Clowns puppets and crooks

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SeaEagleRock8

Sea Eagle Lach
Premium Member
Tipping Member
At times it is easy to form the view that the NRL is a joke organisation run by clowns, puppets, and crooks. But that view would be unfair to those in the game who are capable and honest administrators motivated by their love of the game. It would also be unfair to circus performers and wooden dolls, as well as to certain honourable thieves such as Robin Hood.

Win at all costs has been the attitude that has characterised the Melbourne Storm's on field efforts over recent years. Grapples, squashers, chicken wings, you name it . . . but it seems that culture was embedded throughout the whole organisation. Sure there are rules, but breaking the rules is part of the game if you can get away with it. Right?

The discovery of Storm's cheating was of course just a fluke. These things aren’t supposed to happen. The reaction of the NRL was swift and spectacular. Unfortunately it was also in some respects bizarre if not slightly idiotic.

The retrospective stripping of premierships was quite impressive. Stern. Not unwarranted, to be sure, yet absolutely unprecedented. The fines imposed were no surprise, as each year some clubs break the salary cap and fines are the usual penalty. Requiring the return of prize money was also a logical position.

However, condemning Storm to play out the next 20 rounds while being ineligible to collect any premiership points or to make the finals is surely the epitome of a knee-jerk reaction. It appears to have all the hallmarks of a knee-jerk reaction. One can only conclude that it was, is, and will always remain a knee-jerk reaction.

How could this occur? What is wrong with Gallop's knee, and why is he such a jerk? For, while everyone except their own fans must be relieved that Storm won’t be a threat for this year's title, the anomalies and absurdities will now be played out week after week for the next 6 months.

The fact that Gallop kept the devastating news so secret and un-leaked (well, except to some serendipitous punters who hit the wooden spoon market with gusto) may be his greatest-ever achievement. Very impressive. As a result he was able to announce the problem and the solution at the same press conference. This presumably was his strategy for limiting the damage that would flow were the debacle to be played out over a protracted period on the front pages.

Unfortunately, if he or his brains trust had taken more than six minutes to think about the various options, they may have stumbled upon the obvious. Namely, that making Storm's role in the remaining rounds an aberration merely guarantees the whole season will be clouded by suspicions and dubious credibility.

Unfairly critical? Maybe nothing Gallop could have done would be able to contain the damage. Having once devised the salary cap, and appointed Ian Schubert to police it, in effect what was created was an ‘honour’ system. So what else could be expected? The nature of clowns, puppets, and crooks being what it is, some club or clubs would naturally decide that the real lesson of the Bulldogs cap rort was simply to be smarter about concealing the payments.

This sorry saga must provide the final impetus for the immediate establishment of the ‘Independent Commission’, because the game can’t afford further delays. At least, not without risking being known as ‘the greatest shame of all’.
 
What clown wrote that? Is he seriously suggesting that the Storm should be allowed to play and win the comp with a team built on almost 25% more salary cap than anyone else.

Rubbish. They broke the rules knowingly and deceitfully for five years. They rorted the game and so there is not alternative or it simply says that it is okay to do this sort of thing. They also need to fit the cap next year or suffer the same fate.

I agree with the need for an independent commission but I support their action in this case.
 
Whilst I agree with the punishment handed out to the Storm, there is still something inside of me that says that they should still be able to earn some points this season. Maybe they should have just been told that they would forfeit all points to a certain point of the season. For example, if they have breached the cap by the 25% that CW has said in his post above then let them only earn points for 25% of the season.  Forfeit their points until up to and including say round 19 or 20. This way they can't make the finals and would keep them at least slightly competitive and also give the Sharks and the other lowly placed teams a bit more incentive to not win the spoon.  Even though I would love to see the Storm take home the spoon, I would rather see that they earned it and not be handed it.
 
Canteen Worker link said:
What clown wrote that? Is he seriously suggesting that the Storm should be allowed to play and win the comp with a team built on almost 25% more salary cap than anyone else.
No as you can see I did not suggest that at all.
I didn't make a suggestion, I was mainly just venting some feelings.
But if it's not already obvious, then it soon will be obvious that having the Storm's illegal team still trotting out each week against the legit teams will be a farce. They'll be unable to achieve anything other than bash or injure or defeat the legitimate teams. Why do the legit teams have to front up and play against a powerful playing roster that remains illegal. I expect Storm's team performance will quickly crumble, but what if they actually won more games than any other side? Ongoing farce.
 
SER8 - I am probably being too harsh. I compliment you on the above tome as I thought it was a copied piece of opinion from the media. Unreserved apologies for being too reactive. This site has always allowed hard comment and yours is well considered and carefully expressed.

I think you are right about the futility of playing each week for nothing, though there has to be a measure to stop the team from winning but at the same time allowing players to be paid each week to play. Continuing to play also keeps some revenue going in crowds, merchandise etc and to keep faith with loyal fans and those who love the game.
 
SER8, how do you propose to allow the Storm to earn competition points?
1.  Let them use all players and just have a penalty of loss of some competition points?  They make the semis - in 8th place - and are then favourites to win the comp again with their $5m squad
2.  Let them earn competition points once they have a squad under the salary cap? Storm learn how to hide their "extras" better, and tell everyone the players have agreed to take salary cuts.  Meanwhile Storm keep the exact same overpayment arrangements and the exact same players, and are reinstalled as favourites to win the comp.
3.  Require the Storm to release players (after paying them out) to get them under the cap, then they can earn competition points.  The Storm, on the even playing field can still win the comp, just having got off to a bad start.  Say, Slater (chosen because he gets injured or is of form) and a second-tier player are released.  Slater gets paid out the full contract amount plus extras and then gets a new contract with Souths.  Through the deal Souths make the grand final and Slater gets the lotto-win salary.  

Being fined and losing prizemoney and prestige from old competition wins doesn't stop the Storm from having profited enormously (sponsors, crowds, etc) from those competition wins.
 
Rex link said:
SER8, how do you propose to allow the Storm to earn competition points?
Rex I don't recall proposing that!
The obvious big issue for the game at present is not just how to punish Storm and their cheating players etc, it is: what if someone hadn't blown the whistle?
Obviously the comp is working on an 'honour' system which is fraught when the game is such big business nowadays.

What's next? Big betting scandals? Or, worse, someone threatens to spill their guts about some rort and the next minute they have mysteriously 'disappeared'?

The game needs to change so it is not so vulnerable to this salary cap scandal - or worse.  
 
SeaEagleRock8 link said:
[quote author=Rex link=topic=183135.msg260631#msg260631 date=1272080249]
SER8, how do you propose to allow the Storm to earn competition points?
Rex I don't recall proposing that!
...
[/quote]

You wrote:

"However, condemning Storm to play out the next 20 rounds while being ineligible to collect any premiership points or to make the finals is surely the epitome of a knee-jerk reaction. "

I hear I've misinterpreted what you wrote. So if you weren't proposing Gallop should've allowed Storm to earn competition points, what were you saying he should have done instead?
 
I don't know. Make them forfeit this week while he thinks about it a bit more? Suspend them from the comp? I didn't actually propose a solution, I just said the one he came up with was not thought out properly.

(And as for the argument that the NRL is contractually committed to providing 8 games a week - let Fox sue the NRL if they wish - then the NRL can sue News.)
 
I agree it's difficult to know what is the best response to all this.  Whatever action is taken can have serious negative implications.

Once the secretary reportedly offered the file to Schubert he was obliged to act and once he'd acted then Gallop was obliged.  Too personally risky not to.

The headlines about having premierships, etc stripped will all die down, and then is how effective is that penalty?  The Storm will find their scapegoats and point their fingers at them and then distance themselves from any wrong-doing and make themselves out to be the victims in all this. No-one else gets the premierships.  No other team gets the promotional and financial benefits that Storm got from those seasons.

The Storm have to repay the winnings - but if they didn't overpay players they likely wouldn't have had those winnings.  So no real loss there. 

There's a $500,000 penalty.  Petty cash.  Manly got a $100,000 penalty for a loosely controlled party. And they suck out $5m or so each year from all other club's pockets through the NRL and News Ltd. A free ride.

They lose some sponsors, not because of their actions, but because they were caught. How bad is this for the Storm?  The NRL has already said they'll give the Storm a lifeline and won't let it fail.  So take money with the right hand and give it back with the left. And they'll get new sponsors once it all dies down and their spin-doctors do their stuff.

There's no real regret about the overpayments, only about being caught.

The only real penalty is missing this year's final series and temporarily being labelled cheaters.
 
The real idiot in this mess is Shubert.  Having to rely on an inside whistleblower to expose this mess is a pathetic indictment of his tenure. 
 
That's bs dsm5 at laest 80% of things like this are only found out due to whistle blowers. Most of these scams are designed to be well hidden and thus they are from everyone or they would never be tried
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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