Irony: News concerned about perception. Forces Storm to give up one of Big 4

[The Mauritian]

What about the Tigers in '05? Definitely under the cap, and under the radar.

I for one sympathise with Storm fans, but the price had to be paid by the club.
None of you are responsible for cheating or deserving of ridicule because of it, but the small group of Storm nutters (and every club has an equivalent group - now you know who yours are!) blaming everyone but the Storm need to accept the truth and move on.

So they were under the cap in 2005, based only on the fact we don't know they weren't over it.  What about the years before and after.  And just because they may have been under the cap - can you be so sure that sponsors weren't topping up contracts for Benji or Farrar or anyone then or since.  You can't because no one can actually prove it.

All the NRL and the one bloke (Schubert) and lonely part time assistant can do is act on tip offs, or queries from the teams themselves disclose which then result in 'technical breaches'.  Terry Hill getting payments which breached the salary cap rules caused Wests to be fines $145,000.  Not so squeaky clean - but nor is any club.

The one thing opposition fans need to understand is that Storm fans will never blame the Storm - as much as you'd like as to.  Just like you'd love Bellamy and Smith and co. to come out and make some humbling apology. 

WHY? Why on earth should they apologise?  Their careers have been ripped apart.

The only ones who should be apologising - is John Hartigan and the News Limited directors.  Since they came to exist - the Storm were fined at least on five separate occassions for Salary Cap breaches before 2006 - all under News Limited's watch.  Frank Stanton oversaw many of these fines when he was acting CEO and Storm board member -  perhaps this explains why he wasn't at all concerned when Hanson came to him seeking help in early 2010.

Seems to me they did not learn.  They seemingly kept pushing the boundaries, and the governance that should have been put in place after THE VERY FIRST FINE (and certainly you'd think after five fines by 2005 - alarm bells should be going off all over the joint) was never put in place (or if it was...they need to get a new one fast).  Seems to me they've bred a culture of lax accounting standards and deserve every piece of criticism that will no doubt come their way in the near future once Waldron unleashes his version of events.  News hung him out to dry as the 'chief rat' and I'm sure he will not go down quietly. If I was Uncle Rupert - I'd be writing him a fat cheque right now.

I'm so angry right now, you can probably tell.  I feel you completely betrayed and I'm just guttered that the Storm's very future depends on the pricks that put them in the shithouse in the first place.

I wish we can move on - but the stench that lingers around our club is sadly going to prevent us moving on anytime soon.

Well said again Diehard.  Opposition supporters just don't get it.  They think we should apologise to them.  Don't make me laugh.  Here's a quote for them from Mark Walberg in The Departed.  GO F$#K YOURSELVES!

[The Eagle]

*lima lima lima duck* them,you've got nothing to appoligize for

[your kettle is black]

What about the Tigers in '05? Definitely under the cap, and under the radar.

I for one sympathise with Storm fans, but the price had to be paid by the club.
None of you are responsible for cheating or deserving of ridicule because of it, but the small group of Storm nutters (and every club has an equivalent group - now you know who yours are!) blaming everyone but the Storm need to accept the truth and move on.

So they were under the cap in 2005, based only on the fact we don't know they weren't over it.  What about the years before and after.  And just because they may have been under the cap - can you be so sure that sponsors weren't topping up contracts for Benji or Farrar or anyone then or since.  You can't because no one can actually prove it.

All the NRL and the one bloke (Schubert) and lonely part time assistant can do is act on tip offs, or queries from the teams themselves disclose which then result in 'technical breaches'.  Terry Hill getting payments which breached the salary cap rules caused Wests to be fines $145,000.  Not so squeaky clean - but nor is any club.

The one thing opposition fans need to understand is that Storm fans will never blame the Storm - as much as you'd like as to.  Just like you'd love Bellamy and Smith and co. to come out and make some humbling apology. 

WHY? Why on earth should they apologise?  Their careers have been ripped apart.

The only ones who should be apologising - is John Hartigan and the News Limited directors.  Since they came to exist - the Storm were fined at least on five separate occassions for Salary Cap breaches before 2006 - all under News Limited's watch.  Frank Stanton oversaw many of these fines when he was acting CEO and Storm board member -  perhaps this explains why he wasn't at all concerned when Hanson came to him seeking help in early 2010.

Seems to me they did not learn.  They seemingly kept pushing the boundaries, and the governance that should have been put in place after THE VERY FIRST FINE (and certainly you'd think after five fines by 2005 - alarm bells should be going off all over the joint) was never put in place (or if it was...they need to get a new one fast).  Seems to me they've bred a culture of lax accounting standards and deserve every piece of criticism that will no doubt come their way in the near future once Waldron unleashes his version of events.  News hung him out to dry as the 'chief rat' and I'm sure he will not go down quietly. If I was Uncle Rupert - I'd be writing him a fat cheque right now.

I'm so angry right now, you can probably tell.  I feel you completely betrayed and I'm just guttered that the Storm's very future depends on the pricks that put them in the shithouse in the first place.

I wish we can move on - but the stench that lingers around our club is sadly going to prevent us moving on anytime soon.

All fair points, and as for '05, the Tigers were in a position where it was (seemingly) obvious they were under the cap.
Farah and Marshall were young and not yet able to command a big pay packet. Prince was taken from the scrapheap. The forward pack was a heap of no name journeymen! Hodgson was perhaps the biggest name! Of course I can't prove this! I'm just a fan, and I agree - no team is clean.

I never said Storm fans (or fans of other clubs) should simply and solely blame the players and coaching staff. It's the admin (and this includes News Ltd, because they are one and the same in so many ways) that are to blame. It would be a useless, hollow and meaningless apology if it came from the players or coaching staff because it's not their responsibility! I also agree with you about alarm bells - they should have been ringing for years!

Unfortunately for Storm fans, supporters of opposition clubs will vent their bile at the public face of the Storm, albeit one that is NOT the cause of the problem. (ie: fans and players) I sympathise with you for this, but can't apologise because it's not my fault either.

Well said again Diehard.  Opposition supporters just don't get it.  They think we should apologise to them.  Don't make me laugh.  Here's a quote for them from Mark Walberg in The Departed.  GO F$#K YOURSELVES!

I never asked for or wanted an apology. Besides - what's an apology from you worth? Nothing. It's a meaningless gesture, because you're not at fault. Calm down, grow up and stop being a goose!