The Annual "Wrestling" Media Attack on the Storm

Discussion on anything to do with Melbourne Storm - games, players, rumours - anything!
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yourhero
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"You're a f*cking cheat!"
and
"Everyone wants an exciting finish"

Exactly the same thing in Paul K*nt's eyes :lol:
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Pole
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Typical Sydney media, haven't stopped... and likely never will.
Scooter
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Spoiler alert if you haven't watched NRL360 and plan to, stop reading now.

I watched NRL360 last night for the first time this year. Don't normally watch because of their bias. Last night I watched to see how salty they were. They was definitely some comments made through gritted teeth but still some hatred for the Storm. I include some of my thoughts in brackets)

Some highlights/lowlights

Paul Kent
- Amazing team still making GFs.
- Magnificent effort.
- Culture is driven by Craig Bellamy. Club is set in his image. A lot of clubs with a tough coach receive player backlash. However, Storm has Cameron Smith, who doesn't complain and does what Craig wants. So everyone else falls into line.
- People don't like Storm because of their tactics it isn't because they're from Melbourne. (You keep telling yourself that Paul)
- 3 of 4 lowest rating GFs include the Storm. (Well we can't help it if Sydney people don't want to watch quality)(I wonder if that includes Victorian ratings or just NSW)
- Storm received a lot of luck but deserved it.
- Then went on to say To'o try was clearly a shepherd and should have been disallowed. Penalty try to Storm was correctly awarded.
- Complained that everyone was happy with 6 again rule and then in finals they stopped paying 6 again. (My interpretation 6 again rule was meant to stop Storm and it didn't).
- Kaufusi pretended to be injured to stop game. ( I said to my wife at time tackle was made (before play was stopped) I think Kaufusi copped a knock to the head).
- Cameron Smith lucky he didn't get sinbinned when he said to Sutton "dont go nitpicking on us to make it an exciting finish." Likened this incident to Gordie Tallis being sinbinned for calling Bill Harrigan a cheat. (Must be living on another planet).

James Hooper
- You have to "tip your hat" to the Storm;
- Received reason 26 (on plane), 27 and 28 (celebrations at Novotel) to hate from Frank Ponissi.
- "Polarising tactics" by Storm, John Donehue has been on staff for years.

Buzz
- If you could give the Clive Churchill to a coach you would give it to Craig Bellamy.
- Winning 2020 premiership is "greatest feat in coaching."
- Elevates Bellamy to same level as Wayne Bennett and Jack Gibson. Also said for a lot of Bennett's success he has Qld origin team and Gibson has Sterling, Kenny, Price, Ella, Grothe etc.
- Another coach with Storm squad would have struggled in 8 but not won competition.
- Storm culture, players only offend once but are then pulled back into line by Criag, Frank and Cameron.
- Buzz stuck up for Storm in his column in Daily Telegraph yesterday (he even mentioned Hooper's 25 reasons to hate the Storm article).
- Gus' commentary was disrespectful to Storm (Hooper actually agreed with this comment).
- He said to Kent and Hooper that they "can't cop that Matthew Johns loves them (the Storm) and I love them".
- The intercept bu Vunivalu was skilful as opposed to lucky.
- GF refereeing was 9/10 compared to last year. With the major blunder being awarding of Panthers first try.

The highlight of the night was Buzz saying to Hooper "You don't like the Storm" and Hooper's response was "No, I don't."
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Pole
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Good on ya Buzz for calling out Hooper!

I might watch it back on Kayo later today, looks like an interesting watch.

How funny is this video below now... this was May 31st after losing the first game back from the break, titled "Are the Melbourne Storm still a top-8 team?"

https://youtu.be/5AY4CLO7vGY?t=475
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Pole
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Scooter wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:06 am - 3 of 4 lowest rating GFs include the Storm. (Well we can't help it if Sydney people don't want to watch quality)(I wonder if that includes Victorian ratings or just NSW)
What;s he on about?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... tv-ratings

and from 2016: https://tvtonight.com.au/2016/10/nrl-gr ... unday.html
blazza18
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Storm have been one of the most watched teams for years now. To insinuate the tactics we use drives people away is just completely false.
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yourhero
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blazza18 wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 11:09 am Storm have been one of the most watched teams for years now. To insinuate the tactics we use drives people away is just completely false.
That is Kent, Hooper and Crawley to a T though... Don't piece together information and let it guide your conclusion. No... instead, come up with your emotional conclusion and then bend/blatantly fabricate information to justify your idiotic stance ::)
RobbieRoss
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Very pleased Buzz was there last night to call the others out in their anti-Melbourne bias.
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yourhero
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Step outside the Daily Telegraph/Fox League/rusted on Sydney NRL media and you get reasonable articles about Smith...

---

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/cameron-sm ... cial-NRLFS

Peter Psaltis: Hatred shown towards Cameron Smith, our greatest, makes no sense
By Peter Psaltis (Brisbane)
Channel 9
28 October 2020

Growing up in Queensland, I never thought I'd see a player better than Wally Lewis.

But it's clear the king has been dethroned.

Cameron Smith is in my eyes the greatest player the game has ever seen.

Granted, I can only rely on tapes when talking about the likes of Fulton, Churchill, Langlands and Gasnier but Smith does things on the field that continue to amaze, even at the age of 37.

In praising Cameron Smith it does however lead me to pose the question: Why the constant criticism?

Is it because they accuse him of 'manipulating' games by questioning the referees? Name me a captain who just shrugs his shoulders and doesn't question a decision they disagree with from an official. He doesn't rant or rave; he asks a question and past and current match officials engage in conversation with him.

Maybe a few hot-headed skippers can learn a thing or two out of Smith. Don't blame Smith if you don't like the refs discussing decisions with him.

I'm still trying to work it out ... why the hatred?

How can someone get so fired up about Smith not deciding if he is going to retire or play on, stay at the Storm or move to the Broncos or Titans? We must have heard 360 complaints all year about Smith supposedly holding the game to ransom.

The Storm aren't worried, they've got plans in place. His teammates aren't worried about Smith's future. I spoke with Harry Grant this week, the one person who should be up in arms about the whole situation. He's just taking everything in his stride.

After 430 games, if Smith wants to retire then fair enough. If he wants to play on, then that's fine too.

So I'll ask again: Why the hate?

Surely it isn't to do with the whole salary cap scandal from a decade ago? I've always maintained that the players were kept in the dark about what was really going on. Do you know how much everyone in your workplace is getting paid? I didn't think so.

I've seen first-hand over the years the way Cameron goes out of his way for Storm fans. He always has time for everyone, young and old. At AAMI Park, he's last to leave the ground, signing autographs or posing for photos with supporters.

I can certainly see how Cameron can rub people up the wrong way. If you're not a Storm fan, then maybe you are just sick of him being successful!

I know everyone is entitled to an opinion and you don't have to like everyone, that's fine too. But to show a lack of respect to an out-and-out champion of the game, well that still leaves me scratching my head.

We have a sorry habit sometimes in this country of wanting to bring down our champions. Lleyton Hewitt and Greg Norman are just two that used to cop a lot of stick, despite having careers most can only dream of.

So, should Cameron Smith retire or play on?

In my opinion that's entirely up to him.

He's earned the right to go out on his own terms.
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Danger D
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Pretty sure Smith will go on to a media role at Channel 9 despite the whole Current Affair debacle. I think the crew at Fox feel the same way and probably dislike him for that as much as anything else.

And you know a show has gone to s**t when Buzz is the voice of reason on the panel.
Scooter
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Great article on Cameron Smith. That was one of the joys of restrictions on travel and us having home games in Qld on Channel Nine. Salty (Peter Psaltis), Fatty Vautin, JT, King Wally and Darren Lockyer were on the commentary. No biased NSW commentary from Nine and didn't have to listen to biased NSW commentary on Fox from the likes of (Brandy) Custard Alexander.
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https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/10/27/r ... rl-season/

A very funny article about predictions made at the start of the year.I particularly liked the section on Paul Kent.

"5. Paul Kent will be positive about rugby league all season
I don’t care what you say, this is still an hilarious joke.

Poor old Kenty. He really is an energy tampon. Knowing how much Cameron Smith and the Melbourne Storm winning the premiership would irk him really makes me happy. But I digress – back to the serious predictions."
Mattpoet
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Truer words never written
glennb
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Just heard the words of a Sydney media person; "Penrith were the best team of the season" . So now the team that wins the grand final is not the best team. It would not be the case if the Roosters, Raiders or Rabbits won.
Last edited by glennb on Thu Oct 29, 2020 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Utha
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I had to put up with similar nonsense when Hawthorn beat Geelong in 2008. As with Penrith, the Cats had only lost one game during the season.
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