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Nothing like persecution to fire up the fans

Elise Kinsella

by Elise Kinsella

05 May 05:45am

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Filed under: Melbourne Storm, Nrl, Rugby League, Salary Cap Scandal, Sport

33 comments

Melbourne Storm’s salary cap scandal will go down as the best thing that has ever happened to the club.

Heroic victims: the NRL's hit on the Storm has energised Melbourne's fan base.

Yes I know it has been stripped of two premierships ( I’ll get onto how ridiculous that is later) and I know the club has been fined, disgraced and denied the chance to win a premiership this year.

But the fact is this scandal will be the making of the Melbourne Storm in the AFL’s heartland.

Before being caught cheating the club was to most Victorians a quirk.

Apart from figuratively the handful of people that bothered to show up to the team’s home games, Melbournians didn’t understand - or care to understand - rugby league. Which made the team’s incredible success such an oddity.

The Storm kept winning premierships and kept producing the best talent in the country, even though the club barely registered in the sports news, in its sports obsessed home. It had done everything right in the sports management guide to winning fans but Melbourne stubbornly refused to fall in love with its own club.

Until now.

Tickets to the Storm’s game on Friday night at AAMI Park - the newest ground in Melbourne - have been reported as selling like hotcakes with expectations all 20,000 available tickets will be sold. That’s a massive crowd for a league game in Melbourne, especially one that now counts for nothing.

But even better for the club, it has started registering with the sports media in Melbourne and has been widely discussed by sports fans.

I once asked former Australian netballer Eloise Southby- Halbish why her sport struggled to gain media attention. She quoted a discussion she had with Herald Sun journalist Mike Sheahan. Netballers just didn’t get into enough trouble, didn’t cause enough controversy and talking points, Sheahan told her.

Melbourne Storm now has its talking point.

But even better it is viewed as a victim of the Sydney-ruled NRL in its very parochial and competitive hometown.

You only have to look at how differently the scandal has been reported in Melbourne and Sydney to see how Melbourne has got behind the club.

In Sydney the Storm are seen to have got their just deserves.

In Melbourne the consensus largely seems to be that officials orchestrated the salary cap breach, of which the players and coaches are the primary victims. They have been punished for someone else’s wrong.

And in a city where sport is serious business and winning-at-all-costs is understood, taking away premierships is a step too far.

Apart from the fact it makes no sense - we’ll just pretend they didn’t win, that there wasn’t a grand final and they didn’t hold the trophy up - it ignores the fact that you can’t go back in time and take away an experience. Premierships only exist for a short period of time, they are the winning of one game and it’s following celebration.

After that even the club has to move on from them and start a new season. You can’t can’t take away what has been.

But long term this overly-zealous punishment will be great for the Storm. Its game attendances will go up, it will be more visible in the news and more widely discussed and if it can be successful in the near future it will be seen as a tool to deliver a very personal “we’re better than you” message from the city of Melbourne to the city of Sydney.

The only threat to the Storm now is its players. The Storm needs its players to be entirely cleared of any role or knowledge of the salary cap scandal.

If a single player is found to have been involved in the rout, Melbourne will react like a lover betrayed, and our affair with the Storm will be short lived.

A cheating official we can handle, a player - a god - we can not.

Most commented

33 comments

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    • Tani says:

      05:51am | 05/05/10

      “a player - a god” !!!!  What the??
      I from Melbourne and I am one of those freaks who does not think people who kick balls around fields are gods.  Call me nuts!
      Newflash - people still don’t care that much about the Rugby - most people in Melbourne cannot remember which rubgy is which (is league the one with scrums?).
      Sport is entertaining - but gods?  That is a bit too far (even for an athiest like me).

      Reply

    • shane says:

      08:22am | 05/05/10

      Completely agree. Sports all well and good, go for it, stay heathy, whatever. But the stupid amounts of government money we pour into it whilst there are so many other problems in the country (let alone the world) is sad.

    • Bruce says:

      08:37am | 05/05/10

      Tani: Agree. Football players are not gods, or hero’s or what ever you want to call them. They are just a bunch of blokes playing a game chasing a ball.

    • Gavin says:

      10:11am | 05/05/10

      Shane, high profile sport generates a significant amount more (via sponsorships etc) than the Government purs into it. It’s an important part of the economy as sport is culture in this country.

    • mickey says:

      12:20pm | 05/05/10

      I’m not about to say footy players are gods HOWEVER if I had to make a religion mine would definitely be ‘the Church of Preston Campbell is Amazing’

      Plus - holy crap are Melbourne people that daft they can’t even tell the difference? Poor form Melbourne, poor form.

    • Bazza says:

      02:48pm | 05/05/10

      I think the “God” remark is more a statement of how the punters revere their players, rather than an affectionate term on behalf of the author.

    • BTS says:

      08:03am | 05/05/10

      LOL,  A god?

      He’s just a football player.  Interesting set of values.  No wonder they have over inflated heads when they have women like this throwing themselves at them.

      Reply

    • Sporting Atheist says:

      08:07am | 05/05/10

      I’m very godmatic about rugby - the gods who play it seem to be all brain dead or have terrible memories.  So glad I’m a sporting atheist.

      Reply

    • Francois says:

      08:23am | 05/05/10

      Aghh Elise, Friday nights game does not involve the Storm, it’s an International test between the Aussies and the Kiwis at the brand new purpose built AAMI stadium!!!!
      Good on you for having a crack at supporting the Storm but you may want to check the fixture and a few details in future…...

      Reply

    • Sporting moron says:

      10:35am | 05/05/10

      Did you check the fixture?

    • Randal says:

      04:06pm | 05/05/10

      To clarify, Friday night’s test against NZ is expecting a sell out crowd of over 30,000 with over 20,000 tickets already pre-sold, the Storm will play the Bronco’s on Sunday with more than 5,000 tickets pre-sold and a crowd of over 20,000 expected.

      Whilst Elise has mixed up her dates the point she makes is very sound, and if we see over 50,000 people turn up for two league matches in Melbourne on a weekend where there is direct competition with the AFL, then that is clear evidence that the people of Melbourne have embraced the Storm into the Melbourne sporting culture.

    • iansand says:

      08:34am | 05/05/10

      It’s just the usual Melbourne sense of grievance about the ugly stepsister to the north.  I wish they would get over it.

      Reply

    • DDR says:

      08:41am | 05/05/10

      I love the Storm. However, I need to point out some appalling mistakes you’ve made in this article:
      1. Friday’s game is a test match between Australia and NZ - not a Storm game. They play on Sunday.
      2. The phrase you are looking for is “just desserts”, not “just deserves”.
      3. You are questioning their involvement in a “rort”, not a “rout”.
      4. The new stadium holds 30,000 people a crwod of 20,000 would be considered a failure.

      I agree with the sentiment, but please do your subbing and research.

      Reply

    • karl says:

      11:24am | 05/05/10

      @DDR
      I agree.  The authors of this blog, although at times interesting and able to stir a debate, have the writing and grammatical skills of year 9 students. There must be something wrong with the education system if paid journalists can’t spell, let alone know basic idioms.
      Guys, at the very least, have your colleagues proof read your articles.

    • SM says:

      08:59am | 05/05/10

      Taking away the premierships won’t take back the “experience” the players had, but it will erase them from the record books.  In years to come, those players who would have been described as “dual premiership winners” won’t be called that.  And nor shopuld they be.

      And it’s “just deserts”, not “just deserves”

      Reply

    • Nick says:

      09:43am | 06/05/10

      Actually SM, it’s “just desserts”, not “just deserts”.

    • Francis says:

      09:21am | 05/05/10

      I think it goes a little further that persecution, I have noticed than when ever there is another scandal in League that the popularity jumps. Look at this year and last year off the field is a total flop. With allegations of drug dealing, gang rape, rape, assult, bashings, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, salary cap fraud, dogey betting, drink driving.etc etc.

      But the crowds and the television numbers for league is getting better and better, team membership is up, crowds are up, televiewing up, even female membership up. 

      A good scandal is vital for league survival the media and the crowd want it and the game thrives off the stuff. I say bring it on, lets get league bigger and better than AFL.

      Reply

    • Dale says:

      04:24pm | 05/05/10

      So you are all for “drug dealing, gang rape, rape, assult, bashings, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, salary cap fraud, dogey betting, drink driving.etc etc.” I think these peope should be sent to jail not given a slap on the wrist because they are sports players? This is a big part of what is wrong with Australia.

    • vic says:

      09:48am | 05/05/10

      Winning at all costs is understood? Even cheating? Is that what Victorians are teaching their kids? I’m GLAD I’m from NSW if that’s the case. Storm deserved everything they copped, and anyone backing them is just showing a total lack of sportsmanship, honesty and honour.

      Reply

    • Gavin says:

      10:16am | 05/05/10

      I started to agree with you, vic, until you said you were GLAD you were from NSW (lol) but more importantly your last sentence. Yes I believe the Storm deserved what they copped, but what you said about the people backing them lacking sportsmanship is WAY out of line. It wasn’t the supporters who got them in the mess, and loyalty does not equate to condoning an action. But what the hell are they supposed to do, support a Sydney team? I would sooner support the Taliban (ok maybe a slight exaggeration).

      I’m not a Storm supporter by the way.

    • marley says:

      10:29am | 05/05/10

      There’s a difference between “persecution” and “prosecution.”  The Storm cheated:  they’ve been caught, found guilty and punished.  And rightly so.

      Reply

    • Greek Snake says:

      01:59pm | 05/05/10

      It is an overzealous prosecution of a club that showed Sydney up at its own game. Never before has a punishment like this been handed down in the history of the sport.

      Canterbury was convicted of similar offences some years ago. Their punishment, a mere slap on the wrists, saw them win the premiership in just 2 short years.

      Let’s face it though, the salary cap itself is a pathetic restriction on sport. It’s the equivalent of forcing an elite sprinter to use a wheelchair just to promote competition. Why hold teams back? To cite an example… The English Premier League has no salary cap on its teams. Millionaires from around the globe fund teams to get to the top but there is never one clear dominant team in the league. There is always competition. This crap that salary cap promotes competition is garbage. Look at AFL clubs for creative ways to get around the salary cap. Offering AFL players “advertising” contracts for recycling products? Pull the other one.

    • Brian says:

      02:28pm | 05/05/10

      No, Greek Snake, it’s more like forcing a more capable horse to carry an additional weight… hang on, we do that. Maybe like forcing some runners to run further in certain major weights, hang on, we do that too. Hmm… forcing race cars to have a standard engine size? Oops, we do that.

      The premier league doesn’t have one dominant team, that is true, but it DOES have a select few (roughly four to six, depending on who you ask) who are considered a real chance to win - simply because they have the money. Unlike the situation in Australia, these same clubs have been there for a decade or more…

    • S.L says:

      12:02pm | 05/05/10

      There is a Rugby League test in Melbourne on friday night against New Zealand.
      How many in Melbourne know about this? How many care?
      I know there are very few north of the border outside the dinosaurs in the sports media who give a toss. Funny thing is the “Mexicans” will fill the new stadium down there when Sydneys potential crowd wouldn’t fill a phonebox!
      A shame really when up here is regarded as League heartland…...

      Reply

    • Bruce says:

      01:24pm | 05/05/10

      S.L : Sydney siders do not go to most commercial sporting events in great numbers. Unless its an important international event. A good example is Rugby Union, it can hardly get a crowd on the weekends, but when a test against england is on, Sydney can get a reasonable crowd of eighty thousand. Sydney sports supporters seem to spread themselves across a number of winter sports they support, such Rugby League, Rugby Union, Hockey, Tennis, Soccer,  cycling, squash, Basket ball, Net ball,  etc ,etc. Not to mention the large number of families who follow their children around on the weekend to attend “little athletics” and weekend school sport. In winter time you only have drive around a Sydney suburb and see the large number of people participating in various weekend sporting activities.

    • Mark Young says:

      01:49pm | 05/05/10

      Of course you can take the premierships off them, they took it illegally with a team that shouldn’t have been assembled.

      They won on the day… by cheating.

      Yeah I feel kind of sorry for them for all the hard work and effort they put in, but I feel even sorrier for the other blokes who worked just as hard with just as much effort and lost because they were cheating.

      Just in case my point wasn’t made… they cheated!

      Reply

    • Davo from St Kilda says:

      02:20pm | 05/05/10

      Who cares about this rugby game. Bring on footy! 20,000 people at the rugby? We get bigger crowds at the reserves..

      Reply

    • Bruce says:

      02:47pm | 05/05/10

      Not much else to do on a cold winters day in Melbourne. I know, I lived there !!

    • Michael says:

      02:55pm | 05/05/10

      One sport state, Davo. If NSW and QLD followed ostensibly one code, you would see similar numbers just like the NFL. With so serious competing force, of course you will see more numbers. In Brisbane, you can see a decent (even if not a full house) at Suncorp on a Friday night for the Broncos, Saturday night for the Reds and the Gabba Sunday afternoon for the Lions (if the schedule allows). Often the Reds and Lions might play on the Saturday night, and so you split the support in a sense.

      Reply

    • S.L says:

      03:46pm | 05/05/10

      Reports in the media today say the cap breach is up to 1.3 million for 2010 and rising. They’ll never find out the full extent of this. Funny how Storm and Broncos are both News Ltd teams. One has 3/4 of the QLD State of Origin team and the other more internationals than you can poke a stick at and it took a whisttleblower to get the story out?

      Reply

    • League Fan says:

      11:42pm | 05/05/10

      How can this person be taken seriously when she doesn’t even know who is playing the game she refers to this Friday night.  It is an International between Australia and New Zealand.  She probably also thinks next Sunday is Father’s Day!  As for the rest of the drivel she has written a few facts need to be made.  The Storm are cheats.  They deceived the League over the salary cap.  Players were being paid more than they had signed contracts to receive.  Most people would know if they were being paid more than they were entitled to receive.  If the extra money received was not declared to the tax office they are tax cheats and have defrauded the country and every other honest tax payer.  If pay want to support a team in that instance they need to consider their own moral values.

      Reply

    • Cap'n Pants says:

      11:46pm | 05/05/10

      I think the Storm are still going to keep winning, even with the salary caps back on their heads. So what if some of the players cant afford all the options on their new BMW, will there performance drop away. Better a few more dollars in the bank than getting busted for performance enhancing drugs or assaulting women. They have more to play for now and only a finals victory will vindicate them. GO STORM!!!

      Reply

    • Nick says:

      09:54am | 06/05/10

      If you think then, Elise that it is stupid stripping Melbourne of the premierships they won whilst cheating - you would also think it’s stupid that Ben Johnson and Marion Jones were stripped of their Olympic medals? Or that Floyd Landis was stripped of the Tour de France?

      The principal is the same - they won whilst obtaining an unfair advantage by operating outside the rules.

      If they were able to keep their Premierships, what message does that send? That you can operate outside the salary cap so long as you are able to hide the evidence just long enough to win the league - then they won’t take them away from you?

      Get real.

      Reply
 
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