V’Landys Ball proves Storm are the only truly professional NRL club

Yes I agree. Saints were able to retain their team and they would go to the country or Qld to choose the most promising player, like Graeme Langlands and Kevin Ryan, to join the premiers. Other players wanted to come to Saints because they knew if they made it they'd be playing in grand finals.

In fairness, there was no salary cap back then so technically you can include the Storm salary cap scandal years, pushing their dominance back to 2003 (including 2010 when they would have come 4th). That would see it at 18 years, only 4 short of the great Dragons team.

Perfect analysis

Yeah AJ and Addo play on teams that are very left side dominant with their attacking play (as most teams are, with most people being right handed). Only 8 wingers in top 15 at 53% and 11 of 20 at 55% so down from 12 of 20 overall last year at 60%. From the games I’ve watched their has also been a number of tries created from kicks across the field in around the halfway line. There’s definitely be bigger attacking spaces on the wing this year. I put that down to ruck speed and defensive lines collapsing in towards the ruck to cover less defenders in the line that are left behind the play the ball.

I half agree, defences are broken down through the middle but look at the number of wingers having a record try scoring year. This shows ball movement is still crucial.

100 percent BJJ has been used in defence pre-Storm. I’ve never suggested it hasnt been. But it was take downs and reversals not the more dangerous stuff referred to before.

In 2010 St.George-Illawarra were Premiers and Minor Premiers. It was the only Dragons success in their short history. Was it 2011 you are referring to?

1. Yes I agree. 2. It was an observation but you are correct. 3. Melbourne being successful was important to wining fans in AF's spiritual home. I believe they got their first premiership in 1999 with help from the referee, a business decision to gain fans in Victoria. St.George-Illawarra had beaten Melbourne easily three times before the grand final with a total score of 62-26. With the score 14-2 at half-time it looked like another easy Dragons win but in the second half the ref penalised St.G-Ill for not getting off the player quick enough but allowed Melbourne to lay all over the tackled player. It was a big momentum shift and the 8th half was completely different to the previous seven. They only wanted to make a game of it as the previous day's AFL GF that was a boring one sided match. Melbourne were a rationalisation of Super League's Western Reds, Adelaide and Hunter Mariners and similar to the Swans and Lions in the battle of the codes.

Then you would have seen the other teams apply BJJ tactics prior to and more so than Melbourne have if you have watched the game long enough. The wrestle is no where near as heavily applied since Covid as it was in the years leading up to the enforced break last year. While I love the introduction of the 6 again. I would argue that the game is less expansive than previously due to quicker play the ball speed and less time for defence to get set. This means they play through you more and less around them. It’s similar to touch where they just dump through the middle one out. Quicker ball means less time to set up attacking structure. The game is more off the cuff and line breaks are made closer to the ruck than before rule changes. Where you had to shift point of attack to get on the edge of thick defensive lines. Melbourne certainly shifted more focus to their attack in 2017-2018. Adam O’Brien had to convince Craig that they should use the obvious attacking talent they had. Storm and Panthers (Manly with turbo) are good at shifting in and out of structured shape cause they are high cohesion teams that can do that. The other 14 teams attacking play is diminished since pre-Covid in my opinion. Which is why I barely watch a game if it doesn’t involve the panthers, Storm or manly these days.

Have i seen such tackles prior the the Storm? Yes. But, i have not seen the systematic use of them prior to the Storm. I don't form my opinions based on the media but on what i see. And ive been around BJJ enough to recognise it when i see it. I have never once claimed that the Storm's successes relied on their wrestling. If anything ive argued the opposite. The Storm are among the most well drilled in every other aspect of football, it is only logical that they are among the most well drilled at wrestling as well. Additionally, the wrestle is every bit a part of the modern game as it has been in the past. The difference now is that the illegal manouvers for the most part are no longer deliberately employed as referees (and match review committee) now know what they are looking for with them and penalise accordingly. If anything the 6 again has changed the attacking side of the game to suit more expansive play. The Storm reinvegerated their attack several years ago (2018 i think but would have to go back to check what year it in fact was) to play more expansive football. The 6 again rule actually suits their game.

The first time I was knocked out was with low tackling and I was a good tackler but I made a bad error in judgment. The worst of the other concussions were from being punched by the only dirty player I came across in six years of playing in the St.George Juniors. In that year, 1972, we played them three times and I was knocked out each game and in the semi-final I woke up near the end of extra-time to see one of their players take an intercept and score the winning try. I was playing prop replacing our big goal kicking injured front-rower so I had to do the kicking and I would be packing down with their loose armed hooker. The player who punched me was still on the field at the end.

Grapple - contact with head and neck has always been outlawed in RL. So you’re saying no one ever put an arm around the neck before the storm came along? Crusher - are the result of attackers backing into the defensive line. Again contact with head and neck are outlawed. So you’re saying that Storm make opposition back into them? Chicken wing - the use of using attackers arm as a lever to get them to ground. Have you never seen that in RL before the storm came along? Hip Drop - a recent term invented for an action that has happened in RL for at least 40 years (the time I’ve watched the game). That’s well before the Storm were ever invented. Greg, people need to stop regurgitating the Sydney journos opinions or commentators and actually watch the game. The NRL have studied the game around wrestling tactics and while they have never released that information. The Storm are nowhere the worst performers in that area. Actually they are mid table. Last years rule changes and the additionally rule adjustments this year are proof Melbourne haven’t relied on the dark art of wrestling as many of you seem to think. There defensive system and adhering to it is the reason behind there success.

Grapple, crusher, chicken wing and hip drops all started in Melbourne. I guess you could argue that all (except maybe hip drop) are harmless if the person they are performed on does not resist and allows their body to be moved. But when they are wrestling back they are dangerous manouvers. I dont question the character of all at the club, but certainly many. As for including the NRL employees and referees, i certainly dont question their character as a result of this as they have had to implement and adjudicate on new rules that have rightfully outlawed such tackles.

Won’t happen in current game speed. I understand your point but I believe low tackling isn’t the solution to concussion. Especially as concussion rate is only 35% being the attacker. The focus is on reducing the rate for the attacker not the defender. Which is odd cause the attacker is the minority in the statistical information we are receiving. The real bad long term concussions the likes that Friend and Keary seem to get are from tackling low. I’m all for making the game safer so I’m not saying it should be a free for all but there should be some but they need better perspective of rule changes and the concussion debate.

1. Many other careers have also ended by tackles made by every other NRL club. 2. Your initial assumption was that those 2 tackles were coached a “tackling style”. Which isn’t we’re just tackles gone wrong in a randomised collision sport. 3. Storm have never received salary cap concession like is permitted in the AFL. So that assumption is incorrect. Yes they had salary cap issues but were more than adequately penalised for that compares to other NRL club breaches for cap compliance.

1. It wasn't Bellamy but it was Melbourne. 2. They didn't do it on purpose but the low tackler lifted the ball carrier. If it was a classic low tackle the second tackler in would only have to wrap up the ball carrier to stop the ball being passed. 3. Melbourne were Rugby League's attempt to spread the game into Australian Football heartland and like the Swans and Lions they received benefits to help them succeed.

A low tackle should be called dominant and the tackler is allowed the time to get up and move in front of the tackled player before the play-the-ball can commence. This would not fit in with speeding the game up. It would save the tackler's energy while the tackled player loses energy hitting the ground. This is the advantage gained from tackling low.

Interpretation of the rules and the speeding up of the game. A low tackler is effective if making a tackle but ineffective for your defensive line because of the quick play the ball speed a low tackle allows.

Greg, Melbourne have never coached any player to harm the opposition. Your assumption that they would, undermines the character of not only the Melbourne players and staff but also the referees and NRL all of whom have a duty of care. It’s true players have been injured in tackles but that rings true for every rugby league team not just one.

McCraken retired in 2000. Bellamy wasn’t the Storm coach until 2003. McKinnon’s accident was exactly that, an unfortunate accident where low tackler lifted while 2 top tacklers involved meant it was put into a terrible position. Melbourne have never coached lifting in tackles due to the fact attackers feet of the ground being deem as “held”…… Melbourne have however tried to slow the time to get you to the ground and time maximise time spent on the ground.