This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

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josie andrews
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This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by josie andrews »

Former members of the Storm family are instructed not to talk about what happens inside the walls of the mixed martial arts compound.

Speak out of school and you’ll be exiled from the club. Forever.

How do we know this? Because I’ve written columns about what goes on at training inside the walls of Melbourne’s AAMI Park headquarters and witnessed the wrath of the Storm football department in full flight.

From spinning the annual Sydney conspiracy theories line to referencing Kylie Minogue or Taylor Swift, probably the most vicious element of the witch hunt that follows is Melbourne trying to figure out who’s broken ranks and talked out of school.

Two years ago I wrote a column taking fans inside Donohue’s Melbourne dojo where the brutal Storm training technique “shark bait” was laid bare.

Because the angle of the yarn was complimentary, there wasn’t an ensuing witch hunt.

But the Storm still did their due diligence to try and figure out who had talked.

Go back to 2008 when the grapple tackle, chicken wing, rolling pin and all the MMA defensive techniques were in full swing and you get the best example of what happens if you break ranks against the Storm.

I got a fringe Storm NRL player called Brett “Bumper” O’Farrell on the record about the lengths the Storm went to at training to employ the mixed martial arts techniques into the NRL.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy predictably blew a gasket and labelled O’Farrell’s claims “a load of crap”.

O’Farrell has since been exiled from the club, completely airbrushed from their history.

No longer invited to Old Boys Day, no longer welcome at any Storm function.

Not so long ago Storm champion Robbie Kearns accidentally threw him a bait to a Storm event. When O’Farrell questioned whether it had been cleared by Bellamy, Kearns told him it hadn’t and it was a loose carry from him that he’d sent it. Sorry mate, you’re still out was the message.

This is a tough column to write. Storm director of football Frank Ponissi is one of the best people I’ve met in more than 15 years covering rugby league and Bellamy is Australia’s version of champion NFL coach Bill Belichick.

The Storm are the benchmark sporting club in Australia. Premierships in 2012 and 2017 will attest to that, as will the fact under Bellamy the only year they’ve missed the finals was when they got kicked out for salary cap rorting.

No one is suggesting mixed martial arts isn’t a completely legitimate sport. It’s a great form of exercise, self-defence and discipline.

But does it belong in rugby league? That’s the debate.

Here’s an idea to stop the Storm’s annual blow-up about the Hume Highway conspiracy theories aimed at bringing them down. Let’s throw open the doors and we’ll bring the cameras in and show everyone exactly what goes on inside Donehue’s dojo.

And not just the friendly PR-piece where it’s all just smoke and mirrors for the cameras.

But the full blown “shark bait” training sessions.

If the Storm are willing, we’ll happily come and show fans what really goes on in there.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 1565947750
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
josie andrews
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by josie andrews »

Some very interesting comments/arguments in the videos about the tactics used in the tackle at Melbourne Storm.

Raising the elbow in the tackle seems to be a favourite move, IMO, for Warrington forward Joe Philbin!
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
thegimble
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by thegimble »

Pure NZW Sydney media jealousy.

All teams do it even we did. All sides play beyond the legal rules. All this is Storm are way too good for everyone. No one mentioned this last season or did a hit piece. Might have been discussed but every time Storm look like been dominant they get hit with the brick of cheating whilst all others play by the rules.

If no team are doing what New England Pats or the Storm are doing to do the best then they deserve to be where they are at the end of the season.

Lets open all doors of all the NRL clubs and then we will see what they are all up to and not just the best one.
thegimble
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by thegimble »

josie andrews wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:52 am Some very interesting comments/arguments in the videos about the tactics used in the tackle at Melbourne Storm.

Raising the elbow in the tackle seems to be a favourite move, IMO, for Warrington forward Joe Philbin!
I was using raising the elbow in union in the late 80's
josie andrews
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by josie andrews »

thegimble wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:11 am
josie andrews wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:52 am Some very interesting comments/arguments in the videos about the tactics used in the tackle at Melbourne Storm.

Raising the elbow in the tackle seems to be a favourite move, IMO, for Warrington forward Joe Philbin!
I was using raising the elbow in union in the late 80's
Oh my! 😱
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
old hooker
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by old hooker »

thegimble wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:10 am Pure NZW Sydney media jealousy.

All teams do it even we did. All sides play beyond the legal rules. All this is Storm are way too good for everyone. No one mentioned this last season or did a hit piece. Might have been discussed but every time Storm look like been dominant they get hit with the brick of cheating whilst all others play by the rules.

If no team are doing what New England Pats or the Storm are doing to do the best then they deserve to be where they are at the end of the season.

Lets open all doors of all the NRL clubs and then we will see what they are all up to and not just the best one.
You are right, sheer jealousy by the Sydney mafia, Storm are no different than any other club in their tactics except they are superior to everyone
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Mike
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by Mike »

old hooker wrote:
thegimble wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:10 am Pure NZW Sydney media jealousy.

All teams do it even we did. All sides play beyond the legal rules. All this is Storm are way too good for everyone. No one mentioned this last season or did a hit piece. Might have been discussed but every time Storm look like been dominant they get hit with the brick of cheating whilst all others play by the rules.

If no team are doing what New England Pats or the Storm are doing to do the best then they deserve to be where they are at the end of the season.

Lets open all doors of all the NRL clubs and then we will see what they are all up to and not just the best one.
You are right, sheer jealousy by the Sydney mafia, Storm are no different than any other club in their tactics except they are superior to everyone
And they get caught cheating the salary cap.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

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thegimble
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by thegimble »

Mike wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 2:00 pm
old hooker wrote:
thegimble wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:10 am Pure NZW Sydney media jealousy.

All teams do it even we did. All sides play beyond the legal rules. All this is Storm are way too good for everyone. No one mentioned this last season or did a hit piece. Might have been discussed but every time Storm look like been dominant they get hit with the brick of cheating whilst all others play by the rules.

If no team are doing what New England Pats or the Storm are doing to do the best then they deserve to be where they are at the end of the season.

Lets open all doors of all the NRL clubs and then we will see what they are all up to and not just the best one.
You are right, sheer jealousy by the Sydney mafia, Storm are no different than any other club in their tactics except they are superior to everyone
And they get caught cheating the salary cap.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
They are not the only ones. A team got caught on human growth hormones, others got caught on the cap. But its only the Storm that gets tarnished with the brush of been evil. Its all a State issue with the media. Why do you think Fox did the article that Josie did the link for. Its to get refs to punish them more to allow the Roosters another GF win.

Pure propaganda from FOX (Murdoch empire).
moto748
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by moto748 »

I wouldn't say the Storm are no different to other clubs. Most of the dark arts start with them. Obviously, other teams copy this.
shaunedwardsfanclub
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Re: This is a hard column to write. But the Storm have been getting away with their dark arts for too long

Post by shaunedwardsfanclub »

It’s all about winning and that is fine by me.
Winning is down to 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration - Shaun Edwards
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