Saving the Storm

As we sit right now, it’s probably fair to say the Melbourne Storm is one of the most hated teams in NRL history. We, rugby league fans, hate the fact they cheated for five years. We hate they fielded an illegal team. We hate that they were better than us. We hate that a few suits at that club ruined their legacy, ruined the last five years of viewing pleasure and rivalry. We hate all of that but for the Melbourne Storm, this very hatred could save them.

I believe we need a team in Melbourne and we need a successful team in Melbourne. Of course there are so many unknowns at this point and these unknowns will continue for a while yet. I have an idea to make the Storm successful in Melbourne. An idea that won’t suit a lot of people, but one I believe could work for the greater good of our game.

For this to work we need to assume four things:
• The announced punishments will stand and be accepted.
• The Storm will survive financially thanks to News Ltd or another cashed up owner.
• The players are largely innocent.
• The NRL is committed to the Melbourne Storm entity surviving as they are.

We need a team in Melbourne and the Storm need to find ways to be forgiven and embraced by the public.

The Hatred

Hatred in rugby league has worked for 25 years – you ask any Queenslander around State of Origin time. We hate NSW and everything about them in rugby league. It is our hatred that has made Origin what it is today, and can make the Melbourne Storm.

Hey, it’s worked for Collingwood in the AFL for many years as well. So the concept is not totally foreign.

The new Storm

My plan is to turn the Melbourne Storm into the most hated team in the NRL. The greatest villains in rugby league history: despised by everyone ... except Victorians.

In their home state the Storm can be loved and adored by their fans. They play a brand of football labelled as “virtually unbeatable” and can rightfully claim to be the best team in the past five years. They can build this on their current players and their coach. They can use the media to connect with their fans while also deliberately alienating fans of other clubs through sheer arrogance or whatever.

Either way, the Storm must try and become hated by everyone north of the Victorian border. In building the hate they also need to be absolutely loved by “their people”.

Six step plan

That sounds good in theory but they, for the greater good of our game, will need to make it happen.

1. The Storm again must apologise and accept that people within the club did the wrong thing. They need to do this as step one in earning forgiveness.
2. Don’t blame the players – use the fact the players were ignorant. Go hard on the guilty administrators but even try and push the players as victims or largely innocent parties.
3. Use the lost premierships to win over the fans. Plead the players’ innocence, promote their sacrifices. Tell the fans that “Sydney took everything away from us”.
4. Tell the Storm fans that everyone in the competition hates us – but we love you. We need you to build this club. We don’t care about the other 15 clubs, they hate us because we are so good. We are so good they stole our trophies from us.
5. For the rest of 2010 the Storm should throw open the gate for their remaining home matches. Tell the fans they can come for free and refund any pre-purchased tickets and memberships. Thank the fans for their support and invite them to reinvent this club.
6. Even go a step further and say fans must be in Melbourne Storm apparel to get in for free – build that hatred in other clubs.

Radical Plan

Yes, this is out of left-field and yes it is risky. The Storm, if they followed this, would effectively turn their back on the rest of the competition. They could take it to the extreme and turn their back on all non-Victorian media as well.

Just do anything and everything to make the Melbourne Storm the most hated team in the NRL – everywhere except Victoria.

I admit this is an extreme suggestion and one that likely is not even possible to make work. But the basic elements to it are still relevant. We need a team in Melbourne and we need it to be well supported. My suggestion is merely one way we could make it happen.

TIPPING
Tips – Broncos, Bulldogs, Warriors, Titans, Storm, Dragons, Tigers, Manly
Last Week – 3/8
Total – 28/56 (50%)

Of course this is just one possible suggestion and if you have a theory you can find me at Sports Australia, Facebook, Twitter (@keyto316) and directly on email at andrew.keyte@gmail.com. I would love to hear your thoughts on the issue and I will respond to all emails.

See you next week,
Keyto