OT: Any NRL Fans?

[Jim Bookie]

it's just not cricket!

[FL00DY]

Waldron has resigned from the rebels this morning CHEATER

[Jim Bookie]

the kids, the kids....think of the kids!
SHAME ON YOUSE, STORMZ!

[Flaps]

NEW UNDERBELLY ANNOUNCED!!!

Underbellamy 4 - Weathering the Storm: A tale of 2 books!!

[FL00DY]

Quote, originally posted by FL00DY »

Central Coast Bears are putting together a bid and I wouldn't at all be surprised if they had 10,000 ready to sign up for membership on day one, it's one of the biggest Rugby League heartlands. Bluetongue Stadium averages 15K-20K crowd regardless of the teams that travel to play there, they just love watching footy.

CEO Greg Florimo (ex Nth Syd Bears, NSW, Aust) of CC Bears spoke to MMM this morning. He said that short of not having players signed yet, they'd be ready to go next year. He says we have a members base, venue, infrastructure.

I'm with you Sean, they cheated us fans and deserve everything they get.

Also I've heard that these extra payments perhaps weren't for the top name players, they were to top up the players that wanted to stay but weren't worth BIG money.

I think a fantasy league pay structure would work. Teams get $4m cap, all players are given a fixed amount decided on by a NRL panel. And if a team wants to buy a player but it puts them over the $4m cap then the NRL says no. The worth of a player could change over a season depending on performance. The players and player manager would never allow it though.

[FL00DY]

Quote, originally posted by Flaps »

NEW UNDERBELLY ANNOUNCED!!! Underbellamy 4 - Weathering the Storm: A tale of 2 books!!

He's apparently walked out this morning.

What has 34 legs and can't climb a ladder? The Storm

[TheHamofMam]

Quote, originally posted by FL00DY »

Also I've heard that these extra payments perhaps weren't for the top name players, they were to top up the players that wanted to stay but weren't worth BIG money.

Makes no difference. It's still a situation caused by their big name payers hogging up the quota.

Also, Greg Florimo = hard kunt.

[Lima]

@FL00DY what sort of crowd numbers do the Storm get compared to other teams?

The Central Coast argument is all well and good, but I dare say there are plenty of NSW candidates with less support and financial security ripe for relocation/whatever, rather than taking the first opportunity to get rid of those pesky Victorians.

In regards to the Swans, if I'm not in crap stirring mode, then I'll argue till I'm blue in the face that having a team (or teams) in Sydney is vitally important to the long term success of the AFL. If you want a proper national competition it is a pretty easy conclusion.

I disagree with the measures the AFL implements to assist their development, and the handouts to GWS will make the Swans look like they were shortchanged, but I'll be happy to go over that in the AFL thread if anyone cares, haha.

The other aspect that will be very interesting is how many scalps Brian Waldron can bring down with him...
http://www.dailytelegraph.com....72372

"There were people on the board who knew about everything that was going on.

"It's happening everywhere. What about [name withheld] leaving us and getting paid $200,000 by [sponsor withheld] outside the cap by the [team name withheld].

"This is a joke. All clubs do it. I can't say any more.

"Ring me back after they announce what they've got."

Not sure we've heard the last of this.

[FL00DY]

Quote, originally posted by TheHamofMam »

Makes no difference. It's still a situation caused by their big name payers hogging up the quota. Also, Greg Florimo = hard kunt.

Oh yeah I'm not saying it makes them any less a bunch a cheating kunts.

And yeah Flo was a damm good player.

Quote, originally posted by Lima »

@FL00DY what sort of crowd numbers do the Storm get compared to other teams? The Central Coast argument is all well and good, but I dare say there are plenty of NSW candidates with less support and financial security ripe for relocation/whatever, rather than taking the first opportunity to get rid of those pesky Victorians. In regards to the Swans, if I'm not in crap stirring mode, then I'll argue till I'm blue in the face that having a team (or teams) in Sydney is vitally important to the long term success of the AFL. If you want a proper national competition it is a pretty easy conclusion. I disagree with the measures the AFL implements to assist their development, and the handouts to GWS will make the Swans look like they were shortchanged, but I'll be happy to go over that in the AFL thread if anyone cares, haha. Not sure we've heard the last of this.

http://www.stats.rleague.com/r....html

The thing about Storm that has been wrong from the beginning, from the break up of Super League and the creation of the NRL. News Ltd are their owners, and News has a % share in the running of the NRL. A clear conflict that should never have been allowed. That's one way they've been able to run two books, News just puts endless amounts of money into it. Someone at News MUST have known about this.

I know it seems like picking on the Storm, and I don't think it will be the NRL kicking the Storm out. Like you say, we have not heard the last of this. People are talking bout the ATO getting involved to see if players earned more then they claimed tax on. About players having clauses in contracts that could mean they're now null and void. I don't think they'll have players next year, and I can't imagine a lot of new players wanting to sign up.

I think the way this was done, with the two sets of books means a lot worse is still to come.

[Sloth]

"Hey diddle diddle, the Storms books were fiddled,
They celebrated way too soon,
The Sea Eagle laughed to see such a rort,
And the Sharks finally avoided the spoon"

[GizmoGTI]

i think football (round ball game) will clean up with picking up on all the sponsers here and with the Hearts about to start next year, timing couldn't be better for them...

[Lima]

The Rebels? They could just set up a pathway to their door for disgruntled players to switch codes.

[FL00DY]

Quote, originally posted by Sloth »

"Hey diddle diddle, the Storms books were fiddled, They celebrated way too soon, The Sea Eagle laughed to see such a rort, And the Sharks finally avoided the spoon"

All that means is that in 2010 The Sharks will have been second last to Storm who were not allowed to accumulate points. IF we do finish second last, in my eyes it wont be any different to finishing last.

[Flaps]

Misses bet me $10 Manly would get the spoon. haha women...

[Del Griffith]

The Storm just lost a major sponsor ...

[Saxton Hale]

not NRL but was enough AFL talk here earlier illegibly odds on st kilda for the wooden spoon have gone thru the floor today..

its all happenin in melbourne lols

[Lima]

Apparently that has only happened with betfair. Other agencies still have Saints at very long odds.

But I would love it if St Kilda got arse raped by the AFL out of this. Especially as one of their best players (Goddard) only made it to them via the draft after Carlton had their picks taken away.

BUT... it won't happen. And I'll just have to remain bitter and twisted.

[FL00DY]

[Lima]

[Tank Engine]

Quote, originally posted by Lima »

The Rebels? They could just set up a pathway to their door for disgruntled players to switch codes.

Rugby has always had a stronger following in Melb than league. Now that they have cut Waldron this is the perfect storm for them.

The only thing saving the Storm from extinction is that News Ltd owns them.

[GizmoGTI]

quick question, if this year the storm do actually win a game, and as we know the points don't count, does that mean the teams they beat get points automatically or do they lose the points for that game too?

[TMK-001]

Quote, originally posted by Flaps »

LOL at Victorian government - $300mil spent for nothing.

Is that how much they said they have put into The Storm? Or is it for their new shared stadium...?

[Tank Engine]

Quote, originally posted by TMK-001 »

Is that how much they said they have put into The Storm? Or is it for their new shared stadium...?

New stadium which will be used by Rugby and 2 x Football teams as well as NRL.

[Lima]

Quote, originally posted by GizmoGTI »

quick question, if this year the storm do actually win a game, and as we know the points don't count, does that mean the teams they beat get points automatically or do they lose the points for that game too?

Any team that beats the Storm during 2010 will get 2 points. Any team that loses will get 0 points.

[Flaps]

Good to see you taking an interest in RL.

[Lima]

I succumbed after the 1989 GF and followed the Raiders reasonably closely after that. But being in England during the Super League split and coming home to a bit of a shambles, and a crap Raiders team, kinda dulled my interest a bit, haha.

[Saxton Hale]

Quote, originally posted by Lima »

I succumbed after the 1989 GF and followed the Raiders reasonably closely after that. .

I was there *dusts himself*

It was rad.

[Lima]

Wow, you must have needed a nappy change at half time.

One of the best games of football of all time, any code.

[Saxton Hale]

I had faith even while the balmain cheer squad were chanting "we are the champions" with a few minutes to go

I'll wager this is the moment blocker and siro's pants filled however

[TheHamofMam]

Loved the Melbourne Storm team press conference today where they walked towards the media scrum in a tight formation.
Looked like a bunch of c0ck nobblers.

[Sloth]

Roll on the big show...

Go bulldogs !!!!

[Tank Engine]

I was going for them but always felt the Storm would prevail. They executed a near perfect game. Slater is a freak of a player.

Roll on the big show...

Go bulldogs !!!!