Storm needs consistency

[Super Cronk]

Melbourne Storm captain Robbie Kearns has blamed the most frustrating team slump he has experienced on too few players being willing to put in a full effort every game.

Kearns yesterday said he could rely on only about six players putting in consistent performances and he challenged his teammates to identify their failings and work on them before the Storm takes on South Sydney at Olympic Park on Saturday.

Normally, the Storm would be confident of victory against the Rabbitohs, whom they defeated 38-10 in round 10, but Melbourne has lost four of its past five home games.

Kearns and coach Craig Bellamy have not been able to hide their frustration, with the Storm clinging to the top eight by percentage only after starting the season in a blaze of glory.

The Storm lost 28-14 to Penrith on Saturday night after controlling the first half. Bellamy was lost for words as he tried to articulate his frustration at his players' tendency to fall flat every few weeks.
AdvertisementAdvertisement

Kearns did not attend the post-match press conference as the team held a closed-doors meeting that extended well after the game.

Kearns yesterday conceded he was still none the wiser as to the reason for the form slump, but he believes players need to take more responsibility. "I can't put my finger on why we played so bad in the second half but at the end of the day . . . as the guys who were there (on Saturday night), we have to have a good look at ourselves and try and get the club out of the little bit of rut that we are in," Kearns said.

"I just think it is a case where we have a core six players who turn up each week to play whether we win or lose and the rest of the players are either good or bad. Everyone is going to have to start turning up ready to play because as you've seen, it only takes one or two guys to be off their game and it spreads like cancer.

"There's been a lot of talk, we just have to start doing a bit more action rather than words."

Bellamy said the Storm had some promising youngsters coming through the reserve ranks in Brisbane and Sydney but he was not prepared to promote them before they were ready.

Meanwhile, the manager for Sydney City's Michael Crocker said the star back-rower, who is fielding offers, was impressed with the Storm set-up in Melbourne and would make a decision on his future within the next fortnight.

theage. com.au

totally agree about the 6 players only turning up week in week out. the players not putting in are 99% of the forwards.

[James]

One of the big problems this season is that we've never hit rock bottom. Brisbane did against us and haven't lost since. The Eels did against Brisbane and have been similarly impressive. Every game that we've lost, we could have won if we played just a little bit better. Our for and against shows this. I think we have to feel the pain of being really low, really humiliated to snap us out of this slump. The reports today suggest that we have, so at least now the only way is up.

#$%^, I sound a bit like Scooter today....

Who are the six players? Smith, Geyer, Webster, Turner...?

[steaming stormer]

speaking of GT, looks like he'll be elsewhere next year.

[Thunderstruck]

I wouldn't expect Kearns to consider himself in the equation being the humble player that he is, so my guess would be Geyer, Smith, Johnson and three more. If it was my list, I'd put him in obviously, leaving two spots empty.

[Super Cronk]

my list of players that put in every week would be:

geyer
kearns
king
smith
johnson
bell/ altho webster does put in aswell.

but im sure kearns and bellamy will talk to the players that arent performing and hopfully they lift.

[Lord Reynoldson]

speaking of GT, looks like he'll be elsewhere next year.

Why do you say that?

The 6 in my opinion would be:

Robbie Kearns
Cameron Smith
Matt Geyer
Matt King
Dallas Johnson
Steven Bell
Jake Webster (Okay, so I listed 7. He did say about 6, didn't he?)

[Super Cronk]

it seems pretty obvious who puts in every week by the looks of it ..everyone has here has basically named the same players.

[Lord Reynoldson]

In fairness to GT, he works as hard as any of the players listed, but doesn't have the natural talent to make as bug an impact as most of the them.

[Super Cronk]

i agree LR...he doesnt do anything overly special but he does work his ass off every week...he isnt going to change the game for us but he does what is expected of him.

[Insomniac]

well he has recently anyway... his last 5 or 6 games have been the best of his career in my opinion...

[MS]

speaking of GT, looks like he'll be elsewhere next year.

Why do you say that?

The 6 in my opinion would be:

Robbie Kearns
Cameron Smith
Matt Geyer
Matt King
Dallas Johnson
Steven Bell
Jake Webster (Okay, so I listed 7. He did say about 6, didn't he?)

Apart from a couple of shockers, Slater has to be in those 6 ( or 8 ) as well.

[Thunderstruck]

His contribution dropped as soon as he was selected for Origin. His only good game in the origin period was the Tigers game where he won it for us.

[nat]

i dont think jake webster deserves to be there.. the warriors game he broke the line and we missed out on a try because he didnt pass the ball to cooper, ok frustrating but we can forgive it....... but doing the EXACT same thing the next week!!!!! that really shitted me, u can fogive one... but twice in two weeks....
sorry im a bit arky bout it

but he has played well apart from that.

[Surandy]

Apart from a couple of shockers, Slater has to be in those 6 ( or 8 ) as well.

I know for a fact that Slater is annoying team mates with his almost constant passing of the ball rather than bringing it back on a kick return.

And no I don't have any inside info or goss, it is written all over the faces of the team mates concerned.

[Super Cronk]

who wouldnt be annoyed with it. im annoyed at it!

all good fullbacks over the years are known for their ball returns...running it back hard and getting that extra 10-15 metres or even breaking the line and going further...slater last year was smashed in a few tackles when returning the ball and now he is scared to run it up to hard.....the defence has accomplished thier job they got into slaters head and now he is a girl. he needs to fix that aspect of his game.