Smith Calls for Storm Premierships to be Reinstated

[Eta Carinae]

Does anyone else find this interesting as I did. I believe and he has a point. Not that Storm's premierships should be reinstated. I think he knows that won't happen and shouldn't happen but I think it was more a subtle way of saying, the Shonkies premiership should also be stripped. I agree with this.

Seems to me the Shonkies got off extremely lightly. They may have "self-reported" but as they themselves said, they weren't aware of the extent of the cheating until it was unearthed by the NRL.

I think it's only fair their premiership should be stripped and the fine is adequate but none of it should be suspended.

 

[Battler]

I can't wait until this bloke retires.

 

[broncos4life]

I can't wait until this bloke retires.

Yep.

Absolute piece of shit.

Not that I think it is a chance of happening but if they ever did reinstate the Storm's premierships I would officially be done with the game.

 

[tommy]

I can't wait until this bloke retires.

He will probably be given Greenburg's job on a platter.

 

[WASSHHH]

I think Smith is right and wrong.

He is right that the punishments should be consistent.

But he is wrong to think the Storm’s premierships should be reinstated. Cronulla should have theirs stripped.

It’s about time the NRL stopped being so limp wristed and grew a pair.

 

[Thelmus]

Im a bit in two minds about the storm non-premierships. Whilst I believe the club was rightly stripped. Individual occolades for players being stripped seemed harsh, given they trained and put the effort onto the field, without control for the clubs salary cap actions.
If it were proven there was collusion, it would be fair enough but there hasn't been. I would go further to say bans and suspensions should have been implemented if this was the case, especially the coach.
As for the sharks, I see no difference and believe the same should have happened. It all seems a little unbelievable that the one year in 4 they didn't break the cap, they won it.

 

[Big Pete]

A couple of key differences...

Cronulla rorted the cap by $700,000 over a 5 year period.

Melbourne rorted the cap by $3,780,000 over the same period.

As spwn pointed out, the salary cap has inflated since Melbourne first started rorting the cap. In 2006, the cap was only 3.3 Million and by 2010 it was 4.1 Million. When Cronulla started in 2013 it was 5.8 Million and by 2017 was $7 million, so the overall percentage wasn't as high.

I can't find the figures on Parramatta, but the Sea Eagles rorted the cap by $1.5 million over a five year period and were handed a similar punishment as the Sharks.

I do agree with Cameron that the punishments aren't consistent and I fail to see how monetary fines and a 3.5% reduction of the salary cap is supposed to act as a deterrent. I believe if you've systemically rorted the cap during a certain period of time, any prizes should be wiped from the record book and the salary cap should be reduced by 20%.

 

[Battler]

He will probably be given Greenburg's job on a platter.

If the NRL were serious they'd offer White the job with double his current salary to seal the deal. I don't want to lose him, but he's the best in the business.

 

[mitch222]

Smiths lucky the storm got off lightly when they did get caught cheating. Him, Cronk and Slater wouldn't have played their whole careers together that's for sure. One or two of them would have been poached by another club in their formative years if clubs were able to legitimately compete with Melbourne offers. As far as I am concerned, if you cheat the salary cap you should basically have to declare all contracts null and void and have to re-sign every single player again whilst opening contacts up to other teams as a punishment.

 

[tommy]

Every single year there are teams caught cheating the cap, it's disgusting. Make them play for no points for a season like they did the Storm.

 

[CaptainHook]

The Storm should have their 2007 premiership reinstated.

I read somewhere recently they were only over the cap by $200,000 that year and the NRL were aware of it. So, no harm there in restoring their title.

The salary cap is broken. Has there been a club that hasn't been fined in the last 10 years?

Despite clear rules and a cap, clubs still can't help themselves overspending. The only way it makes sense is a salary cap and a draft system working in tandem.

Clubs wouldn't spend like drunken sailors on players that were off-limits.

Obviously, we'll never have a draft so we should get rid of the salary cap as well. Let clubs overspend. Let them go broke and fold. Rationalise the competition to about 12 sides, spread the talent evenly across all teams, nationalise the sport and let's get on with it.

 

[Brotherdu]

A couple of key differences...

Cronulla rorted the cap by $700,000 over a 5 year period.

Melbourne rorted the cap by $3,780,000 over the same period.

As spwn pointed out, the salary cap has inflated since Melbourne first started rorting the cap. In 2006, the cap was only 3.3 Million and by 2010 it was 4.1 Million. When Cronulla started in 2013 it was 5.8 Million and by 2017 was $7 million, so the overall percentage wasn't as high.

I can't find the figures on Parramatta, but the Sea Eagles rorted the cap by $1.5 million over a five year period and were handed a similar punishment as the Sharks.

I do agree with Cameron that the punishments aren't consistent and I fail to see how monetary fines and a 3.5% reduction of the salary cap is supposed to act as a deterrent. I believe if you've systemically rorted the cap during a certain period of time, any prizes should be wiped from the record book and the salary cap should be reduced by 20%.

Technically you could also argue that they are not really as 'out of pocket' as they should be either.

They get fined....but then have less salary cap, so have to fork out less to players. It might hurt them on the park, but not their bottom line.

Although you could also argue that if results drop due to lower salary cap, then less gate fee's and sponsors would hurt them.

 

[Big Pete]

I read somewhere recently they were only over the cap by $200,000 that year and the NRL were aware of it. So, no harm there in restoring their title.

Where?

They were over by $459,000 and deliberately cheated the system.

 

[Eta Carinae]

A couple of key differences...

Cronulla rorted the cap by $700,000 over a 5 year period.

Melbourne rorted the cap by $3,780,000 over the same period.

As spwn pointed out, the salary cap has inflated since Melbourne first started rorting the cap. In 2006, the cap was only 3.3 Million and by 2010 it was 4.1 Million. When Cronulla started in 2013 it was 5.8 Million and by 2017 was $7 million, so the overall percentage wasn't as high.

I can't find the figures on Parramatta, but the Sea Eagles rorted the cap by $1.5 million over a five year period and were handed a similar punishment as the Sharks.

I do agree with Cameron that the punishments aren't consistent and I fail to see how monetary fines and a 3.5% reduction of the salary cap is supposed to act as a deterrent. I believe if you've systemically rorted the cap during a certain period of time, any prizes should be wiped from the record book and the salary cap should be reduced by 20%.

Storm were caught cheating to a greater extent and (fairly IMO) paid a far higher price for the their cheating. Shonkies were also caught cheating and got basically a slap on the wrist. The de-registering of the coach and fine for that has nothing to do with the salary cap cheating. A separate issue. The PED use is also a separate issue.

It would only be fair is their premiership were stripped and part of the fine is suspended, is unsuspended.

 

[Eta Carinae]

Where?

They were over by $459,000 and deliberately cheated the system.

IMO if a club is caught cheating on purpose (I understand salary cap is complicated and sometimes clubs inadvertently go a little over) after the fact, they should be stripped of any trophies they gained at the time. If they are caught cheating (on purpose) during the same season, I guess it's a little more complicated.

 

[Nashy]

Hate the ****, and hate the Storm. But any league fan bagging him about this are mental. The fucking Sharks were cheating that year, if you believe the NRL, you have rocks in your head.

They should lose their premiership, and if they don't, give the Storm back theirs. What's fair for them, is fair for all. It's a fucking rort that NRL fans are not absolutely disgusted at this.

 

[Eta Carinae]

Im a bit in two minds about the storm non-premierships. Whilst I believe the club was rightly stripped. Individual occolades for players being stripped seemed harsh, given they trained and put the effort onto the field, without control for the clubs salary cap actions.
If it were proven there was collusion, it would be fair enough but there hasn't been. I would go further to say bans and suspensions should have been implemented if this was the case, especially the coach.
As for the sharks, I see no difference and believe the same should have happened. It all seems a little unbelievable that the one year in 4 they didn't break the cap, they won it.

Clive Churchill medal should be taken away but probably not Dally M because the latter works both ways. Opposition teams can' more carefully mark one guy if he is in a team full of stars but a team full of stars is competing against each other for Dally M points.

 

[Morkel]

Hate the ****, and hate the Storm. But any league fan bagging him about this are mental. The fucking Sharks were cheating that year, if you believe the NRL, you have rocks in your head.

They should lose their premiership, and if they don't, give the Storm back theirs. What's fair for them, is fair for all. It's a fucking rort that NRL fans are not absolutely disgusted at this.

The fans would be up in arms is the media was on to it. The media tell the fans what is important, and the Sharks cheating the salary cap, their coach being permanently banned from the game, and the team having to play with a reduced cap is only going to get a matter-of-fact article while ever the DT employs a certain chief editor. In the meantime, anything at any other club leads to fucking Defcon 1 outrage-bait.