My Personal Opinion on the Salary Cap Drama
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 2:33 pm
I've been quiet for far too long on this matter, but in 18 months i've had alot of time for thought and reflection. 1st things first, i admit we systematically rorted the NRL salary cap as an administration, i accept we were caught and as a fan have accepted the punishments of losing 2 premierships, our minor premierships, shedding of talent, massive fines and losing the right to compete in the 2010 premiership race. I think all storm fans have accepted this to some extent and moved on.
Why is this still an issue? Like year's past a media driven agenda against the Storm shows up right around finals time, and living in Sydney i can honestly say people up here hate us, particularly the media. Now i have no gripe with this generally as the media up here hates anything and anyone not from NSW, what i do have a problem with is the constant kick them why their down mentality. Warren Smith's grilling of Bellamy at the Dally M's left a sour taste in my mouth, and i'm sure it wasn't just an off the cuff question. What i can't understand is why is there still this attitude towards us as a club?
We filtered out the rats in administration who brought the club to it's knees, we cut many players to become cap compliant, we copped our punishment, started anew when most thought we would fold and have already returned to the NRL summit, fully cap compliant. I dare say if we finished outside the 8 this year no one would have an issue but because we bounced back legally people feel the need to keep bringing up the past, instead of applauding the efforts of the players and coaching staff, it seems to be easier to still put our success down to cheating, even though thats no longer the case.
All players and Bellamy were cleared by both an NRL independent audit and an internal club investigation yet these are the men who not only lost the most, but are still the target of cheap shot merchants, just because they have proven their success was from hard work and determination. People still believe we are reaping the rewards of the rort? We signed Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater from Brisbane Norths, not as under 20's stars from other clubs, not as 15 year old prodigies, but as men playing reserve grade, 3 men who would have signed with any of the other 15 NRL clubs had they had the vision we did (Bronco's told Cam he didn't have what it took to play NRL). All 3 signed for minimum wage, the rest is history. So why does the wider RL community think it's unfair we keep these 3 players no one else wanted? I guess losing Steve Turner, Matt King, Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Brett White, Jeremy Smith, Dallas Johnson and the countless others who no one else wanted isn't enough. I remember pre season many people were happy to see us decimated and were tipping us for the bottom half of the table, no one cared that we still had the 'big 3' because in their eyes everyone around them were rejects and nobodies, they laughed us off as a threat when we signed Lowe, Wooly etc and happily stated "It's an even playing field now, let's how they go now derp derp derp". But now that we are actually successful again everyone wants to cry cheat! Again, and it's f***ing pathetic.
Us fan's have been unfairly targeted for a long time now, i read other forums and all they say is 'accept you cheated and the hate will stop blah blah blah' WE NEVER DENIED CHEATING MUPPET'S!!! As fans we copped the abuse, ridicule and punishments fairly handed down to the organization, but we never abandoned them. Every player was cleared of involvement, yet people still speculate and state as fact. The fact is our slimy ex-adminstration covered it up and screwed over alot of loyal people involved with the club. They were moved along, yet still our legal, cap-compliant team is copping unwarranted abuse. Have we not suffered enough, have us fans not yet copped enough s***? I can fully understand why Bellamy & the boys have this seige mentality. But we didn't create it, it's the world against us, not the other way round. I also believe jealousy is a curse.
Afew interesting point's i dare any opposing fan to respond too:
- NZ Warriors were $800,000 over the salary cap afew years back and got a fine and a slap on the wrist, in 2007 we were $300,000 over and lost everything. Tigers are $150,000 over this year and that conveniently dissapeared from the Sydney Media's radar. Nothing happened.
- The bulldogs were 1.5 million over in 03, lost no players and were allowed to re-negotiate all deals, then won the comp in 04 with the EXACT SAME illegal squad, no one stripped that title?
- Scott Prince's free $400,000 property development dissapeared too with no official outcome or explanation.
Why is this still an issue? Like year's past a media driven agenda against the Storm shows up right around finals time, and living in Sydney i can honestly say people up here hate us, particularly the media. Now i have no gripe with this generally as the media up here hates anything and anyone not from NSW, what i do have a problem with is the constant kick them why their down mentality. Warren Smith's grilling of Bellamy at the Dally M's left a sour taste in my mouth, and i'm sure it wasn't just an off the cuff question. What i can't understand is why is there still this attitude towards us as a club?
We filtered out the rats in administration who brought the club to it's knees, we cut many players to become cap compliant, we copped our punishment, started anew when most thought we would fold and have already returned to the NRL summit, fully cap compliant. I dare say if we finished outside the 8 this year no one would have an issue but because we bounced back legally people feel the need to keep bringing up the past, instead of applauding the efforts of the players and coaching staff, it seems to be easier to still put our success down to cheating, even though thats no longer the case.
All players and Bellamy were cleared by both an NRL independent audit and an internal club investigation yet these are the men who not only lost the most, but are still the target of cheap shot merchants, just because they have proven their success was from hard work and determination. People still believe we are reaping the rewards of the rort? We signed Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater from Brisbane Norths, not as under 20's stars from other clubs, not as 15 year old prodigies, but as men playing reserve grade, 3 men who would have signed with any of the other 15 NRL clubs had they had the vision we did (Bronco's told Cam he didn't have what it took to play NRL). All 3 signed for minimum wage, the rest is history. So why does the wider RL community think it's unfair we keep these 3 players no one else wanted? I guess losing Steve Turner, Matt King, Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Brett White, Jeremy Smith, Dallas Johnson and the countless others who no one else wanted isn't enough. I remember pre season many people were happy to see us decimated and were tipping us for the bottom half of the table, no one cared that we still had the 'big 3' because in their eyes everyone around them were rejects and nobodies, they laughed us off as a threat when we signed Lowe, Wooly etc and happily stated "It's an even playing field now, let's how they go now derp derp derp". But now that we are actually successful again everyone wants to cry cheat! Again, and it's f***ing pathetic.
Us fan's have been unfairly targeted for a long time now, i read other forums and all they say is 'accept you cheated and the hate will stop blah blah blah' WE NEVER DENIED CHEATING MUPPET'S!!! As fans we copped the abuse, ridicule and punishments fairly handed down to the organization, but we never abandoned them. Every player was cleared of involvement, yet people still speculate and state as fact. The fact is our slimy ex-adminstration covered it up and screwed over alot of loyal people involved with the club. They were moved along, yet still our legal, cap-compliant team is copping unwarranted abuse. Have we not suffered enough, have us fans not yet copped enough s***? I can fully understand why Bellamy & the boys have this seige mentality. But we didn't create it, it's the world against us, not the other way round. I also believe jealousy is a curse.
Afew interesting point's i dare any opposing fan to respond too:
- NZ Warriors were $800,000 over the salary cap afew years back and got a fine and a slap on the wrist, in 2007 we were $300,000 over and lost everything. Tigers are $150,000 over this year and that conveniently dissapeared from the Sydney Media's radar. Nothing happened.
- The bulldogs were 1.5 million over in 03, lost no players and were allowed to re-negotiate all deals, then won the comp in 04 with the EXACT SAME illegal squad, no one stripped that title?
- Scott Prince's free $400,000 property development dissapeared too with no official outcome or explanation.
