Storm for Wooden Spoon - Betting Suspended

[Dexter]

It is not fair no matter how it is done.

Tits and Manly beat a full Storm team so they should get rewarded for the win.
The other teams that have to play the Storm should play them at full strength the same as the first 6 teams.

If the Storm get forced to lose players for the rest of the year and play for no points then its basically a gimme game and some teams have to play them twice so that is not fair to the teams that have already lost.

Its a mess no matter how you carve it.

 

[ddd]

Tits and Manly beat a full Storm team so they should get rewarded for the win.
The other teams that have to play the Storm should play them at full strength the same as the first 6 teams.

Perhaps players, members and club officials, next time they play the storm at home, after the game, get to go onto the field and each get one free punch at whomever they want from the Storm - inc. Bellamy - I may well get a titans membership! icon_smile

Realistically, those teams get the pride of beating cheaters and makes the win all the sweeter, I know I'm even more stoked about the 2006 premiership now!

 

[OXY-351]

But what happens if they earn points, make the 8 and win the comp in 2010? How is that punishment?? They would win yet ANOTHER premiership with a rort of a team.

Do you even read posts?

If they get their team BELOW the salary cap, how is it any longer a rort of a team? If they are on a level playing field with everyone else, why shouldn't they be able to compete? Surely taking away all the accolades they've earnt with an illegal team is punishment enough.

I agree they needed to be punished quite harshly, but I just can't see how not allowing they to earn points at all for the rest of the season is good for the game. Either kick them out of the comp completely, or allow them to earn points when they get below the cap (which they should have been made to do before playing the Warriors anyway). Anything in between is going to be unworkable

 

[Kimlo]

Agree 10000% Rocky.
Players would have made more than enough by now anyway to not care about a paycut.

Unless the Give them a $3.2 mill cap for the next 2 years than paycuts are fine :)

 

[Flutterby]

It's all very well saying the need to get under the cap this year and then be able to accumulate points - but the question is, where do the players go who they cut to get under the cap? Apparently all but 2 clubs (us* and the Sharks - and the Sharks are in no position financially to spend any more) are at the limit of the cap for this season, so we would really be the only ones who could take any of them - and that's not really fair, all clubs not able to have a fair crack at securing the services of the players. So they get cut from Melbourne and don't get to play at all? Well that's not fair on the players. It's a shit situation all round but I think the decision is the best of all the possible shitty decisions the NRL could have made in relation to this season.

And in regards to "Gallop is just a mouthpiece for the Sydney clubs and that's the only reason they've done this" - well ALL 15 club CEO's agree with and fully support the punishments that were handed down - not just the Sydney clubs.

*I do acknowledge that this is contrary to other information I posted in another thread that I'd heard we were already at the limit of the cap.

 

[Kaz]

The NRL better not allow them to earn points this year.

Sure they have been punished by having the premierships etc taken away, but the players will still have the GF rings etc.

They have been cheating for 5 years that we know of.

Just imagine if we lost to them in 2006, how we as fans would be feeling that we lost to cap cheats.

Poor Parra, they lost 2 GF to Knights & Storm & both were over the cap.

Knights by about $500,000 in 2001. (nothing happened to the Knights though)

 

[Flutterby]

Kaz - never ever feel sorry for Parra

 

[Kaz]

But it was a fleeting sorry.

I am so :oops:

 

[Nashy]

I feel sorry for any team who has ever lost to a cap cheat.

 

[Kaz]

I feel more sorry for a team who lost to drug cheats.

 

[OXY-351]

[quote="OXY-351":2tjnhp4a][quote="The Rock":2tjnhp4a]But what happens if they earn points, make the 8 and win the comp in 2010? How is that punishment?? They would win yet ANOTHER premiership with a rort of a team.

Do you even read posts?

If they get their team BELOW the salary cap, how is it any longer a rort of a team? If they are on a level playing field with everyone else, why shouldn't they be able to compete? Surely taking away all the accolades they've earnt with an illegal team is punishment enough.

I agree they needed to be punished quite harshly, but I just can't see how not allowing they to earn points at all for the rest of the season is good for the game. Either kick them out of the comp completely, or allow them to earn points when they get below the cap (which they should have been made to do before playing the Warriors anyway). Anything in between is going to be unworkable[/quote:2tjnhp4a]

Did you read mine? That's what I agree with them. Get them under the cap, and that does not include allowing players to take pay cuts either.

Why you may ask? Well, taking pay cuts NOW when they have been busted in comparison to 3 years ago is waaaay different. It's like saying, "Ok, we'll give Inglis, Smith and Slater 500k a year, and if we get busted down the track we'll just cut their salaries down to 300k each which is about right anyway, then we'll be able to continue playing..."

No pay cuts should be allowed.[/quote:2tjnhp4a]

Yeah, I read yours. It was in repsonse to 2 posts about how the Storm should be allowed to accumulate points when they have a legal team, and you reply saying it wouldn't be fair for the Storm to earn points with a rort of a team.

The whole point of mine and ddd's posts were saying that they shouldn't be able to earn points unless they have a team that isn't roting the salary cap anymore. It just seemed like you only read the part about the Storm should be able to start accumalting points bit, not the whole posts, and argued a point we already agreed with.

I agree on the no pay cuts either, and I'm pretty sure I said that in my post too.

 

[OXY-351]

It's a shit situation all round but I think the decision is the best of all the possible shitty decisions the NRL could have made in relation to this season.

I don't agree they've come up with the best option, but I do agree it's a shit situation and I don't know if there is any outcome where someone isn't going to be disadvantaged.

However, I'd rather the Melbourne Storm and it's players be disadvantged than the other 15 clubs who have to play them. With the NRLs current decision, every team who has had to, and will have to, play the Storm this year are at a disadvantage.

If the Storm had to offload 1 or 2 players and they had to play Premier League/QLD Cup, then I'd rather see only those 1 or 2 players put out than the 15 other clubs. The players would still be getting paid their contract amount anyway. It's not like they'd be losing money.

And lets be honest here, does anyone really beleive that all or some of the Storm players didn't know they were getting dodgy payments that probably weren't being included in the salary cap? Surely you'd have to start asking questions when you're getting given $30K speedboats and $20 "gift" vouchers? If these players have to lose out, then so be it.

 

[Je$ter]

[quote="OXY-351":5xg93dea][quote="The Rock":5xg93dea]But what happens if they earn points, make the 8 and win the comp in 2010? How is that punishment?? They would win yet ANOTHER premiership with a rort of a team.

Do you even read posts?

If they get their team BELOW the salary cap, how is it any longer a rort of a team? If they are on a level playing field with everyone else, why shouldn't they be able to compete? Surely taking away all the accolades they've earnt with an illegal team is punishment enough.

I agree they needed to be punished quite harshly, but I just can't see how not allowing they to earn points at all for the rest of the season is good for the game. Either kick them out of the comp completely, or allow them to earn points when they get below the cap (which they should have been made to do before playing the Warriors anyway). Anything in between is going to be unworkable[/quote:5xg93dea]

Did you read mine? That's what I agree with them. Get them under the cap, and that does not include allowing players to take pay cuts either.

Why you may ask? Well, taking pay cuts NOW when they have been busted in comparison to 3 years ago is waaaay different. It's like saying, "Ok, we'll give Inglis, Smith and Slater 500k a year, and if we get busted down the track we'll just cut their salaries down to 300k each which is about right anyway, then we'll be able to continue playing..."

No pay cuts should be allowed.[/quote:5xg93dea]

Isn't that restraint of trade? They should be able to pay them how they see fit. If they are happy to stay and take a paycut, then that is fair enough imo.

 

[Coxy]

[quote="The Rock":2ab2vlrs][quote="OXY-351":2ab2vlrs][quote="The Rock":2ab2vlrs]But what happens if they earn points, make the 8 and win the comp in 2010? How is that punishment?? They would win yet ANOTHER premiership with a rort of a team.

Do you even read posts?

If they get their team BELOW the salary cap, how is it any longer a rort of a team? If they are on a level playing field with everyone else, why shouldn't they be able to compete? Surely taking away all the accolades they've earnt with an illegal team is punishment enough.

I agree they needed to be punished quite harshly, but I just can't see how not allowing they to earn points at all for the rest of the season is good for the game. Either kick them out of the comp completely, or allow them to earn points when they get below the cap (which they should have been made to do before playing the Warriors anyway). Anything in between is going to be unworkable[/quote:2ab2vlrs]

Did you read mine? That's what I agree with them. Get them under the cap, and that does not include allowing players to take pay cuts either.

Why you may ask? Well, taking pay cuts NOW when they have been busted in comparison to 3 years ago is waaaay different. It's like saying, "Ok, we'll give Inglis, Smith and Slater 500k a year, and if we get busted down the track we'll just cut their salaries down to 300k each which is about right anyway, then we'll be able to continue playing..."

No pay cuts should be allowed.[/quote:2ab2vlrs]

Isn't that restraint of trade? They should be able to pay them how they see fit. If they are happy to stay and take a paycut, then that is fair enough imo.[/quote:2ab2vlrs]

IMO if they were going to go the paycut route then the players themselves should be fined the extra money received for this year from the rort.

Ultimately I think the entire situation has missed the point. This year, yeah, it's a tough situation. But let's look at 2011.

Storm work out their payments and get back under the salary cap. They could realistically do it with the loss of a few fringe players rather than a star or two. Sure, they'd then potentially lack a bit of depth, but they'd still have a team more than capable of winning the title.

How's THAT fair?

IMO, the NRL didn't go far enough. They needed to dock the Storm salary cap for the next 2 years at least. Even if it was $250K, that's a huge punishment. And really that's the only deterrent to teams doing it.

I mean, wo is us, we lose our points for the year and have the symbolic gesture of losing our premierships (will anyone REALLY say the Storm didn't win in 2007 or 2009?). Fix the rorts and then work out some other way to get a good team together.

But if a team is going to be $250K worse off than all their competition for the next 2,3, 5 years or whatever punishment the NRL sees fit, then holy shit balls, that'll make sleazy scum like Waldron think twice.

 

[Je$ter]

Yeah but after looking at what happened to Carlton after their salary cap got lowered, it raped their team and they are only just getting back into contention.

If the NRL was to do that to Storm, ti could be the death of league in Melbourne.

 

[Coxy]

Agree, it could be. But frankly I don't think many clubs look at what's happened to Storm now as a deterrent.

 

[Huge]

( THIS NOT DIRECTED AT ANY POSTERS ON THIS PAGE IN PARTICULAR>>>GENERALIZATION ONLY)From the ridiculous claims you people are making you'd think the 17 players were superhuman because the club paid them 10 % more than anyone else was getting !!.....They deserve to pay more when you consider the disadvantages they have been suffering under for so long. No media support, every player imported ,taken from familiar territory and living in AFL heartland, no money from the NRL for compensation. Money the NRL should be paying to the Storm for doing its (THE NRLS) work carrying the torch for Rugby League in Australias most hostile environment.

Melbourne run junior comps in Melbourne, they produce their own players,(obviously they also recruit from interstate) get no support and have whatever benefits they might accrue taken from them by lazy Sydney based clubs who've refused to breed their own players.

Also, how about some perspective from you lot ??? ONLY a small part of the team is over the cap...that does NOT invalidate the rest of the team, you people are only squawking about the bit that's over the cap. The whole team ,by the very definition are not cheats, just the bit that's over. The players are not cheats, not any of them, the administration may have cheated but not the players.

It sickens me to see the injustice of you people who call these extremely hard working committed ,individuals cheats because of the actions of another individual or individuals. The judgemental drivel put forth here by some of you should be flushed down the toilet. You should hang your heads in shame. I'd say the Storm players would put 99% of you to shame with their dedication and attitude plus their application to life. Sickening lazy cyber warriors slagging off genuinely motivated people, most of you have no idea about taking a balanced view although their is hope for some. I've seen some of you grow these last 6 years and noticed a more mature reasoned approach to things. Unfortunately it seems drowned out by the knee jerkers.

 

[Coxy]

Huge, you disagree with the salary cap and its rules. Many of us do. Fact is, all the clubs are meant to abide by those rules, the Storm willingly and knowingly didn't. They, and everyone associated with them, deserve the punishment being handed out.

There's no ifs or buts about that.

The Melbourne Storm was an illegal football team for the past 5 years. Deliberately so. Orchestrated. And I don't for a second believe it was only 2 or 3 people in the club that knew about the whole scam. If the players involved didn't have any idea then either a) they're utterly moronic stupid people, or b) the ringleaders of this scam are extremely good at making it look legitimate and deceive their players.

Frankly I think it's a combination of both.