In a week when players from all clubs thumbed their nose at the NRL by covering the competition logo on their jerseys, Melbourne delivered their own up-yours to head office.
The Storm were celebrating their 25th anniversary on Friday night at Marvel Stadium, nothing wrong with that.
Wearing 1998 replica jerseys they put Parramatta away 46-16 with Harry Grant and Jahrome Hughes running amok to reinforce their top-four hopes and show they are a legitimate chance of making it all the way to this year’s premiership decider.
But they continued their running battle with the NRL hierarchy by celebrating their 2007 and ‘09 premierships “wins” which were stripped from the club in 2010 after their widespread rotting of the salary cap was uncovered.
And of course the Eels were the team they beat with their non-salary cap compliant squad in the second of those tainted Grand Final triumphs, which made the Storm’s decision to commemorate their ill-gotten gains even tackier.
Hughes and Harry smoke Eels
The half and hooker combo of Hughes and Grant ran the Parramatta defence ragged to set up the Round 22 romp.
Grant scored the first two tries for the home side and after setting up the hooker’s second four-pointer, Hughes grabbed one of his own as the Storm put a dampener on a hot Parramatta start.
Eels winger Sean Russell opened the scoring with an Inspector Gadget arm extension to put the ball down inside the corner post and nearly did it again a short time later but the cover defence just did enough to deny him.
After trailing by 14 following the Harry and Hughes double act’s dominance, the Eels cut the deficit to eight when lock J’maine Hopgood touched down but opposing forward Eliesa Katoa cancelled that out for the hosts to lead 24-10 at the break.
When Josh King barged over for a rare try eight minutes into the second stanza, the Storm’s lead was out to 20.
Grant and Hughes combined again on the hour mark to put centre Marion Seve across the stripe for a 36-10 buffer.
A Luca Moretti try brought Parra back within 20 but Cameron Munster snuffed out any faint hope of an unlikely comeback when he crossed from close range with a trademark fend.
Wily winger Will Warbrick whizzed over for a late try to strengthen his claims for NRL rookie of the year honours, if indeed they’re given out at season’s end amid the ongoing RLPA dispute.
With the Warriors having the bye, the Storm don’t rise up the ladder with their 12th win of the year but they are locked into fourth spot heading into next Friday’s blockbuster at Penrith against the premiers.
Old Boys whooping it up
Storm coach Craig Bellamy said there were about 50 former players in the sheds, as well as ’99 premiership-winning coach Craig Anderson, celebrating the win as part of the club’s 25-year celebrations.
“Just to win tonight was what we were after, we didn’t want to all be moping around on an occasion like this,” he said. “I thought we controlled the pace of the game well and got back to doing what we know works for us.”
Bellamy admitted he’s “probably a bit of a doomsdayer at times” but this team is definitely one of the few contenders capable of upsetting Penrith’s plans for a threepeat.
“We’ve got to show in the next couple of weeks that we can do that consistently. We haven’t been good at that this year. We’ve given up three or four 12- and 14-point leads this year and ended up losing the game. That’s something this club hasn’t done a whole heap of in the past,” he said.
“We need to make sure we don’t lose our way and get too happy after tonight but we know we can do it, we know what works and we need to work hard to make sure that we bring something close to that every week.”
Storm veteran Young Tonumaipea suffered a hamstring injury so PNG centre Justin Olam will likely earn a recall after his surprise demotion to the Queensland Cup.
Luckless fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen will get a couple of games in the Q-Cup when he makes his comeback from a fractured kneecap in the coming weeks which has sidelined him for more than a year.
Parra don’t matter in this year’s title race
The Eels raised hopes of ending their three-decade plus premiership drought last year by going all the way to the Grand Final before they were outclassed by Penrith.
They won’t be going anywhere near the first Sunday night in October this time around and will lucky to make the finals after slipping to ninth at Marvel Stadium.
Parra have four matches left and a bye in the final round but rather than a week off before the playoffs, they could be the first team drowning their sorrows.
Eels coach Brad Arthur thought they started alright but “missed a few opportunities” and the Storm made them pay.
“I don’t think we handled the speed they played at, and the physicality,” he said. “We’re standing still on their tryline and they were just carrying us over the line.
“It’s hurt us but we’ve got enough games there and we’ve just got to focus on turning it around for next week and then worry about the weeks after that. It’s still in our hands – we only have to win those games.”
Harry Grant celebrates scoring. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
While they’ve had a few injuries with veteran hooker Josh Hodgson possibly being forced into retirement due to a neck problem and Shaun Lane nursing a dislocated elbow, a lack of discipline on and off the field has been the main contributor to their late-season slump with Dylan Brown, Maika Sivo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard sorely missed at the wrong time of year.
Brown will make his return from his NRL-imposed suspension after pleading guilty to a “sexual touching” offence at a Sydney pub midway through the year and Arthur said the Kiwi international would make an impact in attack and defence when they host St George Illawarra on Saturday night.
“He knows he needs to repay his teammates,” Arthur added.
If they do sneak into the finals, the Eels lack the X-factor to make a late playoff surge.
The bad news for Eels fans is they will largely go into next year with the same squad and after a few years in the hunt for a title, they could be on a downward swing in the coming seasons.
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
So, you say the Storm were hard done by and are the victim here because of a lack of an investigation. Of course, the Sydney media were going to represent them in the worst possible light. They deliberately cheated the cap for over 38% of their existence did they seriously expect support? What they did was disgraceful. How about those in Melbourne who feel hard done by "expose the facts of the matter "so we can all be enlightened. If they feel justice wasn't done appeal the decision or test it in a court of law otherwise accept the consequences and get rid of the replica trophies. Instead, they choose to thumb their nose at everybody and say up yours we don't care what you think those premierships are ours. Just my opinion, that's the way I see things, depends on what side of the fence you sit I suppose.
Redcap
Roar Guru
Hmm. Distinction without a difference, really. A junior administrator could be excused for such mistakes. A CEO has a positive, probative duty to understand the implications of his/her decisions. So, what's this 'investigation' supposed to be about.
KenW
Roar Rookie
There doesn't seem to be any obvious goal of an NRL investigation ? The scam was admitted to, the punishment given was the same punishment given to the Dogs. There wasn't even inflation added. So we have an agreed set of facts of what Melbourne did wrong, and a consistent punishment given. Even if you're just talking about the media frenzy being unfair it doesn't hold up. If you were in Sydney during 2002 you would know that the media exposé was even bigger for the Dogs and the Oasis project. Melbourne being outside of Sydney saw them slightly less exposed than the Dogs, not more.
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
Whilst no one has ever denied that they were over the cap, many in Melbourne believe that the facts of the matter have never been properly exposed and that the punishments were rushed out amid much media hype at the time. Unfortunately, there was little capital to be made by the Sydney media selling papers in Sydney to represent Melbourne in anything but the worst possible light. Even the shell shocked management group owned up to being over the cap (which they were) without even considering that a proper investigation was needed. It was a little like a man getting caught with a knife standing over his wife's dead body and who couldn't remember anything turning round and saying they didn't need a lawyer because they must be guilty.
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
I am not saying that Waldron was incompetent. You have to remember that the salary cap rules especially at that time were very complex. Waldron who had earned his stripes as an AFL official mistakenly assumed that the rules he was used too in afl around 3rd party payments was the same in the Nrl. He went out and made all these arrangements with sponsors and only later discovered that he had made a massive mistake. Instead of coming clean, he tried to hide his mistake. The boat thing is more media hype blowing something out of all proportion. The Storm had a Marine Company as a sponsor and Inglis asked if Waldron could get his Dad a deal on a boat from that sponsor as payment for some sponsorship work. Waldron looked into it but of course this too was part of his big mistake.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
"Having your father paid a massive amount helps keep the services of your son at a discounted rate also." Knights ? Ponga ? Panthers ? Cleary ? Broncos ? Walters ? Sharks ? Flanagan Dragons ? Flanagan ? Dolphins ? O'Sullivan ?
Ben Pobjie
Expert
I agree.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
Call me crazy but I still think FB is Munster's best position.
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
How does any of what you posted support your claim that penrith cheated the cap in 03,seriously am i missing something
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
You basically inferred Penrith won the title in 2003 because martin lang was being paid under the table, what does anything you have posted do to support your argument please give me something.Because he played 2 more soo than brandy so what does that mean penrith cheated the cap .i seriously cant follow your logic
NQR
Roar Rookie
Martin Lang won a minor premiership with Sharks and premiership with Panthers also playing in 8 SOO. That’s 2 more SOO than Greg Alexander, same as John Cartwright, 1 less than Ian Roberts, 1 more than Mark Carroll. Smith, Slater and Cronk were looked over by Bennett and with Inglis brought through by the Storm.
NQR
Roar Rookie
Fair enough. It’s the win at any cost mindset unfortunately. The Sharks were guilty of salary cap breaches in their Premiership year. As were the Cowboys and several others over the years. Cricket players put sandpaper in their pockets. It’s glass houses bringing it up but i guess someone in the Storm thought wearing those jersey was clever.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
I don't recall anyone from the front office, or the back office, making a tackle, taking a hit-up, scoring a try or kicking a goal. Nothing the players did, on the field, broke any rules and they were, and still are the best team of those two seasons. How clever of the Victorian team to figure out how to 'rort' the cap, those NSW and QLD teams must feel so silly they didn't think of it, no wait, did someone mention Brisbane and Sydney Roosters? As if Melbourne were setting a trend, not just 'playing the game' as they found it. How clever of Cronulla to be over the cap prior to, and after, their premiership win. That's great management right there. Then again, being over the year before, doesn't that set up the GF winning year? Unfair advantage? You have to get out of Sydney to see the bias.
Redcap
Roar Guru
Oh, so Waldron and his colleagues were dodgy AND incompetent. Good to know. "The thing that Melbourne want is the investigation that never happened but the NRL have (somewhat understandably) denied them that." The investigation into what, exactly?
andrew
Roar Rookie
No it's not just you Lang. I can't cop the way Moses carries on either. Continually waving his arms about and the rest of the bs he goes on with, he's well in front of Luai as the most unlikeable player. His pathetic effort when Holmes nailed him speaks for itself. He did sweet f##k all last night.
Renegade
Roar Guru
The peptides happened 3 years before the premiership… you’re using it as an example similar to the storm? Doesn’t correlate.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Pretty decent list. All either came through their development systems (NYC or QCup), or were recruited as bottom dollar fixer-upers. Take Hughes for example, a Rooster's junior, 3 years with the Titans for 1 NRL game, a year at the Blackhawks in the QCup, a year with the Cowboys for 1 NRL game. Storm got him pretty cheap in 2017.
langparker
Roar Rookie
Not a Storm or Eels supporter so not interested in the tit-for-tat squabbles on here about the past premiership celebrations, when having the past player nights what club wouldn’t invite the teams who were involved in those circumstances. Just seems an odd mix to do an article combining both as the salary cap issues & last nights game are unrelated and I agree that a separate piece would have been more appropriate. On the game front, is it just me or is Mitchell Moses fast outpacing Jerome Luai as the most unlikeable player in the NRL with all his histrionics aimed at the refs. Last week running at him holding his chin, this week waving the arms around at refs/linesmen 3-4 times. I’d be happy if the refs told him prior to kick off that he was banned from speaking to them unless he was appointed captain. Instead of blowing up at refs & his own winger, maybe he should have put in an effort for 80 minutes instead of a few flashy plays when the Storm had the game in the bag & rested their gun players.
KenW
Roar Rookie
Let's be clear though, the only other time a club got busted on a similar scale was the Bulldogs in 2002. Who got exactly the same $500,000 fine. And the same soft touch about their squad, leading to both of the teams winning slightly asterixed comps 2 seasons later with much the same team.
KenW
Roar Rookie
No one would be talking about it at all in 2023 except that the Storm keep bringing it up. It's baffling that they continually find a reason to do so, it just taints everything else they are celebrating.