Melbourne Storm Stripped of titles

[Go Dees Attack 0]

Molly Meldrum said the NRL are in kindergarden compared to rhe AFl at running a national comp

[Dee Fan 3,247]

It will be interesting to see if St Kilda are investigated because of the Waldron connection. It will be amusing if they find that St Kilda were rorting the salary cap and were allowed to pick up Goddard because Carlton were rorting the salary cap. That would bring a fresh round of wailing and howling from Blues supporters.

[H_T 3,049]

It will be interesting to see if St Kilda are investigated because of the Waldron connection. It will be amusing if they find that St Kilda were rorting the salary cap and were allowed to pick up Goddard because Carlton were rorting the salary cap. That would bring a fresh round of wailing and howling from Blues supporters.

My word. He was CEO there from 2002-2005. He has stood down from his position as CEO of the Melbourne Rebels. So he should as the architect of this disaster for the Storm.

I wonder how chummy he was with Greg Swann down at VISY over a few latte's.

This could have the potential to have a follow on effect in terms of investigating. Whether the auditor(s) find anything from traces is another thing.

I just wonder how many are battening down hatches at the moment; and how many are over heating their shredders.

Then again...I'm probably seen as showing too much concern. Although, I'd say others are being naive to think that it wouldn't be happening elsewhere.

[Jack7 528]

I know exactly where he is now,but he'll be stood down from the rebels immediately.

The cheat has been dumped by the rebels and won't work again!!!

Couldn't happen to a bigger [censored].

[Guest Balls_Grinter_14]

RIP - NRL

Born 1997 - Died 23rd April 2010

I spent 2 years living in Sydney from 1995 - 1997. I saw this competition almost implode with the introduction of Super League. I bore witness to the only club i was passionate about, The North Sydney Bears - a proud heritage club of League, raped as the Newtown Jets had been before them. I saw the Balmain Tigers stripped of their identity. I saw a game of boof heads try to open its doors to teams in Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne. Only to close those doors as fast as it had opened them. Make no mistake, the Northern States have been gunning for the our Storm for years.

Your small mindedness and lack or forward thinking has lead to the death of the competition anywhere outside of Sydney and Queensland. You are a joke!!! The stance you have taken against my second club will be the cancer you cannot cure. A full audit of all clubs since the start of the laegue is now called for.

WHAT A JOKE YOU ARE.

The AFL thanks you!!!

[Choko 493]

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!

I'm not so sure. This is hypothetical, but if CEO's and other admin officers were paid bonuses based on performance, then they might have obtained a financial advantage by deception. There might also be breaches of directors' duties, contract/statutory declarations, etc... Not that I think Aussie culture would lead to charged being pressed or litigation proceeding, but I think there is every chance corporate and personal crimes and civil wrongs have been committed.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I'm not so sure. This is hypothetical, but if CEO's and other admin officers were paid bonuses based on performance, then they might have obtained a financial advantage by deception. There might also be breaches of directors' duties, contract/statutory declarations, etc... Not that I think Aussie culture would lead to charged being pressed or litigation proceeding, but I think there is every chance corporate and personal crimes and civil wrongs have been committed.

I have posted something to that effect based all the information overnight.

I think you are quite correct. Everyone from the Chairman down to the boot studder is under review for the way they handled their functions. This will take years to finalise.

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

I think you did. The rorting went from 2005 to 2010. You only prescribed a penalty in regard the 4 games this year. In effect your saying the NRL do nothing in regard the years where Premierships were won by cheating. The competition has been severely undermined by the actions of Storm.

The extent of the cheating by one club has been brazen, systematic and possibly involving criminal behaviour. It completely undermines the integrity of the competition. And its a walnut! If David Gallop took that approach News Ltd would rightly run him out of town for being asleep at the wheel. Its a disaster.

Demetiou would be fool to think so simplistically. What would happen if a whistleblower announced that Geelong has systematically rorted the cap over the same period? A case of there by the grace of God goes Vlad.

By the way, the issue has spread to another Code re payments made to Everitt at St Kilda while Waldron was involved. Lucky its only a walnut... Phew!!!!

[beelzebub 23,383]

The problem with the NRL is has no real soul...its a toy of the NSW media run purely as a money making enteprise by Media barons....

By comparison the AFL has longevity, heritage and tradition..let alone continuity ( though a war or two did try its hardest to upset things)

Yes..a couple of teams may have moved on and morphed but nothing compared to the NRL.

NRL is essentially run to appease an interest of mainly New South welshmen who love their little game and enjoy a stoush with their northern neighbours, this only really initially lip service and to offer a whipping boy...however that boy grew up and started thumping its creator.. drum roll.. create Melbourne.. a new whipping boy and a token appeasement to those who feared the expansion monster of the AFL. Cue, the created yet again thumps the creator !! cant have that..so lets kneecap them at the earliest opportunity...and so they have.

In a way its brilliant timing to enter the hometurf backyard of the NRL with an AFL expansion team.

I cant see how Storm can survive.. League will dissapear from Victoria. Real Rugby diehards can get their fix via the new Rebels.. I know a different game.. but who cares.

Funny how differently the two codes go about things.. NRL are so wet behind the ears its embarassing

[beelzebub 23,383]

The AFL wil linvestigate StKilda...thats a given. And it will probably find some misdoings. worst case it may fine them or penalise draft picks. It will take a cracker to the nut...not even a hammer!!

I dont hink Vlad thinks simplistically at all...I think he has threads going all over the place. He must know of what goes on at many clubs. Wood will too. what he chooses to do is another thing. He looks at larger pictures. i dont particularly agree with many actions but the AFL is stil around.. its a very strong comp and teams are getting back on their feet. Rightly or wrongly the AFL's approach is far more encompassing than the ridiculous effortsw of League.

Ironically Stormhave probably only gone over the mark by a similar proportion to that which the AFL allows as increases to salary caps for burgeoning teams.

Such a different way of going about things isnt it !!

[DemonDing 56]

hopefully the Storm players hang around aami park for a while longer so the that when all our demon boys get there they can get into GI's ear

about making the switch to Aussie Rules and maybe playing CHF for the mighty dees!!

[H_T 3,049]

hopefully the Storm players hang around aami park for a while longer so the that when all our demon boys get there they can get into GI's ear

about making the switch to Aussie Rules and maybe playing CHF for the mighty dees!!

Don't laugh. Funnier things have happened.

Their contracts (the real ones) will have to be cut back if the players stay, to get back to under the cap. I believe what we have here is "fraud". That being the case, a serious crime has been committed. If the players are innocent in this, they would have the right to say their contracts are therefore null and void. Apparently, in the NRL this could happen and the players can move before June 30 (transfer) to other code(s) or anywhere that another NRL club might fit them under their cap (unlikely - if it is a Inglis, Slater, Smith or Cronk).

For now though, this is pie in the sky stuff until further information and/or charges come out of this implosion.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

The AFL wil linvestigate StKilda...thats a given. And it will probably find some misdoings. worst case it may fine them or penalise draft picks. It will take a cracker to the nut...not even a hammer!!

The issue and the extent at St Kilda is far different to Storm.

Ironically Stormhave probably only gone over the mark by a similar proportion to that which the AFL allows as increases to salary caps for burgeoning teams.

Such a different way of going about things isnt it !!

Firstly the issue with the Storm is the amount and the manner in which this is done. Storm were not a burgeoning team but an on field powerhouse that was aided by the flagrant breach the rules that did not give extra amounts.

THere is not much difference about the AFL and NRL. Vlad has said that the AFL would not hesitate to strip premierships in a similar situation. They were extremely harsh on Carlton with draft penalties. It could happen in the AFL just like the NRL. There seems no place for any hubris in regard this matter.

[beelzebub 23,383]

How is what Storm has done any diferent from the alledged activites at carltank.......youre trying to tell me there isnt a systematic approach to rortig over there ar Visy park ?? Both working outside the rules is a planned way to better their positions. The AFl is beating its puffed chest at the moment as it knows the NRL is eud de shite at present.

AFL hasnt and wont strip points despite any false bravado. its not its way. Its holds the transgressor by the goolies... spanks it proper and maintains its grip. It knows it needs teams around and healthy.

[mauriesy 7,357]

Remember some of the discussion about the new Melbournefc CEO in 2008? In hindsight, we really dodged a bullet.

Waldron would be good IMO. Calls it as he sees it. Would be good to have at least one person outside the fold. Yes He's been critical but only where we`ve deserved it. Might be just what we need.

Then again, maybe not.

I listen to Waldron most Fridays on SEN. I would be very interested in him as CEO. He runs a good ship at Melbourne Storm, in a very hostile environment. Players are very Happy at Storm on the whole. I think he would view the MFC as a real Challenge. Time will tell.

No wonder players were very happy. Time has certainly told.

Waldron seems to be doing a good job with the storm, I would not be opposed to him taking over.

Yep, an excellent job.

From what i can work out Waldron has quite a bit to do with Players and their business dealings. The Coach is there long term so & he is the best in the land so they must be doing something right. I don't know the answer, i have heard him speak regularly for the past 2 years. I Think he would run a tight ship - worth considering.

More to do with the player's business dealings than we realised!

I reckon it would be a massive coup for us to secure Brian Waldron ... Waldron has done a tremendous job for the Storm, and has shown great mettle to hold his own in a sport dominated by NSW and the Banana Benders. I can't imagine it's easy to succeed in a state where interest in your team is predominantly limited to bandwagon-jumpers, yet Waldron has done that.

A real massive coup.

We need someone who will improve out bottom line. Is Waldron capable of this?

Seems not.

I think you confuse his passion with being the obnoxious prat that he is.

At least somebody got it right.

[H_T 3,049]

And more: -

When asked on SEN this morning about the Melbourne CEO position, Brian Waldron said that he had a handshake agreement with the Storm to stay till 2010, and that he's happy at the Storm. Reading between the lines, that suggests that he's certainly interested in the CEO position, otherwise he could have categorically said that he's not leaving the Storm.

Perhaps we did dodge a bullet.

We need someone who will improve our bottom line. Is Waldron capabable of this?

Capable of anything.

[WonnaJurah 5]

St Kilda are $3.50 for spoon now, could something be boiling over Waldrons time with Saints ?

[Face Your Demons 175]

Did the NFL go far enough, maybe banning the Player Managers and Player involved as well. Im not an NFL fan but i do feel sorry for Fans of the storm. I do feel that the AFL should look at thre filth 1927 - 1930 might be able to strip those flags lol

[H_T 3,049]

The issue and the extent at St Kilda is far different to Storm.

There is an old saying, where there is smoke there is fire.

Waldron 2002-2004. Did he learn his craft during this period, prior to allegedly being the architect at the Storm ?

We know in the AFL, there exists lies. We've had great examples of late. Grant Thomas stated as much down the barrel of the camera on Footy Classified recently. He told Wilson (words of the effect) - "there are lies in the football industry, coaches will lie, and there will be many more told"..

Waldron was instrumental in getting Aaron Hamill and Fraser Gehrig to the Saints.

[JACKATTACK 17]

St Kilda are $3.50 for spoon now, could something be boiling over Waldrons time with Saints ?

Could be a smart move by the bookies, shorten the odds of the saints with no reason, create a bit of buzz, there are bound to be some rumours around, the shorter odds probably lend credibility to them.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

How is what Storm has done any diferent from the alledged activites at carltank.......youre trying to tell me there isnt a systematic approach to rortig over there ar Visy park ?? Both working outside the rules is a planned way to better their positions. The AFl is beating its puffed chest at the moment as it knows the NRL is eud de shite at present.

The level to which they have gone and extent and the impact on the competition. Firstly you refer to the alleged activities at Carlton and then you challenge me to tell you there isnt a rort there? I dont know and neither do you despite your pretentions otherwise.

The AFL is hardly beating its chest. Its got an issue with St Kilda and I understand an ex Storm person of interest is now with North. The AFL knows the drastic issue NRL is facing even if you dont. If anything Vlad has been rightfully poker faced.

AFL hasnt and wont strip points despite any false bravado. its not its way. Its holds the transgressor by the goolies... spanks it proper and maintains its grip. It knows it needs teams around and healthy.

Once again you dont know despite your satisfaction with a grip on the goolies. Its been 9 years since the last salary cap breach with Carlton and its taken all that time for them to recover. The draft pick penalties on both Carlton and Melbourne were savage and cut deeper than losing current season's points.

Both Codes are well aware of the need to have healthy team. Storm and NRL is owned by News Ltd and this last episode may encourage them to no longer bankroll a destroyed brank and walk away from their NRL holding.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

There is an old saying, where there is smoke there is fire.

Waldron 2002-2005. Did he learn his craft during this period, prior to allegedly being the architect at the Storm ?

We know in the AFL, there exists lies. We've had great examples of late. Grant Thomas stated as much down the barrel of the camera on Footy Classified recently. He told Wilson (words of the effect) - "there are lies in the football industry, coaches will lie, and there will be many more told"..

Waldron was instrumental in getting Aaron Hamill and Fraser Gehrig to the Saints.

Under the statute of limitations of 7 years do the AFL and St Kilda have access to all the records necessary to make an investigation. Is there any requirement for Clubs to hold it longer?

Many companies archive after 1 years and trash transaction records after 7 years.

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

Hi all, the cynic in me finds it hard to believe that this is only Storms problem. I'm sure it happens to a degree at many if not most rugby clubs and the AFL. Sydney hates the Storm and this kind of punishment is meant to destroy them. Similar allegations have been made against Gold Coast Titans but there doesn't seem to be the same enthusiasm in pursuing them. When Carlton and others got caught they were fixed up but not in a way that will destroy them. I think the rugby officials have gone mad.

Edited April 23, 2010 by america de cali

[H_T 3,049]

Under the statute of limitations of 7 years do the AFL and St Kilda have access to all the records necessary to make an investigation. Is there any requirement for Clubs to hold it longer?

Many companies archive after 1 years and trash transaction records after 7 years.

I'm not familiar with the requirement of AFL clubs with respect to the hold on transaction records archived. I'd assume 7 years, as it seems the standard requirement within work practices in general. Some may keep them longer... ?

Hi all, the cynic in me finds it hard to believe that this is only Storms problem. I'm sure it happens to a degree at many if not most rugby clubs and the AFL. Sydney hates the Storm and this kind of punishment is meant to destroy them. Similar allegations have been made against Gold Coast Titans but there doesn't seem to be the same enthusiasm in pursuing them. When Carlton and others got caught they were fixed up but not in a way that will destroy them. I think the rugby officials have gone mad.

Agree. Wouldn't be surprised if Waldron....oh wait he has

[Keyser Söze 0]

I know a lot of people in Sydney who have sh&% eating grins on their faces right now, revelling in schadenfreude.

I have a feeling that soon they will realise the rot has spread through the whole league and their own teams will be under the microscope.

Stay tuned.

[H_T 3,049]

I have a feeling that soon they will realise the rot has spread through the whole league and their own teams will be under the microscope.

Stay tuned.

Agree. The Storm may just be the tip of the iceberg.

Wonder who the Whistle blower is ?