Its completely different and you know it, their first season was 1998, they've been cheating almost half of their existance. Everything they have ever won is due to their cheating. You think fans and sponsors will accept that and carry on as if nothing has happened? You think fans will continue to go to the games, considering all their games this season are effectively friendlies?
Assuming the sponsors start dropping them, and the the fans dont bother turning up to see a season full of friendlies, will they be able to stay financially viable in the short term (even with plenty of money form news ltd)? Struggling to find sponsors, and having driven away half their fans, i can hardly see them thriving in the short to mid term

To qualify, SANZAR signed up a deal for the 3 union nations (the pinnacle ones - Australia, SA, NZ) for about $150 million per nation yesterday.

The NRL will get around $1 billion for Australia only.

The NZ rights are separate.

they won a title in 99! thats untainted.

but ignoring that, news ltd are backing them

RL fans are a loyal bunch.

with a move to the new stadium theyll be fine.

this has happened to other clubs before

indeed the dogs survived a worse SC scandal, had massive rape allegations against them and are stronger

if news ltd werent behind the storm that would be different!

yeah sorry mate thats spot on!

the nz rights are separate for the nrl

I'm failing to see your point, millions of people heard about Josef Fritzel, they're hardly lining up to invest in/become sponsors of the Josef Fritzel Home Renovations and Sound Proofing plc


(Ok then, if we're resorting to pathetic playground style insults

) I doubt your mum is fixed... (oooh! that showed you)
Oh thats good then, i was under the impression that the only professional rl teams in the whole southern hemisphere, that arent on the eastern coast of Aus, are Melbourne and NZ warriors, i must be mistaken...RL doesnt need to bother expanding any more does it? it doesnt just have 2 professional leagues (both of which are confined to certain areas, in their respective countries), and the international game is thriving, with many many teams seriously competing to be world champions.






Who mentioned whiteys in SA? im fairly sure it wasnt me. Im also fairly sure there is room enough for other sports to thrive in Japan. (btw, you must have forgot to explain why we shouldnt be trying to spread the game to europe and the US...unless you purposelly ignored that bit, because it ruined your argument)
do you honestly not agree with this statement: Austalian rl is the best we have to offer, it should be using its strength to spread the game to the rest of the world, rather than using its strength to overcome scandal after scandal???

(by the way, is having every line as a new paragraph an Australian thing? or is it because you and dilly dally are the same person???)


Haha, correcting your other account so people dont think you are the same person, good idea, wasnt very sly though

You must have missed the part where it was explained that Bulldogs not being an expansion club, have much more loyal support, there are bulldogs fans who've supported them for all their life, whose parents and kids have also. the same cannot be said for Melbourne. And the fact that the bulldogs werent cheating for almost half of their existance.

exactly! they might be able to survive, but thats not the point. They are an expansion club and should be expanding the game not, struggling to survive.


They can pay their fines, but they can't they buy them fans.

look if you think the storm will fail despite the backing of a company with billions behind them thats your choice

i wonder if you think the same about widnes and their backer whose much, much poorer?

you must have missed the bit when i said: 'exactly! they might be able to survive, but thats not the point. They are an expansion club and should be expanding the game not, struggling to survive.'
Im not saying they will go bust (i.e. fail financially) not in the short term anyway. im saying that they are an expansion club, if they fail to expand the game (because they are driving away all their fans by cheating, and having to play a season of friendlies. And are using all their money paying fines, and staying afloat (becasue they have no sponsors and fans etc), then spreading the game in victoria is obviously going to take a back seat) then in my book they have failed.

-ok, im getting a bit bored of posting something, then having to restate what i'd already said, becasue you once again missed the point of my post, and continued spouting rubbish, please do try to keep up.

When the decision was made to put a team in victoria in the NRL, im fairly sure it was so that they could spread the game to the state, getting more kids playing, getting the people of Victoria supporting the Storm, and generally interested in RL, watching it on tv etc. im fairly confident they didnt put them in so that they could have no fans, get no-one interested in the game, get no kids playing it etc etc (which i think is a possiblilty, even if them going bust in the short term isnt) and to be funded by news ltd, because they cant get any sponsors or fans.

look they cheated. it was people at the storm that did this.

they shouldnt have done it and have been punished

they will survive.

im sure if they knew they would get caught they wouldnt have done it.

ive seen these things before. after massive hype initially it all blows over.

if news ltd werent behind it they would be dead though

this is the 4th major salary cap thing to happen to RL here, being canberra, dogs, warriors and storm

clubs move on

the reason why its funny is people that are anti RL expansion all say the storm are a joke, insignificant etc

yet when they have a story like this everybody jumps on it and talks about

thats why these critics are idiots. they cant have it both ways

either the storm are a minor club who no-one cares about and RL in victoria is a joke, or the storm are a solid club who gets lots of publicity for RL.

even adelaide radio stations today have been debating the scandal and rl is non existant in south australia, plus in the local rag we has this report, seems our friend waldron is in it up to his neck


THE Storm rugby league scandal has reached the AFL, with St Kilda plunging from $1000 to $3.50 as the favourite to win this year's wooden spoon
There were only small bets matched this morning but the betting exchange’s odds suggest an implication the unbeaten Saints could also be embroiled in the Melbourne Storm salary cap rort.

Storm’s former CEO Brian Waldron was St Kilda CEO before he changed codes.

St Kilda's price for winning the wooden spoon fell from $1000 to $3.50.

Richmond remains the $1.35 favourite to win the wooden spoon.

St Kilda reiterated this morning that it had complied with all AFL audits.

“We have a close working relationship with the AFL, including with the TPP and Assurance Department, headed by Ken Wood. The AFL player payment audit processes are incredibly thorough and most professional,” Saints CEO Michael Nettlefold said in a statement.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Are AFL clubs salary cap cheats?Do you suspect any AFL clubs are breaching the salary cap? Yes No Vote now .Related CoverageAFL reaction: Demetriou applauds NRL action
Scandal: Points ban 'pretty harsh', says Brumby
SuperCoach: Need to fix your team?
Supertipping: Change your tips now
Two agencies suspend spoon betting Adelaide Now, 3 hours ago
Saints centre perfect Adelaide Now, 20 Mar 2010
Lovett talks end in deadlock Perth Now, 13 Mar 2010
Lovett to fight Saints' sacking The Australian, 16 Feb 2010
St Kilda's Lovett statement Adelaide Now, 16 Feb 2010
.End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
“Under the Greg Westaway Board, St Kilda Football Club have corporate governance protocols that we believe are amongst the highest standards in the AFL.

“Should the AFL feel it necessary to review any of the previous work undertaken with St Kilda Football Club, in any form, we would be fully supportive.”

“It should be noted that we also work very closely with independent audit firm Grant Thornton, who provide audit services to a number of AFL Clubs. A critical part of their engagement is, and will continue to be, audit work as it relates to total player payments

does any of our super league clubs have enough room in their salary caps to take inglis,slater,cam smith or cooper cronk etc... on loan for the rest of the season??

1. wats the difference btween the storm and a tooth pick.... tooth pick has 2 points

2. Underbellamy a tale of 2 books

first one i heard on aussie radio was 'whats got 26 legs but can't climb a ladder' - the melbourne storm....that was about 3 hours after the story broke..

My what a sad effort.

DM can look after himself. As for attacking me...





The relevance of a freak like Fritzel will only remain clear in a mind as fevered as yours.

(BTW, your post looks a lot like guttertroll's rambling efforts....

)

Mind what happened to him.

As I noted rugby league is played, and well, in all the countries I named.

A professional competition is about to start in the US as we speak.

Europe? Well pick a country. The RLEF has many under its umbrella. Identify a few and I'll comment...

As for competitive world championships, we have 3 different winners and 4 runners-up; union 4 and 5. We have no great problems there with New Zealand growing as a force by the year and current World Cup champions. It is more an issue of the RLIF being properly organised and pushing for the development of the international game - which I have never said is not lacking.

It is one issue I believe very passionately about. The international game has been sadly neglected since the SLW. The only thing that can be learnt from union in this respect is that lying seems to pay off and you must be prepared to spend millions on advertising and promotion.

I was just saying to DM on the phone that Widnes are a great side with tremendous history. Their fans have always been very hospitable to me. You on the other hand...

Now back to the thread, which I have contributed far more to than you, Widnes lad.

Melbourne will be fine.

What the casual observer fails to comprehend is that this will actually make the Storm in Victoria.

Like Origin with Queensland fans (of which I am one), this will establish the "us and them" mentality with rugby league that is required in Melbourne.

The publicity is unprecedented. Everyone in the country is talking about it.

The club will sweep out the rubbish and start again. With one more premiership than say Cronulla as I added elsewhere (1999).

This year will be rough with no points but they are a tough lot down there (ie. the fans) and it will probably show.

As for News, this guarantees their involvement for another 5 years minimum at a time when they could easily have walked away within that period with the establishment of the IC.

I wouldn't expect some to understand the depth in this post but give it a go.

I think you need to see a shrink... your totally mad.

This is an absolute disgrace for NRL and RL in general.... your NRL has been made out to be a joke and waste of time the past 4 years... your a laughing stock. How an earth they got away with it is another thing..!!

You keep going on its global news and everyone is talking about it.? Thats rubbish the welsh news(tv and papers) was covered about Henson making his come back and london welsh tie in with Os and on the net story had raynor about raynor but nothing about NRL, you can only find that on BBC net if you go to RL section. You will properly find it in any RL section across the world on the net. But it isnt main stream newws ie on TV, Radio or papers other than in OZ.

And you say this can kill off union and AFL.... please explain.?

How much money do you get for internationals though.?

HOw many pro leagues have RL got.?

Please note there has been 4 winners and 5 runners ups in 6 union world cups.
Where RL has 3 winners and 4 runners up(1england1gb same team.?) in about 15 world cups, that is one hell of a difference.!

I'm firmly in the 'it'll all blow over' camp. Compared to what's happened in Sumo in Japan over the last couple of years (including a leading coach currently doing a seven stretch for the negligent manslaughter of a young wrestler in his stable) this is chicken feed, and Sumo's recovered and now chugging along nicely.

I don't have an issue with Melbourne. I am indifferent to their existence. However, to think Billy Slater will be gutted makes me feel a bit warm inside. I also still hope he gets smashed in every game he plays.

tb should never be the NRL forum moderator,he would be locking everything.

2.2. Public criticism of the moderation process is prohibited.
* Any member who has a question about the decision of a moderator should ask them via the Private Message system.
* If you are dissatisfied with their response then you should contact the Admin Team as detailed below.

Everytime I do,he never replys back.

It made front, full page back and two inside back pages in the West Australian. I've never seen RL get that much publicity here! Just a shame it was a negative story and not the readmission of the Reds!