's sustained success comes down to the fact that they're spending more than a million dollars more than the salary cap through TPA's. The majority of clubs spend less than $200k. So basically the Storm can pay 16 players in the squad an extra $50k more than other clubs can offer. https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/12/13/nrl-makes-third-party-agreements-public-and-strengthens-contract-process/