Cameron Smith Demands Stripped Storm Premierships be Reinstated

[yourhero]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... b3479d3707

Double standards: Cameron Smith demands stripped Storm premierships be reinstated
Fox Sports
08 March 2019

Cameron Smith has called on the NRL to reinstate Melbourne Storm’s two stripped premierships in the wake of the penalties handed down to the Sharks over their own salary cap breaches.

Speaking yesterday at the NRL season launch, Smith said comparisons could be made between both cases, yet the punishments were significantly different.

The NRL came down hard on the Storm after it was revealed the club rorted the salary cap to the tune of $1.7 million over five years. They were stripped of two premierships, competition points and three minor premierships as well as hit with a $1.7 million fine.

The Sharks, meanwhile, were fined $750,000 following a nine month investigation over what Paul Kent described as “systematic” rorting dating back to 2013. They were allowed to keep their 2016 premiership with the NRL declaring the illegal payments did not affect that season.

“They look quite similar the way the salary cap breaches came about yet you see two significantly different punishments,” Smith said.

“I think everyone can see what happened to us was fairly harsh. You haven’t seen anything like it since.”

Smith said the current NRL administration did the right thing in taking its time with the investigation into the Sharks which revealed the club had set up a private company to help organise third party deals for players

“The key difference for me is that there is a fair bit of time put into gathering all the evidence, the emails, all that sort of stuff,” Smith said.

“They haven’t made a decision after what was it, 48 hours like ours. They have put a bit of time and thought into the punishment handed down to Cronulla.

“That is a clear standout. It hasn’t happened in the space of two days. As far as looking at what had happened at Cronulla and having the understanding of what I know happened at our club, it sounds quite similar.

“Yet we were made to play an entire season without points and had premierships taken off us. So it is almost like the same or similar crime with a completely different punishment.

“I think a lot of people got caught up in the overall amount that we were over the cap in the space of five years.

Smith later told the Daily Telegraph the Storm’s premierships should be reinstated.

“Absolutely,” he said.

“They have a lot on their plate at the moment (with a spate of off-field scandals) and I don’t want to take away from some of the things that have happened over the past six months.

“But if the NRL can have a look back and go over what happened at the Storm over those years, they may find there is a different outcome.”

[yourhero]

Just when you think you cannot love this great man anymore...

[blazza18]

He's right but I wish we would let it go. It's never going to happen.

[Mattpoet]

We should not let it go. Nit unless they do the same to other teams.

[yourhero]

I don't think we should let it go either. Consistency in punishments is a critical foundation for any system. Otherwise people quickly lose faith in the fairness and objectivity of the governing body and the overall system.

The punishments given to other clubs that have been proven to have systematically rorted the cap since 2010 have not even been punished in the same ballpark as what we copped. Fans don't give a f*ck about mopstly-suspended fines. They care about stripped Premierships and the record books.

[Danger D]

I tend to agree with blaza. Best not to get our hopes up that the NRL would act with consistency. I think those premierships, even if they are reinstated, will always come with an asterisk in the eyes of the fans. So too should the one that the Sharks won in 2016.

[yourhero]

I tend to agree with blaza. Best not to get our hopes up that the NRL would act with consistency. I think those premierships, even if they are reinstated, will always come with an asterisk in the eyes of the fans. So too should the one that the Sharks won in 2016.

There is a world of difference though between keeping a Premiership with an asterisk vs not keeping a Premiership with an asterisk.

[Mattpoet]

Exactly. The rules should either apply to all or none.

[Utha]

I’m now waiting for shit truck Gallen’s inevitable reply.

Like the song from that shit movie Frozen goes:

“Let it go, let it goooo...”

This is the NRL. They don’t do fairness and equity.

[Danger D]

I tend to agree with blaza. Best not to get our hopes up that the NRL would act with consistency. I think those premierships, even if they are reinstated, will always come with an asterisk in the eyes of the fans. So too should the one that the Sharks won in 2016.

There is a world of difference though between keeping a Premiership with an asterisk vs not keeping a Premiership with an asterisk.

I recommend re-watching the '07 and '09 grand finals and seeing the boys lift the trophy at the end of the game. That's the only way storm fans will get that feeling back because I doubt the NRL backtracks on such a big decision. Maybe years after Smith and Bellyache retire, but probably not while they're still at the club. That's my gut feel anyway.

[yourhero]

I recommend re-watching the '07 and '09 grand finals and seeing the boys lift the trophy at the end of the game. That's the only way storm fans will get that feeling back because I doubt the NRL backtracks on such a big decision.

I agree, it is almost impossible for the NRL to walk back that decision now. It doesn't make it right though and it doesn't mean that we shouldn't call out instances of inconsistency and hypocrisy moving forward.

Does Cam really think that the NRL will look at it again? I doubt it. But that was his way of calling bullsh*t on the Cronulla "punishment".

[Danger D]

But that was his way of calling bullsh*t on the Cronulla "punishment".

Yes Cam is a very savvy operator. Unlike butthurt Gallen who said "I would throw my [premiership] ring away and quit the club immediately" if the Sharks were stripped of their title. Shows the caliber of leadership we are fortunate to have [and not have] at our club.