The Hangover

So, you thought Melbourne Storm had nothing to play for? You thought they were going to fall apart as revelations of salary cap rorting ripped the guts out of the club and turned the players against each other?

Stripped of points for the remainder of this season, you thought they were going to capitulate on the pitch as their carefully cultivated club crumbled and ultimately ceased to exist off it?

If you thought the Storm was finished, you had another thing coming. Just ask the Warriors.

Without the benefit of a crystal ball or a time machine, there is no telling what may come of the Storm in years to come. Logic would suggest they will lose the majority of their best players in an effort to get under the salary cap they have so effectively dodged for the past five seasons. After all, the NRL's punishment is designed to bite hard, and in due course it will.

Whatever happens in the future, the Storm's systematic dismantling of the Warriors, and the 23,000 fans that turned up to watch it, has sent a powerful message in the present. It also highlighted the stupidity of the NRL's decision to prohibit Melbourne to accrue any premiership points this season.

The NRL has put measures in place to prevent the current squad – an illegal assembly of the country's best rugby league players – from winning the title unfairly, however the Storm still has the power to influence the outlook of the rest of the competition.

Other teams now have to beat the Storm to win their two points in what should effectively be a bye week. Lose and the points go to waste.

Of course, the NRL is in a quandary. Suspend Melbourne from playing this season and there is every chance the franchise would fold, undoing years of groundwork to establish an NRL presence in the AFL heartland Victoria and leaving the NRL with egg on its face.

Many Storm stars are representative players, so there are obvious benefits to their State teams and the ARL to keep them on the park.

It's a selfish move by the NRL and one that gives the Storm carte blanche to go out and do whatever they want on the field. 'Fall apart' doesn't appear to be part of the game plan. The players are angry, hurt, determined and scarily for the rest of the competition, talented enough to make life very difficult for the 15 other clubs. They literally have nothing to lose.

Whether the two premiership and three minor premierships were obtained illegally or not, you can't deny the camaraderie that sort of history instils in a group of men, as Craig Bellamy said after the game: "They can't take our pride".

The NRL should have done the rest of the competition a favour by giving the Storm an incentive outside of 'pride' to continue playing well this season, because judging by last night's performance it seems the Storm have everything to play for.


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