Bellamy frustrated by the NRL.

[Thunderstruck]

NRL says behind closed doors to club officials that they are committed to Melbourne yet unwilling to put out a strong and concrete public statement to ensure the fans and potential fans and sponsors that the club is here to stay. This is costing the club massively in terms of attendance and sponsorship money.

Incensed by the NRL, Bellamy demands full disclosure of NRL's stance on Melbourne and the 16th team.

As with any other decision, the NRL has shown it is nowhere near committed to anything for the good of the game and the benefit of the fans. The Williams case was adjourned for 2 weeks only for the panel to disregard any and all defense put forward by the legal team, and proceeded with the sentence already bandied around and pushed for by the media well before the case was seen by the judiciary.

even with the decision on appeal, they are unable to provide a straight answer after more than 1 week.

Melbourne and the 16th team are just two of the issues currently being dragged, thrown, hung and quartered all over the place with no real stance shown by the NRL. Salary cap audit is a joke being conducted from within the organization by -correct me if i'm wrong- a former club official instead of by an independent auditor, and the weekly judiciary doesn't seem to have a well defined set of laws with identical and similar cases being given different verdicts regularly.

The NRL has proven to be a toothless tiger in the face of league fans, by not being able to state a strong position on any matter that they face. It seems to be a joke of an organization run by people with arms and legs tied like string puppets.



I am rather annoyed, if you haven't noticed.

[OzHEDude]

My understanding - correct me if i'm wrong - (and yes we all hate the NRL head quarters) is that the clubs 'run' the NRL HQ to an extent. I may be wrong, but i think i have a point.

AFL and ARU have HQ's that say to their code,' jump up high, sit down, turn around 4 times and touch your nose with your elbow', and the clubs do it. And it works.

Sure, the AFL presidante's get together and thrash out problems, but in the end, it's the AFL HQ that put those plans to action, wheather the clubs like it or not. End of story, complain if you want, but no further whateva will be entered into.

It's the clubs of the NRL that get together, pass or no pass a motion by vote (most decisions....not all), and then go to the NRL HQ and say, 'We voted. We want this or we don't want this'.
Unfortunatly, that system doesn't help every club, but that is the NRL just being a babysitter. It is time for the NRL to stop being a babysitter, and start acting as the boss. Doing what is right for the game and stop bending over backwards to the Sydney clubs.

I see the 'CLUBS' as a ratepayer who demands action, and the 'NRL' as a local council who don't like making decisions.

I could be wrong, but that's how i see it.

[Thunderstruck]

That seems to be how it works up at Fox Studios. NRL is all an act for the cameras isn't it?

[Dani_]

heres another interesting read:

Bellamy on mission for NRL pledge
By Brent Read
August 15, 2004
The Sun-Herald

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has called on the NRL and News Limited to end speculation over the Storm's future by publicly guaranteeing the club's tenure in Victoria.

Bellamy, frustrated at rumours over the prospect of Melbourne being relocated to the Gold Coast or Central Coast, hit out last week.

He said he was told this year the club would remain in Melbourne for at least another five years. However, he wants the NRL to go public with the same commitment.

"We need to have someone come out and say that we're here for this length of time," Bellamy said.

"I have been given guarantees and [chief executive] Frank Stanton has.

"They're telling us behind doors they're committed.

"But at the end of the day, we want people outside our club to know that.

"Again, I don't think anyone has come out and said, 'They're here . . . we're committed to Melbourne for five years. If their crowds and sponsorship don't improve we'll look at it'.

"Just something a bit more concrete.

"What we're hearing is that they're all committed but they're not giving a time frame.

"To us they're saying it but the public don't know that."

Bellamy believes the conjecture is eroding the club's fan base and corporate support.

The Storm have averaged crowds of less than 9000 at Olympic Park this year, a far cry from the heady days of the late 1990s when attendances hovered around 12,000.

"I have heard our fans say that they're trying to get people from work to come, their relations.

"But some of them say, 'We keep hearing the Storm might not have a future here'," he said.

"Why would they support a team that's going to be taken away in 12 months. It's hard to get a sponsor if you're not going to be here in 12 months.

"I just think it would be better for everyone if they came out and told us what their plans are for us."

Bellamy believes debate over the prospect of a 16th licence has contributed to the heightening speculation over the Storm's future.

"I have no problem with a 16th team coming in," he said.

"But with that happening, we seem to be under the microscope.

"We're trying to get people along, but they keep saying we haven't got a future. Why should we bother?"

and here's a funny article about matt king as well if you're interested
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/ ... 42744.html

[Earl]

I read these few this morning. Bellamy makes a pretty good point about increasing crowds.

"I love it down here, it's a great environment to play rugby league in because no one knows us. You can escape the hype and just enjoy playing footy."

Sign him up for life

[Thunderstruck]

"All the boys have been geeing me up," King said. "In fact, there is always something going on around here. But it mainly comes from Matty Orford.

"He is constantly ringing me up pretending to be someone from a newspaper or some media organisation or another. He says he wants to ask a few questions and just acts like a dickhead."

We know who the successor is to Danny Williams as the club jester now The funny thing about matt king's career is that he went down to melbourne to avoid league, ends up working in a bar, rooming with matt orford, went back to sydney, got a restart with cronulla and ends up playing league for the city he went to to avoid the game in the first place! how ironic is that???

[Thunderstruck]

That Bellamy article on the Sun-Herald is word for word pretty much what was on The Age article I linked to, except without extra info and two days late.

[Surandy]

NRL says behind closed doors to club officials that they are committed to Melbourne yet unwilling to put out a strong and concrete public statement to ensure the fans and potential fans and sponsors that the club is here to stay. This is costing the club massively in terms of attendance and sponsorship money.

Incensed by the NRL, Bellamy demands full disclosure of NRL's stance on Melbourne and the 16th team.

As with any other decision, the NRL has shown it is nowhere near committed to anything for the good of the game and the benefit of the fans. The Williams case was adjourned for 2 weeks only for the panel to disregard any and all defense put forward by the legal team, and proceeded with the sentence already bandied around and pushed for by the media well before the case was seen by the judiciary.

even with the decision on appeal, they are unable to provide a straight answer after more than 1 week.

Melbourne and the 16th team are just two of the issues currently being dragged, thrown, hung and quartered all over the place with no real stance shown by the NRL. Salary cap audit is a joke being conducted from within the organization by -correct me if i'm wrong- a former club official instead of by an independent auditor, and the weekly judiciary doesn't seem to have a well defined set of laws with identical and similar cases being given different verdicts regularly.

The NRL has proven to be a toothless tiger in the face of league fans, by not being able to state a strong position on any matter that they face. It seems to be a joke of an organization run by people with arms and legs tied like string puppets.



I am rather annoyed, if you haven't noticed.

You left out the very inconsistant refereeing. At the Raiders game Storm got pinged a couple of times for high tackles, from memory I think the Raiders got pinged once, even though the some Raiders players were doing it quite a bit.

[Thunderstruck]

and they got pinged for a knock on while mcdougall was allowed to play, leading to slater's try *shrugs* we got the better end of it.

[mystormboys]

Nice to hear that Matty O has a sense of humour

[Thunderstruck]

Finally, a glimpse of reason straight from the horse's mouth.

David Gallop has indicated support for the Storm by the NRL and an assurance that the NRL will provide assistance with off-field issues. While other clubs have been offered license extensions to 2011, it seems that the Storm already has their license extended up until the end of that season.

This is what Gallop had to say (emphasis mine)...

... “Melbourne has a licence through until the end of 2011 and while they have got some challenges in terms of their off-field performance, the team is travelling really well and we are going to help in terms of those off-field issues so that the Storm’s off-field performance matches their on-field performance,” Gallop explained...

While it all may sound good, seems to me that a certain NRL CEO needs to check his stats a bit more carefully. The Storm have been atrocious on the road yet he said we're travelling really well?????

[NZ Storm]

I think he means travelling figuratively not literally.