NRL 2010

[Spiff]

Anyone see the Broncos last night? They were awful. If it had been any other team they were playing they would have lost by 50.

 

[Bucko]

I went to my annual Dragons game this year and they sucked arse. Didn't attack much at all and forgot to defend a few times. Why do they do that down here? Melbourne are pretty impressive though. 25k at Etihad Stadium was a pretty decent effort too. It's a much better place to watch games than the horrid Olympic Park. The new stadium should be even better.

I noticed the in goals were a small as Olympic Park is that so they can keep Billy Slater 's mouth in check

 

[Spiff]

I'd like to change my picks for Premiers and Minor Premiers please. Thanks.

 

[Bucko]

I'd like to change my picks for Premiers and Minor Premiers please. Thanks.

BWHAHAA

 

[Winmar]

Ah yes!

At least the Storm are getting lots of coverage down here now. It's a shame it took a scandal for it to happen. Dang they played well on Sunday night.

 

[Southy]

I hope they keep playing that well all year, just to prove how bloody good they are

 

[Spruce Goose]

I hope they keep playing that well all year, just to prove how bloody illegal they are

 

[phlogiston]

As a proud Victorian, I'm not really following what's going on. What have they done? I mean, yeah, breached the salary cap, but what does that mean in the big picture? They were able to lure the better players away?

 

[Spruce Goose]

Means that they were able to field a team full of superstars and internationals.
The salary cap was designed to even the competition so that you didnt just have the rich clubs dominating every year.
Storm have made it through to the last 4 grand finals in a row (pretty much unheard of in the modern era).

 

[FerretallicA]

Means that they were able to field a team full of superstars and internationals.
The salary cap was designed to even the competition so that you didnt just have the rich clubs dominating every year.
Storm have made it through to the last 4 grand finals in a row (pretty much unheard of in the modern era).

I think something which gets too easily lost in that particular argument is the fact that they don't just go around buying big name players. They create superstars. I admittedly don't follow them much but the only big name they bought in the last few years that I'm aware of was Brett Finch and he was up shit creek at the time anyway and Melbourne has built him up since then. Other than that, be it through good coaching or just something they put in the water down there, the vast bulk of their talent is grown from within. The salary cap still means they lose players like Folau and Crocker after building them up.

 

[Spiff]

I think that apart from Crocker, the only big name players they've bought in the last few years have been Crocker and, I guess, Clint Newton. Newton left Newcastle halfway through the season to join, though, and nobody wanted to touch Crocker after he left the Roosters.

For all the salary cap rorting going on, they sure have lost a lot of players. Then again, keeping those four big players (Smith, Inglis, Slater and Cronk, plus Dallas Johnson who ended up leaving at the end of last year) is what has kept them on top for the last five years. I was fully expecting them to dominate for another five or six. We'll see how they go next year I guess.

 

[Winmar]

NRL players don't seem to get paid nearly as well as those in the AFL, so raising the cap might be an idea. It'd reduce the constant drain of players to other clubs and codes.

 

[Southy]

Exactly, I dont dominantly follow any sport any more, moreso poke my nose in on all of them, and Leagues biggest problem at the moment is the salary cap issue I think, as well as trying to rule a once free flowing game with an iron fucking fist and slowing it right down

 

[Winmar]

I'm a big fan of salary caps in general, but they should be high enough to allow for players to be sufficiently remunerated without having to jump ship. Players hardly ever seem to move to other AFL clubs due to wanting more dosh.

 

[Winmar]

I went to Storm v Broncos on Sunday at the new stadium here, which is pretty sweet. It was interesting to see the Storm cop a hammering. I wonder if they'll start to drop off a bit from now on. Man, Israel Folau's a massive unit.

 

[Spiff]

I picked the Broncos and Cowboys to win. So annoyed I didn't have money on either.

 

[Winmar]

So, Folau. Thoughts?

 

[Spiff]

The game won't miss him, just like how the game hasn't missed anyone else who has ditched league in the last few years. Buh-bye Izzy!

 

[Goreripper]

He might miss the game though.

 

[Spiff]

Too bad then. As I said with Karmichael Hunt, we don't want some guy who couldn't make it in AFL.