2020 Grand Final - Panthers vs Storm

Discussion on anything to do with Melbourne Storm - games, players, rumours - anything!
Itzbek the Purple
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I'm not sure which Smith I'd like to see holding up five rings , Cameron or Brandon! I know Brandon's only been there for one but surely the comedy would be worth it.
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Itzbek the Purple wrote: Wed Nov 04, 2020 10:43 pm I'm not sure which Smith I'd like to see holding up five rings , Cameron or Brandon! I know Brandon's only been there for one but surely the comedy would be worth it.
Or he wins another four with us.
Utha
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A sad GF postscript: Panthers' centre Brent Naden has apparently tested positive to cocaine on the night of the game.

https://www.espn.com.au/nrl/story/_/id/ ... rand-final

Naden will be provisionally stood down.
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sallymay
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Disgusting and if they won nothing literally nothing would’ve happened ...how they let him play is beyond me
Itzbek the Purple
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sallymay wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:30 am Disgusting and if they won nothing literally nothing would’ve happened ...how they let him play is beyond me
I'm pretty sure he was tested after the game
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Itzbek the Purple wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 4:45 pm
sallymay wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:30 am Disgusting and if they won nothing literally nothing would’ve happened ...how they let him play is beyond me
I'm pretty sure he was tested after the game
At the moment it's sounding like he was tested after the game and they found metabolites of cocaine indicating that he had taken it at some stage before the game!
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Mattpoet
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Game day to me, means that the onus should be on him to prove the drugs weren't in his system during the game. Otherwise, they should give him 2 years like Sailor got.
Shuttlesworth99
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Same thing happened to a Collingwood player - Sam Murray - tested positive after a home and away game against Richmond.

It had inadvertently - which was accepted and proven due to the low reading in his sample - entered his system and he received 18 months. If you test positive on game day it is a PED so Naden is stuffed - that means two years minimum or if it is shown that he purposely did it to improve performance it is four years (unlikely to be fair)

The part i find most interesting is if you test positive on a non game day it’s a slap on the wrist in comparison. I don’t condone the use of drugs but if a young player stuffs up and tests positive to a recreational drug, banning them for such a length of time seems wrong.
Mattpoet
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Now looking like he broke quarantine the night before and went on a bender with his brother.
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sallymay
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Wooow
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six rings
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n hindsight I reckon the Storm got lucky facing the Raiders in the preliminary final. Firstly it was played at Suncorp (where the Raiders have an abysmal record and the Storm’s is superb). Secondly, the Storm were fully rested while the Raiders hadn’t quite recovered after a huge bruising encounter at the SCG the week before against the Roosters. And thirdly the Raiders had a direct flight on game day. The Raiders looked cooked in that first 20 minutes both mentally and physically.

The Storm also blew away Penrith early in the GF before they found a way to claw their way back. The top teams just have to be better prepared for the initial Storm onslaught in these finals if they want to go on and win the premiership.

As for this year 2021, there are a lot of changes without Cam Smith and Suli and Tino. The centres interest me.

Lee is a big solid footballer, maybe somewhat old fashioned and is a role player in that team. Hynes shows a lot of class and pretty silky skills but we haven’t seen him play a string of games so I think the jury is still out. I don’t see him blossoming like Paps but the team definitely could use another creative player in the backline. Maybe he just needs the chance to shine.

I’ve got Reimis to replace Vunivalu…its a like for like. Reimis is actually taller and faster and has shown he has great aerial abilities too. With some AFL Storm training I can see him and Jahrome striking up a great combo same as last year with Suli…and they’re both Kiwis. I don’t see Hynes as a center, I’m just not sure of his defense especially on the line. I’ve watched the GF replay a few times and Lee apart from that one miss on Crighton (who is a special talent) was immense in defense. He also has some sublime skills and I honestly don’t think he has reached his potential yet and I’m hoping he makes further strides this year now he is used to Storm ball.

To say Melbourne won’t make the top four without C Smith is akin to saying his replacement is not up to the task yet Harry Grant outplayed his opposite in SOO3 when he came on. He was a major factor in QLD’s victory displaying skills beyond his years. His opposite was the Souths No9 the team you picked to win in 2021. Saying they will struggle without big Tino and Vuni is reminiscent of people saying Melbourne will struggle when Billy Slater left, ditto Cooper Cronk. No matter how good you are, there is always someone to take your place as Melbourne has shown.

Belly ache turns journeymen into State of Origin players. Branko Lee was down in Melbourne trying out for rugby Union for the Rebels next thing he won a premiership for the Storm and won the game 3 in State of Origin. one thing he had on his side was Belly-Ache. Think of the journeymen, up-and-comers and stock standard first graders that have landed in Melbourne and gone on to bigger things and those whose careers have stagnated after leaving. Josh Addo Carr, a player who barely made firsts with the Tigers yet is the best flankman in RL at the moment. the Fox is the No 1 winger in the world now. Due to Belly-Ache.
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George Jennings also interests me. He started in Penrith. He has actually left his pregnant partner in Sydney to come and play for the Storm so he is dead keen and prepared to give it all up for his dream. Well at least make the sacrifices necessary.

Jennings has a lot to offer and if Belly-Ache can polish him up, George could be playing centres for NSW by the middle of the year. On 28 August 2018, Jennings won the Jack Gibson NRL Coaches Award after being voted Paramatta's best back. But since then he has been a bit stagnant and I reckon he hasn't quite had the opportunities.


At the end of the 2020 regular season, Parramatta finished in third place and qualified for the finals. Jennings was a late inclusion for Parramatta in their elimination final match against South Sydney. Jennings scored two tries as Parramatta lost 38–24 at Bankwest Stadium. I watched that game and thought how much Jennings reminded me of Justin Olam and viola, George might be playing beside him. Lol

if Belly-Ache can get George's defense right, George's natural attacking flair is first class. 15 tries in 35 games. Belly-Ache can get George to double that.

That's where belly-Ache is a star, getting blokes to work both ways. George should listen to his every word.

Anyway with Lee, Olam and Jennings, we have three really hard nuts in the centres who are no nonsense guys who will work all day.

The flair players in The Fox, Munster and Jarohme Hughes can work around and with them and hopefully Remis Smith believes in himself enough to go to a consistent level. He has the talent.

Just do what Belly-Ache tells you to do and you will be fantastic.
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https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/rugby ... -s-2044564

Storm recruit George Jennings is set to join his teammate Josh Addo-Carr in being locked out of Victoria after rushing back to Sydney for the birth of his baby.

With COVID-19 on the rise in Sydney and fearing border closure, the ex-Parramatta winger left his pregnant partner just before Christmas to ensure he could be available for day one of the pre-season.

Due later this month the baby decided to make an earlier-than-expected appearance with the 27-year-old flying back to his home state on Thursday.

Storm football general manager Frank Ponissi had praised the "enormous sacrifice" Jennings and other players from NSW had made in missing family time to head to Melbourne.

"A lot of these new players have come from greater Sydney and had to make a decision to leave before Christmas and not spend it with their families," Ponissi told the club website.

"They were supposed to come down in early January. For them to make those sacrifices is enormous and we're really appreciative.

"George and the other players that have come down from Sydney have been training together the last few weeks and that's made his adjustment a bit easier."

Addo-Carr is also stuck in Sydney due to the border ban, with representative players given extra time off following the State of Origin series in November.

He and now Jennings have to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days if they return to Melbourne during the current restrictions.

Melbourne have attempted to secure an exemption, however the government have so far said that sports stars need to join the queue of Victorians attempting to get approval.

Fellow Origin campaigners Cameron Munster and Felise Kaufusi are due back from Queensland this weekend, with the Melbourne players heading to Geelong for their annual pre-season camp next week.
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