Storm's bid to keep the big 4

[Michael :P]

Unless you play till 40, 28 is always at the back-end of a career.

[The Eagle]

Unless you play till 40, 28 is always at the back-end of a career.

[stormsally]

LOL @ The Eagle 

It's called PRIME of career.
Billy is a superstar in every aspect of the game.

[The Eagle]

Lol yeah but Slater is no Lyons or Menzies,he'll retire just after he peaks id say

Current age 28 playing years left 4 or 5 tops




Anyone see a resemblance?

[J-Storm]

Cam Smith won't be going anywhere unless of course something comes out about him knowingly accepting 'overs' illegally (You can apply that to the rest of Cronk, Inglis & Slater). Billy won't be going anywhere as said, he brings kids through the gates as an excitement machine. Inglis won't go anywhere unless we jus' think he's not worth the coin he's currently getting. And Cronk won't go anywhere as he is 'The Guy' who steers the team around once he has the ball (& he does it better than probably any #7 in Storm history so far). But in all likelihood, one of them will have to go, it's jus a matter of who we think is the most replaceable. And even then, Quinn, Hoffman & a few others will still be gone anyways. Sad & harsh, but realistically has to happen 

[Freshy]

Cam Smith won't be going anywhere unless of course something comes out about him knowingly accepting 'overs' illegally (You can apply that to the rest of Cronk, Inglis & Slater). Billy won't be going anywhere as said, he brings kids through the gates as an excitement machine. Inglis won't go anywhere unless we jus' think he's not worth the coin he's currently getting. And Cronk won't go anywhere as he is 'The Guy' who steers the team around once he has the ball (& he does it better than probably any #7 in Storm history so far). But in all likelihood, one of them will have to go, it's jus a matter of who we think is the most replaceable. And even then, Quinn, Hoffman & a few others will still be gone anyways. Sad & harsh, but realistically has to happen 

Not exactly. Theres really 2 options.

Option 1) We keep the Big 4 and lose all bar 1 of our middle level rep players e.g Blair, Hoffman, White, Quinn



OR

Option 2) Lose one of the Big 4 and keep more of our mid level rep players.

Really, its down to the club now as to which option they will take.

[I love Cooper]

I'd release Bill and/or Greg. I hate seeing the club try to retain all 4 and let players like Hoffy, White, Lima, Blair etc. go when they've spilled blood for the team too. We can't just bring in juniors and expect them to earn minimum wage forever. As much as I love all four of them, let one go.

[Cowbell-Mark]

As much as I would love to see all 4 to stay, I don't think It is smart, considering we would then have the top 4 but with a bunch of young, developing players who are bound to make plenty of mistakes around them.
If any of the big 4 have to go, I would 'prefer' Inglis, which is hard to say considering he seems like the one who is most eager to stay.

[The Mauritian]

I'd rather keep big four.  The two next important are Sika and Blair.  I have a feeling Blair will go to Warriors.  I'd lose ten players to keep Sika.  And to all the Slater too old crap.  OPSM visit could be in order.  He is so damn good and consistent.  Widdop will be a very good player, I don't know about a star though.  When Slater came to the club the things he did in that first year were mind blowing.  Widdop is no Slater.  No one is slater he is a special athlete with i reckon the best hands in the NRL.  Players can't be coached to be like him, he is a freak and I think you 'Slater haters' forget that.

[Bourbon Rat]

Looks like that article brought this veiled threat from News Ltd's Greg Baxter

Baxter said it was far from business as usual at the club when it came to working relationships.

"No, it's not," he said. "It's very difficult."

Asked if that could make work on the playing roster difficult, he said: "It's possible.

"We think the independent directors should be focused on the issue of getting a team next year that's under the cap and we've asked them to cooperate with us in that.

"We would hope that would be the case but frankly we intend to make sure that the Storm will field a team under the cap next year whether they want to be involved in that process or not."

News faces battle to keep Storm stars

What I'm reading that as is.
News don't care what the audit says.They want the legal action stopped & if it isn't they'll go out of their way to dismantle the team & attempt to ditch the independents,then field a deliberately sub standard team next season.
Go ahead Baxter - Prove me wrong 

[Woody]

It`s a bit rich trying to suggest that the independants are making things hard when News Ltd and the NRL are the idiots who have stalled everything they could to make life hard. Particularly since the challenge all we have seen is innuendo and hearsay leaked into the media through their outlets, doing whatever they could to cast as many aspersions as possible. To suggest that the independants are not trying to get the team under the cap for next year is ludicrous given that they are the morons controlling the information coming from the audit and until they release the info to the club we really have no way of doing that properly. What do these idiots expect us to do, just open the door and start ushering players out until the News/NRL cretins are happy that we wont be able to compete for a few years? I hope Moodie etc tell them to get $%#^*&

[madstorm]

There is no way the Storm will consider letting Slater go.

He more than any other player gets people in through the turnstiles and the ratings on TV.

He's the heart, sole and public persona of the Storm.  Nearly every little kid who likes the Storm, does so primarily because of Slater.

He is the last player they will consider letting go - and I'm including Cameron Smith in that list.

Cam may be more important to us on the field, albeit its close, but Slater is more important to the Melbourne Storm franchise -on and off the field.

He's also 28 and getting to the back end of his career, al the while we lose a slater of the future in widdop coz he doesn't wanna be number 2, the kids gonna be a star.

What about releasing smithy?

Widdop will be  a star, no doubt about it. But it wont be with us and if he wants to stamp his presence then hes going to do it somewhere else.

I think you had better go and spend a morning at Jr Rugby on Saturday morning.  Every kid wants to play #1, every kid loves Billy Slater, you cant get rid of him he is bringing the future Victorian league players into the game.

When my son was 2 years old, he said " mummy, I want to be Billy Slater" I said "that"s nice dear is it because he is really really fast?" "no mummy", "well is it because he gets lots of tries?" "No mummy", "well is it because he is the best #1 in the league (I know a bit over a 2yo's head)?" "No mummy", "is it because he is really hot and all the girls love him?", "No mummy".  This went on for a while and I eventually ran out of questions so I asked "so why do you want to be billy Slater?"  His reply " Coz mummy he's got my hair!!!!"  ( maybe i should have asked him is it because the curls get the girls).He was just so damned cute I melted!!  He loves watching Billy, he reads anything and everything he can find on Billy and he runs around the back yard pretending he is Billy dodging invisible opposition and scoring imaginary tries.  He asked me a few years ago is Billy leaves can he barrack for Billy"s new team. How many other kids do you think would lose interest in the Storm if Billy left?  He is the most recognisable face in the NRL in Victoria.  Even my dad who LOATHES sport of any kind knows who Billy is.  He earns his money on and off the field and we could never put a price on that.  I would hate to lose any player but If we had to lose some of our lower end players, I would have to say, Hoffman, Quinn, White, Lima, Blair.  Lima wants to go so that makes it an easier choice, Hoffman, Quinn and White have been loyal and valued players for us but they have all had considerable injuries the last few seasons, so would let them go.  Blair, I just feel he is starting to become one of those dirty players (my opinion) who may start to spend a fair amount of time suspended in the future.  Going by the $$$$$ at the start of this thread that puts us right on the line and then with 100k added to the cap, marquee player concessions, long service loyalty we should be able to keep our big 4 ( I think by memory at least three of them qualify for long service loyalty next year) and we can keep the likes of Sika and a few of our younger players on min salary.

[steaming stormer]

I get where you're coming from madstorm, but he isn't going to be here forever, so if the club is going to fold without Billy (or any other single player), we're screwed already!!

[madstorm]

No I know he wont be here forever, BUT until this blows over we need to keep the supporters we have. Now is not the time to be killing the cash cow!!!  The will always be an idol in every club but we need Billy's marketability for a bit longer yet, grow our young talent and start to market the next superstar to the kids at a far less emotionally charged time.

[Michael :P]

I get where you're coming from madstorm, but he isn't going to be here forever, so if the club is going to fold without Billy (or any other single player), we're screwed already!!

Spot on.

Foundation of the club isnt much if thats what it relys on (and it doesnt).