Melbourne Storm Stripped of titles

[Milesh 26]

The NRL have cut off the limbs of the Storm by declaring their 2010 season null and void.

This was an elaborate ploy committed by off-field personnel and although the players, coaching staff and supporters/members must wear the punishment dealt to the club as a whole, to render their current playing season worthless is genocide.

Administration will clear out, players will walk, coaching staff will find greener pastures, supporters will hesitate (I expect an enormous crowd on Sunday, however). The problem is, where can the Storm reach out to for local support? In the Northern states where League dominates the widespread community there is no issue. Here? Among an expanding AFL and a booming soccer industry? There is no crutch.

Those NRL executives indicating their commitment to a Victorian-based club are lying through their teeth.

Rest in Peace.

[Cards13 9,117]

i dont condone the breaches but seems completely over the top and ridiculous, particularly not being able to earn points this yr. Would the penalty have been the same for a NSW club?

They systematically rorted the system to win 2 premierships, if they had not cheated and lied their way to keep some of the best players in the comp then they would most likely not have won so yes it is completely acceptable. If MFC did the same thing then it would be acceptable. These sports are based on a cap otherwise the biggest, strongest clubs financially would dominate, West Coast, Pies etc. It has to be even for one and all.

If theyre breaching the cap this year, what else can they do.

Exactly. Projected to be $700,000 aboce the cap for '10

Brian bigmouth Waldron what an absolute disgrace,you'll never work in sports administration again!!!

Was it worth it?

He'll never get any job again.. can you imagine the interview... "so why did you leave your last role?" "uh I was sacked for lieing and cheating I was also questioned by police for fraud."

Melbourne Rebels is where he is now.

Read somewhere he will be given the sack ASAP

Storm have breached NRL rules not broken the law!

Its the AFL equivalent of Geelong systematically rorting the cap and winning 2 flags.

I wonder if Vlad is thinking...(Could Visy be....?)

I dont like league. I have no respect for the competition but....

I can think of a sport (called it a brand) that has worked so hard to absolutely destroy itself amongst its supporters, the media and the wider community.

Its a wonderful case study in sustained disaster!

Police investigate...

[Sir Why You Little 36,670]

Sleep Well Brian. Cheats must be exposed, i feel very sorry for those within the club who had no idea, but that's got to be it for the storm-how could you play a season for no points? Can't happen...

[... 11]

From Vlad:

THE AFL would have no hesitation in stripping premiership points or flags from its clubs if they breached the salary cap.

That is the message from AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou in the wake of the extraordinary punishment handed out to the Melbourne Storm by the NRL on Thursday.

The Storm were stripped of the two premierships they won in 2007 and 2009, three minor premierships and can amass no premiership points for the 2010 season after the club was found to have systemically breached salary cap provisions over the last five years.

A fine of $1.6 million was also imposed.

"We wouldn't hesitate in stripping clubs of points or for that matter - if it was very serious - of stripping a club of a premiership," Demetriou said after stepping out of a meeting with AFL club chief executives.

"All of the clubs are aware that those punishments and those sanctions are available to us in our code and to the NRL and they've used it."

Although Demetriou said he was not privy to all the details, he indicated that a similarly serious scenario would be met punitively by the AFL.

"Obviously it is a very serious matter", he said. "As someone who works in a code, I congratulate the NRL for the position they have taken - they must have obviously done some extensive work in the area to come up with these findings.

"All supporters want to know is: is the code being run with the highest integrity? And issues that relate to salary cap rorting are issues that all codes take very, very seriously."

Demetriou applauded the NRL for its stance and said all sporting codes were right to show zero tolerance on major breaches of the salary cap.

"I think it sends a strong message to everyone to all people involved in the industry", he said.

Demetriou would not be drawn on the implications of the controversy for rugby league in Melbourne, saying only that it was incumbent on all sporting administrations to uphold the integrity of their games.

Well well well.... Let's await the first person to investigate what's going on at Carlton.

Hypocrite.

[Sydney Pennski 294]

From Vlad:

THE AFL would have no hesitation in stripping premiership points or flags from its clubs if they breached the salary cap.

A fine of $1.6 million was also imposed.

"We wouldn't hesitate in stripping clubs of points or for that matter - if it was very serious - of stripping a club of a premiership," Demetriou said after stepping out of a meeting with AFL club chief executives.

Well may he say so safe in the knowledge that AFL clubs don't have to run two sets of books to rort the salary cap rules. They're doing it quite nicely and legally with the obscenely bloated marketing allowances given to players like Chri$ Judd who cops a nice whack from Vi$y for doing what? Bugger all!

Don't know how Vlad can make these statements and keep a straight face.

[Mono 455]

The NRL call on the Storm is huge.

1. Rugby League is struggling - because it is played in Sydney, bits of Qld, small bits of NZ, France and northern England. No where else, and little TV OR LIVE patronage. A game in Sydney would be lucky to attract 5,000 attendance. Melbourne is very important because it is an expansion into a significant market, AND it is the big 'hate' team - they give weight to interstate rivalry - very important for any TV numbers

2. Rugby League is struggling - because the game is too simple and is compromised by appalling refereeing of the 'forward pass' rule, and the "scrums" are a farce

3. Rugby League is struggling - because Rugby Union has no salary cap - they have been and will continue to attract the best rugby talent, both in Oz and Europe.

The NRL was built on the base of the Sydney Leagues clubs - they no longer carry any of the financial weight they once did.

The conclusion is that Rugby League (in Australia) is virtually dead.

RIP

[Sir Why You Little 36,670]

Well may he say so safe in the knowledge that AFL clubs don't have to run two sets of books to rort the salary cap rules. They're doing it quite nicely and legally with the obscenely bloated marketing allowances given to players like Chri$ Judd who cops a nice whack from Vi$y for doing what? Bugger all!

Don't know how Vlad can make these statements and keep a straight face.

Shall be interesting won't it.

[P-man 13,366]

2. Rugby League is struggling - because the game is too simple and is compromised by appalling refereeing of the 'forward pass' rule, and the "scrums" are a farce

Rugby league fans and commentators alike fully accept that the scrums are a farce, and many would like to see them done away with altogether but otherwise couldn't care less. Likewise I'm pretty sure many would argue the leniancy towards the forward pass adds to the "excitement of the modern game". So neither of these things are contributing to the game struggling as far as attracting fans imo.

[WonnaJurah 5]

St Kilda to be checked as well as he was there for a while. Nrl is dead to me in 2010,i dont care so Go Dees. Wonder if any do a Karmicheal Hunt and join the better code

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

I don't care about that stupid game but I worry that this might screw us with the new facilities if Storm collapses. Other than that I could care less if they wound up the whole club and mailed them home.

[beelzebub 23,200]

( I'll just repost this from Other-Sports !! )

Well.... thats that then. I cant see how they can carry on really. hard to play when no points on offer. All in all its pretty heavy handed of the NRL.. Fine them..even remove exisitng points...but both premierships...come o !! Smells like theres a lot more than just "housekeeping" happening here. League is Soooooo parochial I dont think they ever quite recovered from a 'lowly' Melbourne team whipping their collective NSW-QLD bums. That would smart these myopic neanderthals.

Of course Vlad would applaud it..lol.. hell the NRL is going to kil off its Melbourne competitor for him.

Storm probably havent come anywhere near what Carlton have done over the years.

Far more to this than meets the eye me thinks...

[Webber 10,438]

Couldn't happen to a more deserving sport : puts Rugby League into its true position, an ugly bastardisation of a much superior game, Rugby Union. I have said for years that League will eventually die/be absorbed into Rugby Union (in fact it has been inevitable since Union went professional). Now that the Melbourne Rebels (super 15)are starting up, that will be the end of the League experiment in Melbourne. And good riddance to it. A boring, one dimensional, tactically uninteresting slug-fest, it has fringe value only, and the fringe is being trimmed! It might also wake Sydneysiders up to the fact that the sport borne of this land in every sense, is the one which best uses space, speed, athleticism and harmonising teamwork.....Australian Football.

RIP Storm, it's been ugly.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

The NRL have acted drastically, decisively and angrily to the culture of the LT cheating and rorting at Storm. It was deliberate, systematic and substantial.

If they were serious about making the sport "honest" then they had little choice. Anything less would have dragged the whole competition into the quagmire. Storm won all its titles dishonestly and their victories tainted. People who complain about what this does for NRL's interests have completely missed the point. If they had let the commercial interest of a base ahead of the need to expunge the cancer now revealed then the NRL would have been history.

Storm are about to be taken through a forensic audit examination, police enquiry, NRL investigation, ATO investigation and possible civil and criminal penalties to one or more persons. It will be a playground for lawyers. Complaints that taking away their points for future games is draconian need not worry. There will be so many off the ground distractions to the Storm coaches and players that it wont matter.

News Ltd, Storm's owner have a massive financial hole caused by the penalties and loss of supporters and sponsors. They will need to prop Storm up in the short term. They will also need to completely replace the Storm Board who will need to also need to mea culpa over this as the guardians of the Clubs interest. Some of the directors will also have their public careers blotted by their involvement at Storm. Indeed News and NRL will be under fire as the level of control and probity they have had. However it is hard to undertake this when one or more persons has wilfully and repeatedly abused the system.

Host Plus will hold a press conference today and will no doubt seek to end their association with a cheat. Given all the media trouble with NRL and AFL clubs, its got me baffled why entities with high community intentions and standards like TAC and Host Plus align themselves with a sports "brand" that can easily compromise their interest. For Host Plus, the Storm issue is a complete compromise to their regulatory and governance standards.

Waldron and other directly involved are legally and commercial toxic. Most should scramble for lawyers. But its not just them. All the investigations to be held will put into question, directors, coaches, player managers and officials. In fact aanyone who has known of this or has any way facilitated any payment or transaction as part of this. Credibility and integrity are going to tested and the guilt by association will be significant.

Whether Storm survives or not (and there is grounds that through the hell they will go through that they might not) this NRL decision sets a standard and sends an unequivocal and clear message....you cheat the rules and you are dead meat.

If there were any future examples whether they be in NRL, AFL or elsewhere, punishment that is seen to lenient realitive to the extent of matter will be absolutely pillared in the media and the community at large.

[beelzebub 23,200]

Have to laugh.. the news is Sooooo Sydney centric.. youd think it was the only show in town..lol...or rather Sydney was the only town with a show. So many of those Shinytown folk must be rejoicing in the pending demise of the Storm. Ive personally have no problem with people following any code.. its a personal thing after all. Not everyone finds AFL its preferred choice.

[beelzebub 23,200]

a little perspective.. if it was 1.7 over five years were talking a miserable 350 year. Yes..its been a ruse but weve all known what s been going on in AFL land for years. In the grand scheme of things its not a huge amount of money.

l

The whole NRL existence is a dodgy afair. The clubs in their won right can hardly stand on their feet. The business model for that game has been mucked around with many times and all but crumbled. I wonder how many other NRL clubs might be scrambling for the shredder!!

[Steamin Demon 392]

i dont care what the nrl says, they will never be able to take that away from the players. they were the best team of the year regardless of what they go paid. it might be dissapointing but i dont think they would care. imagine sometime told you that 'a premiership you won a few years ago doesn't count any more'? you still won it on the day, that'll be what counts to them.

That's exactly what I thought, No one can take that away.

[Steamin Demon 392]

The NRL have acted drastically, decisively and angrily to the culture of the LT cheating and rorting at Storm. It was deliberate, systematic and substantial.

If they were serious about making the sport "honest" then they had little choice. Anything less would have dragged the whole competition into the quagmire. Storm won all its titles dishonestly and their victories tainted. People who complain about what this does for NRL's interests have completely missed the point. If they had let the commercial interest of a base ahead of the need to expunge the cancer now revealed then the NRL would have been history.

Storm are about to be taken through a forensic audit examination, police enquiry, NRL investigation, ATO investigation and possible civil and criminal penalties to one or more persons. It will be a playground for lawyers. Complaints that taking away their points for future games is draconian need not worry. There will be so many off the ground distractions to the Storm coaches and players that it wont matter.

News Ltd, Storm's owner have a massive financial hole caused by the penalties and loss of supporters and sponsors. They will need to prop Storm up in the short term. They will also need to completely replace the Storm Board who will need to also need to mea culpa over this as the guardians of the Clubs interest. Some of the directors will also have their public careers blotted by their involvement at Storm. Indeed News and NRL will be under fire as the level of control and probity they have had. However it is hard to undertake this when one or more persons has wilfully and repeatedly abused the system.

Host Plus will hold a press conference today and will no doubt seek to end their association with a cheat. Given all the media trouble with NRL and AFL clubs, its got me baffled why entities with high community intentions and standards like TAC and Host Plus align themselves with a sports "brand" that can easily compromise their interest. For Host Plus, the Storm issue is a complete compromise to their regulatory and governance standards.

Waldron and other directly involved are legally and commercial toxic. Most should scramble for lawyers. But its not just them. All the investigations to be held will put into question, directors, coaches, player managers and officials. In fact aanyone who has known of this or has any way facilitated any payment or transaction as part of this. Credibility and integrity are going to tested and the guilt by association will be significant.

Whether Storm survives or not (and there is grounds that through the hell they will go through that they might not) this NRL decision sets a standard and sends an unequivocal and clear message....you cheat the rules and you are dead meat.

If there were any future examples whether they be in NRL, AFL or elsewhere, punishment that is seen to lenient realitive to the extent of matter will be absolutely pillared in the media and the community at large.

Good post Rhino. I somehow think the AFL wouldn't take this approach, It would be all secret meetings then feed partial info to the media then slap a couple of draft concessions on the team in question. Sound familar ??

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Have to laugh.. the news is Sooooo Sydney centric.. youd think it was the only show in town..lol...or rather Sydney was the only town with a show. So many of those Shinytown folk must be rejoicing in the pending demise of the Storm. Ive personally have no problem with people following any code.. its a personal thing after all. Not everyone finds AFL its preferred choice.

You reckon. Its a sport with a NSW base. But the inmplications move beyond that. And any NRL follower will half a brain will realise this is bad for the Code.

The ramifications of the Storm will open the challenging of AFL and A League to validate that there is no rorting in their Code clubs.

The Cronulla Sharks debacle was sooooo Sydney.

This is story which cuts across all professional spectator sports.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Good post Rhino. I somehow think the AFL wouldn't take this approach, It would be all secret meetings then feed partial info to the media then slap a couple of draft concessions on the team in question. Sound familar ??

I dont think the AFL would have a choice if they were faced with a rort of this magnitude. The Storm penalty sets the bar of how you treat with breaches of the cap.

There is no way the AFL or any league could cut corners or go underground to resolve these matters. If it did the media and the community would be rightfully calling for blood at the highest level. I believe the NRL acted the way it did to make a clean hard break from this matter. If they hadnt acted on the Premierships then they would have all been tainted and NRL being seen to condone what has happened.

[beelzebub 23,200]

Its A Storm in a Harbour !!.. This games ( NRL ) is a joke... a basketcase. Struggles to get people to games.. teams struggling now that the pokies arent their private cash cow.

This far more about a NSW game remaining a NSW focus. How better to promote the game than shrink it !!lol. A league...lol.. a comp just this side of being broke itself.

Talk about kneejerk reactions by a bunch of amatuers !!

[beelzebub 23,200]

I dont think the AFL would have a choice if they were faced with a rort of this magnitude. The Storm penalty sets the bar of how you treat with breaches of the cap.

There is no way the AFL or any league could cut corners or go underground to resolve these matters. If it did the media and the community would be rightfully calling for blood at the highest level. I believe the NRL acted the way it did to make a clean hard break from this matter. If they hadnt acted on the Premierships then they would have all been tainted and NRL being seen to condone what has happened.

rubbish.. look at the history of our game and how we've ( AFL ) managed it We dont go about it by destroying teams. Hell for the most part we just keep our heads in sand ( AFL) Carlton rorted for years..still are.

A more appropriate fine would have been to strip it of its current points.By all means fine it. , require it to prove by audit that it was within salary cap with a prescribed period.. possibly a month. As the NRL provide for moves... possibly allow other clubs to contract9mid season draft ) any players that the Storm cant aford should salary cap required pruning of its list.

The NRL are idiots..simple as that

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

rubbish.. look at the history of our game and how we've ( AFL ) managed it We dont go about it by destroying teams. Hell for the most part we just keep our heads in sand ( AFL) Carlton rorted for years..still are.

Maybe Carlton are. But its just opinion, rumour and scuttlebutt until proven. Storm will raise the probity of all clubs and the assurance by Leagues to ensure they comply.

A more appropriate fine would have been to strip it of its current points.By all means fine it. , require it to prove by audit that it was within salary cap with a prescribed period.. possibly a month. As the NRL provide for moves... possibly allow other clubs to contract9mid season draft ) any players that the Storm cant aford should salary cap required pruning of its list.

A better definition of "having your head in the sand" I have yet to see. The NRL received a credible whistleblower that the Storm had systematically cheated the system for five years. Penalising them of premiership points for the current year would have been slapping them with a silk glove and washing it under the mat.

The NRL are idiots..simple as that

Comprehensive assessment there.

[beelzebub 23,200]

Im not advocating that wholesale rorting need go neither unabated, unchallenged nor penalised. But a sledgehammer to a walnut ?..even a reasonably larger type walnut ?

Yes...clever stuff NRL.. diminish your competition...again ...idiots!!

Demetriou must be having a chuckle to himself

[Tony Tea 2,805]

The sad part is that the NRL has never been better. The strength, the speed, the athleticism, the skills - the NRL is currently fantastic to watch. On top of that, the game is made-for-TV and the commentary, while still tending to the boofheaded, is enthusiastic, informative and far less pretentious and self-aggrandising than much of the AFL commentary. It has the sort of folksy, old fashioned tone that the AFL broadcast partners - a despicable phrase - are desperately trying to run away from.

Also, while the Storm copped their right whack, you can see why they did it. All the Melbourne stars came to Melbourne as bit players and developed into stars here, which meant that their pay packets ballooned. Then, when they got good, the other NRL clubs and Super League in the UK came offering big bickies. Melbourne have already lost a swag of top-line players. Melbourne's thinking would have been "Why should we let the players we developed go to other clubs?" And there's another snag: how can the NRL operate with a salary cap when the Pommy Super League doesn't have one? Like I said: they cheated, they got caught, but I bet they aren't the only team to cheat.

Obviously my perspective means next-to rock-all in an AFL forum, but someone has to put their hand up for League. May as well be me.

Whatever the Storm's motivations, their experience is a salient lesson for the Demons, who are trying to develop a large batch of youngsters and at some stage will have to endure salary cap pressure.

[hardtack 10,423]

Shattering news, Storm are finished IMO

They are finished and not for the reason everyone thinks.

When I first moved to Sydney in 1979 I started watching "the league" and adopted the Newtown Jets as my team of choice... within a few short years they were defunct. Feeling lost without a team I decided to follow the North Sydney Bears (I worked with one of their players at the time)... but then in the wake of Packer's Super League they were forced into a merger with Manly as a central coast team and after that whole debacle was over and the NRL restored, Manly survived as a team in their own right and the Bears were gone. Ok, thinking it might be a case of third time lucky, I jumped on board the Rabbitohs (South Sydney), but guess what... yep, they too were consigned to the scrap heap not long after. Yes, they were revived thanks in no small part to the likes of celebrity fans such as Andrew Denton and Russell Crowe, but there is something about Russell Crowe fawning over them that makes me feel a bit queasy and I just can't bring myself to follow them again - instead I went back to my home town roots and decided to (kind of) follow the Storm.

So there you have it... the Storm would probably survive this but for the fact that they have the added downside of having me hitched to their wagon. They are gone, finished, kaput!