The best club side I have ever seen was the 1994 Canberra Raiders. These days, I’m wondering if the Melbourne Storm has over taken them.
I love watching the Storm. There is something about a team that isn’t just the best football side, but who also have command of the mental side of the game.
Nothing phases them, no opponent scares them, they have an absolute belief in themselves and their team mates and they are never out of the game.
This is a team that will be one of the markers in history, a team that other are matched up against.
With that in mind, I want this Storm side be able to have its complete run at history, I don’t want to see the team ripped apart because of salary cap pressures.
The Storm have already been under that pressure.
They lost Matt King in 2007 and this year the club has lost Israel Folau and Michael Crocker among others.
Few opposition clubs will light a candle for them though. Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater, Ryan Hoffman, Dallas Johnston, Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis….the core of the clubs talent is second to none.
Any of these players would be a star signing for another club. Opposition teams will pay big money for any of them, and that pressure is just something Melbourne can not combat.
I think its long over due for the NRL to look at salary cap discounts for long serving players.
Right now Melbourne’s core group of talent isn’t even at the halfway point in their careers. The place they will stamp their greatness is over the next few years as they head towards their 30’s.
All of the players listed above started their careers at the Storm and the Storm should be able to hold onto that talent until such time as both sides want to move on.
I don’t think any true Rugby League fan wants to see Melbourne struggling in a few years time with just one or two of their star players still around, thats not good for the game at all.
