2012 Highlight as a Storm supporter

[bula]

As a Sydney Storm fan, I havent got many friends. I remember copping all the shit that was dished out. I was at the new stadium opening and while walking down the street some idiot yelled out fkn cheats! In Melbourne!!

I dont hold grudges but man its sweet winning that premiership. I was nearly in tears!! The best part was, we deserved it and our team made us all proud on grand final day.

It was deadset the highlight of my storm supporter life!

I consider myself a veteran on these forums and I like to say to all you Storm Soldiers, thank you and we deserved it!!

Hell yeah!!!!! Premiers!!!!!!

[absentee]

My highlight for Grand Final day wasn't so much the win or celebrating at the stadium or after party. It was actually at the Olympic Park train station after the after party. I saw a sea of purple rolling down the escalators and onto the platform - cheering, chanting and ringing cowbells. Everyone was still so amped up and the "we are premiers" chant went on all the way to Central.

On the way there was a different story. The train was packed with blue and white and I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy once I started hearing things like "I wish someone would just kneecap Billy Slater". I could tell the girl who said it was only kidding - but still. Made the win just that little bit sweeter.

[sallymay]

trial 3 in Hobart mahes first try and Billy's length of the field try etched in my Brian but no one will ever get to see the amazing try's cause it was a trial
Rd 1 in the pouring rain
Rd 3 vs the tits Billy's try over beau champion
Rd 6 vs the cowboys amazing game
Rd 8 vs the warriors beating them is the best time of the year
Rd 9 vs panthers amazing final score
Rd 10 vs the sharks even though we lost it was a great game
Rd 13 vs the warriors in NZ went to NZ for the game and was on the edge of my seat all game
Rd 15 vs manly ENOUGH SAID
Rd 18-21 the way the guys pulled each other through after losing
Rd 24 vs the broncos Cooper Cronk field goal enough said
Rd 25 Hoffy Sisa and Will last 3 minutes of the game
Rd 26 finals week 1 2 and the GF AMAZING

Away trips to Albury Hobart Gold Coast Penrith Auckland
Parramatta Woolengong Brisbane Leichardt and the GF amazing times were had at each and every game concluding with the storm presentation night were Hoffy and Cam both called me by my first name

Love these guys love my team
till 2013 PREMIERS 2012

[Storm Spirit]

As a Sydney Storm fan, I havent got many friends. I remember copping all the shit that was dished out. I was at the new stadium opening and while walking down the street some idiot yelled out fkn cheats! In Melbourne!!

I dont hold grudges but man its sweet winning that premiership. I was nearly in tears!! The best part was, we deserved it and our team made us all proud on grand final day.

It was deadset the highlight of my storm supporter life!

I consider myself a veteran on these forums and I like to say to all you Storm Soldiers, thank you and we deserved it!!

Hell yeah!!!!! Premiers!!!!!!

So glad that 2012 has been such a positive year for you Bula...as it was no doubt for us all !

I actually did cry at the final siren......I was at Crown and had tears streaming down my face.

I love Storm and passionately follow the team.......but I am not usually an overtly "emotional" person.

The 2012 Premiership meant the world to me and some close friends (including my Bai Stand brothers & sisters !).

No matter what anyone says...it was redemption in my eyes and so richly deserved for Craig and the boys.

Total devastation to utter redemption in 2 years.

This 2012 Melbourne Storm Premiership is THE best sporting story of any professional Australian domestic sports team.

Ever.

Period.

[TC]

Plenty of moments, but when all is said and done my favorite is James Graham not being sent off in the grand final.

That's right, 'Not being sent off'. (Bear with me here, it does make sense.)

If the dog had been sent off for biting we would have had to put up with all the crap of, 'It doesn't count because you only beat 12 men'. He wasn't, and still we won. Fair and square against 13 players (eleven men, a dog and a cat (Ennis)) with a side that's proven to be under the cap.

Ain't no-one taking this one off us!

[blazza18]

Great thread topic bula.

My highlights would be - Bill just killing it in the opening 5 rounds. First 4 games scoring doubles and the round 5 game where he scored 1 and the rest of the game I was urging him on to get the double.

Duffie taking what would of been the mark of the year in the AFL against the Cowboys in Townsville. That boy can jump.

Beating the Warriors both times was awesome. Both games were great. Showed the rest of the NRL we were a different team this year with the win on Anzac day. And then in NZ to comeback from 12-0 I think it was. Billy was a freak that day. Juzzy's try against Penrith on half time. Billy breaking through the line and kicking it just for O'Neil to show his amazing speed and score, to just stick it into Penrith.

I know we lost. But the game against the Tigers on that cold rainy Friday night with the big 3 out of origin. We could of won that game. But that again showed the rest of the NRL we are more than the big 3. And then the following week with no Bill to beat Manly at Brookie with no Billy was a great win. And then 6 weeks of no winning..that wasn't fun..But then to show glimpses of what was to come by smashing a poor Penrith side. Mahe Fonua making his debut and being our first born n bred Victorian to put on Storm colours.. Gaz's try to seal the comeback win over the Titans..Coopers FG to ice the Broncos..Hoffy giving us a chance with a few mins to go then for Sisa pulling off a Joey and ignoring the rest of the team by going down the sideline to snatch victory from the Sharks..

And then to the Finals..where we really showed focus on the title, it felt like it was ours we want it back..To shut down every weapon the opposing team had..Every game "experts" were jumping all over the other team calling them "specials" We really showed what this team is all about in the finals. And to see the all the boys emotions when the siren went on grand final day still gives me tears. From seeing Norrie just have this big smile on his face..to Widdop raising his hands in celebration knowing he had just won the NRL grand final..to seeing Hoff,Coops,Cam and Bill come together and realise what just happened..to see ol Bellyache smiling..and all the other boys expressions knowing this was their moment and no one could take this from them...

And finally another highlight was signing up to this joint..and being able to talk Storm football with other Storm fans. We may have different opinions on things but all n all we all love our team and we just wanted our team winning. So thank you to all of you for making 2012 fun. And bring on next season already.

[Mattpoet]

In order:

1. Winning the premiership.
2. Billy's try vs Gold Coast
3. Chambers' try vs Cronulla to win in the dying seconds
4. Billy's try vs Canberra to win
5. Billy's try vs Souths in Rd 2 where he tiptoed down the sideline
6. Sisa Waqa's late season form
7. The return of Hoffman and Chambers
8. Beating Manly TWICE
9. Duffie's try vs the Cowboys
10. Mahe Fonua debuting as the first born and bred Victorian Storm player.

Honourable mention goes to David Gallop for going away!

[yourhero]

Five special 2012 moments off the top of my head;

1. The utter jubilation about 45 seconds from full time in the GF. Knowing it was wrapped up. Knowing we had legitimately claimed back our mantle. This Premiership win will always be the most special and most meaningful.

2. The crowd coming alive, totally buzzing, just before full time in the Prelim. Knocking Manly out again AND going to the GF was doubly sweet. Chambers burning Matai and Slater using B Stewart as a turnstile, my two favourite moments from this game.

3. Waqa down the blindside to put Chambers over for a win with 15 seconds left on the clock. Everyone and I do mean EVERYONE, was looking out to the left to see where Smith, Cronk and Slater were. The balls on Waqa to ignore them and go himself, someone who by no means had secured a first grade spot, was amazing. If we don't win that game, there are no guarantees our season ends with a Premiership.

4. Hoffy opens the scoring in the GF in almost identical fashion to 09'. Blood was already pumping, this had me up and screaming at my screen.

5. Slater's electric start to the season... I hate to say it but after shattering his collarbone in November, I feared Slater's career may have been over. Or at the very least, I did not think he would ever return to his best. I mean, he didn't just break his collar bone, he SHATTERED it. Broken in 5 places and anyone that saw the x-rays would have cringed. It look awful... but as is the toughness of this great athlete, he is back for Round 1... Not only is he back, he is in ridiculous form!??? He was embarrassing the opposition and I was never so glad to be so wrong.

[absentee]

2. The crowd coming alive, totally buzzing, just before full time in the Prelim. Knocking Manly out again AND going to the GF was doubly sweet. Chambers burning Matai and Slater using B Stewart as a turnstile, my two favourite moments from this game.

And how about that MELLLBOUUURNE chant? Greatest thing I've heard. There's just something so intimidating about that chant - more so than the standard cowbell-driven chants. I want that to happen every game. So good.

[stormy]

All of Season 2012..I was confident that it was going to be our year.
Cooper signing to stay with Storm.
All of the Bai Stand family..I have really enjoyed posting on this forum with everyone.
Craig Bellamy`s face when it was apparent that we were going to win the GF.
Cameron Smith as our captain.
Billy,Coops,KP,S.W.A.S. Rylesy,Hoffy,Chambers,Widdop,Duffie,Juzzy,Neilson,Sika,Mahe,Jessie B,every Storm Jersey wearer.
Great atmosphere at AAMI Park.

[Scooter]

Pretty much everything everyone else has already said.

I particularly loved how the media wrote us off before every final ... first final GI was going to carve us up, don't know how many times on a kick chase Justin took his legs from under him. Second final Manly were just going to be too good for us. A number of errors from Watmough, Williams and G. Stewart not too mention the metre eating winger Taufua. Of course the Bulldogs with their attacking style, big forwards and Barba, plus the fact that the Bulldogs had tougher finals even though we played the same two teams.

Our defence and intensity in the finals was sensational.

Mel-bourne, Mel-bourne, Mel-bourne ... (think the chants at prelim final and grand final).

[stormsally]

Reading everyone's highlights is amazing.

I loved the Grand Final experience at the ground. I've been to them all and the key to have a great time is buying the tickets in the last week and being able to sit it the sea of PURPLE.

I love the way the team took the majority of the crowd out of the game. Not allowing the Dogs to get any momentum meant that the crowd didn't have anything to get truely excited about. The "small but vocal" Storm Supporters showed everyone what the Storm Spirit is all about. Regardless of what shit we all had gone through - here are the players and here are the supporters.

Of course I loved the way the team put the game plan into action. Again a great team with a great coach with great belief. It was a great game to watch. I think I held by breath for about 10 minutes in the last half - worried if the Dogs got on the board the game was going to change, but what defence!

For the rest of the year:

Was it only this year that Cooper resigned? That would be the other main highlight. When he called the press conference I was convinced he was going - because the club would have called it if he had resigned. I think it was either a great insight into the type of man Cooper is or it made him more mysterious. I think he has grown in confidence since this and has really become a better player in the second half of the year in a way I can't quite put my finger on. More confident in his own ability or his own choices.

Round by round I struggle to remember each game, but I loved the trial match in Hobart - just for it's novelty value and the great buzz around the ground. We had a holiday in Tassy and still got to squeeze in a Storm Game.

Round one - that catch and try by Billy in the pouring rain was amazing. When you are at the ground and could see him run from the side line to put himself in position to take that leap you really appreciate both the talent and the committment to be involved in any possible play that makes Billy the freak that he is.

Mahe debut - not only realises the dream of having a full Vic Junior making the squad, but he also proved to be a handy player in finals matches. I was involved in junior RL about 10 years ago, and even though the Storm system that is in place now was only just starting to build I have seen several players who have played U20's who I knew from this time. So why it may have seemed to take some time for a player to emerge from this program, these U20's are the product of the Storm's time in Victoria. I love the fact the storm are a development club, rather than a recruiting one and I hope this will stay ingrained in our culture.

The 'two tries in three minute" finish - who wasn't sitting there thinking that the game was over and the team was still in a slump?? I was sick as a dog at that game and lost my voice for two more days after that finish.

The qualifying final against Manly - I was kind of confident going in to the game but a bit nervious and trying to make plans to go to Sydney without actually making any. The win was so good - Manly played so poorly - Storm were so clinical. It gave me real confidence going into the Grand Final.

It's been a great year in every way and now we have to work out what we are going to do for the off season!

[Rose Madder]

Before most games THEY said we would not stand up to (oppositions ) big forwards..we did and did it so well.
The game v The sharks when Will Chambers scored in the last seconds of the game..The roar of the crowd was the best thing..it gave me goose bumps,I think I cried.
Beating Manly so convincingly..and the crowd again gave me goose bumps.
The grand final,have to admit to a LOT of nerves going in to this one,but after maybe 5 mins felt good,you can tell the way the boys start a game sometimes,that they are not giving an inch,and this was one of them.
Watching Cam lift that trophy...well..I cried,I cried for them all,I cried for 22/04/2010 and what they went through,and I cried with pure pride.

[Himitsu Arashi]

That the Storm raged back to the peak of the mountain.
That the sad Sydney scribes have lost their right to tie us to their whipping post
That in 2013 15 other teams will face an enemy willing & capable of defending it's right.
That I had the honour to be a small part of the roar behind the Storm.

[Inglis#3]

- Billy's rampant start to the season, scoring 9 tries in five games including four doubles in the opening four rounds.
- Will Chambers comeback to football after he faced the daunting possibility of never lacing up the boots again.
- Sisa Waqa's moment of brilliance where he unexpectedly ignored shouts from the Big Three and opted to chance his arm by going down the right side of the field which subsequently resulted in Will Chambers crossing in the corner to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
- Cooper Cronk's field goal against the Broncos to secure the win whilst continuing the dominance we currently have over Brisbane.
- All three of our finals wins where we utterly destroyed our opponents in each match. To emphatically prove to all the doubters that we could win a premiership without paying our players a little extra was incredibly satisfying.
- Farewelling our departing players in style, particularly Sika Manu who unfortunately was forced to watch from the stands in 2009 due to the broken leg he suffered a few months prior to the grand final.