The Melbourne Storm Rugby League Football Club

22nd April, 2010

Dreadful news for Melbourne Storm players and supporters. Today the NRL stripped the Melbourne Storm of the 2007 and 2009 Premierships. The club has also lost the Minor Premierships of 2006. 2007 and 2008. On top of this all points gained this season have been lost and the club cannot gain any points for the rest of the season.
The Club has been fined $500,000.00 and must return $1.1 million dollars in prize money.
All this is over the club acting fraudently over the past five years. They have been running a dual contract system. The fraud is in excess of $1.7 million dollars. The returned prize money will be distributed amongst the remaining 15 clubs.
Melbourne Storm players who have won awards over the past years will be able to keep these awards.
This is a terrible tragedy for Melbourne and I feel very sad for the players and the supporters.
What will the future hold for Melbourne now!

7th October, 2009

Today, six Melbourne Storm players were named in the Kangaroo team for the Four Nations Tour. Seven rookies were selected in the team. Not one player from Minor Premiers the Dragons was selected.

The Kangaroo Squad for the Four Nations Tour (24 players):-

Petero Civoniceva (Penrith), Cooper Cronk (Melbourne), Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers), Israel Folau (Brisbane), Paul Gallen (Cronulla), Kurt Gidley (Newcastle), Ben Hannant (Bulldogs), Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta), Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta), Justin Hodges (Brisbane), Ryan Hoffman (Melbourne), Greg Inglis (Melbourne), Michael Jennings (Penrith), Darren Lockyer (capt, Brisbane), Luke Lewis (Penrith), Josh Morris (Bulldogs), David Shillington (Canberra), Billy Slater (Melbourne), Cameron Smith (Melbourne), Sam Thaiday (Brisbane), Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland), Trent Waterhouse (Penrith), Anthony Watmough (Manly), Brett White (Melbourne).

4th October, 2009

Today the Melbourne Storm won the Grand Final against the Parramatta Eels.
The score was 23-16, with Melbourne ahead at half time 10-0.
Billy Slater won the Clive Churchill Medal.
Tries to Melbourne scored by Ryan Hoffman, Adam Blair, Greg Inglis and Billy Slater. Cameron Smith scored 3 from 4 conversions. Greg Inglis scored 1 field goal.
Parramatta tries by Eric Grothe, Joel Reddy, FuiFui Moimoi. Luke Burt scored 2 from 3 conversions.

Referees were Tony Archer and Shayne Hayne
Touch Judges were S Heycox and David Abood
Video Ref was Bill Harrigan

Crowd 82,538

29th September 2009

Tomorrow 30th September, the Melbourne Storm are having an open training session. There will be a free sausage sizzle and drinks from the Gatorade Hydration Station. Storm players will be available after training for photo opportunities and to sign autographs. There will be a merchandise tent available to purchase Storm products. The open training session will be a Visy Park, North Carlton (entry through gate 4) starting at 10.45am. Check out The Melbourne Storm

26th September 2009

Tonight the Melbourne Storm booked their spot in the 2009 NRL Grand Final with a decisive win 40-10 over the Brisbane Broncos. This will be the Storm's fourth consecutive Grand Final appearance, winning in 2007.
They are THE team to beat and surely the team of the decade. They are in amazing form and Parra will have to be at their absolute best to overcome this powerhouse rugby league team. Good Luck to Both Teams in the Grand Final, it's going to be a great game!

19th September 2009

Brisbane Broncos will now play the Melbourne Storm at Etihad Stadium on Saturday after defeating St George Dragons in the final held in Brisbane today.
The Storm are in great form and will be difficult to beat in Melbourne.
The Storm who finished 4th on the ladder are the favourites to take out the Premiership. The other final will be between the Eels and the Bulldogs in Sydney, which will be a blockbuster with a huge crowd expected.

Melbourne joined the National Rugby League in 1998.
In 1996, The Australian Rugby League decided that they should have a team that was based in Melbourne. Some state of origin games had been played in Melbourne in order to lift the profile of the game in Victoria. The gate numbers were excellent for those games so it was decided to go ahead with the decision.
Then the Super League war broke out.
In 1997, Super League which was rivalling the ARL started to form a team in Melbourne. They called the team The Melbourne Storm.
Chris Anderson was named as the teams first coach. Players who had left other first grade clubs signed up.
Then the war was over and the ARL and Super League joined together forming the NRL (National Rugby League)
Melbourne was now part of the NRL and played their first game as an NRL team at the start of the 1998 season.
In their first game they defeated Illawarra and went on the make the finals in their first year.
In 1999 they won eight of their first eleven games and went on to become premiers, defeating St George in the grand final. Finished 3rd on the table.
2000 - Finished 6th
2003 - New Coach Craig Bellamy
2004 - made finals
2005 - made finals
2006 - Minor premeirs - lost grand final to Brisbane 8-15 (Stripped of minor premiership in 2010)
2007 - Minor premiers and Premiers. Won grand final against Manly 34-8 (I was there) (Stripped of minor premiership and premiership)
2008 - Minor premiers. Lost grand final to Manly 40-0 (Stripped of minor premiership)
2009 - Premers, (Finished 4th on the ladder) Won grand final against Parramatta 23-16 (Stripped of premiership)

Cameron Smith (c), Adam Blair, Jesse Bromwich, Hep Cahill, Cooper Cronk, Matthew Duffie, Brett Finch, Ryan Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hoffman, Greg Inglis, Willie Isa, Luke Kelly, Sione Kite, Jeff Lima, Todd Lowrie, Sika Manu, Dane Nielsen, Kevin Proctor, Anthony Quinn, Billy Slater, Chase Stanley, Ryan Tandy, Aiden Tolman, Atelia Vea, Brett White.

New Arrivals - Chase Stanley (Dragons0), Todd Lowrie (Eels), Bryan Norrie (Sharks), Atelia Vea (Sharks), Sione Kite (Bulldogs), Luke MacDougall (Knights), Daniel O'Regan (Warriors)

Departures - Steve Turner (Bulldogs), Dallas Johnson (Catalans), Joseph Tomane (Titans), Will Chambers (Queensland Reds), Matt Cross (Sea Eagles), Scott Anderson (Broncos), James Maloney (Warriors), Wairangi Koopu (retired), Brett Anderson (released), Aiden Guerra (Roosters).

2009 Squad

Scott Anderson, Adam Blair, Hep Cahill, Will Chambers, Cooper Cronk, Matt Cross, Louis Fanene, Brett Anderson, Brett White, Aidan Guerra, Ryan Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hoffman, Greg Inglis, Kevin Proctor, Anthony Quinn, Billy Slater, Cam Smith, Willie Isa, Andre Itula, Aiden Tolman, Dallas Johnson, Joseph Tomane, Steve Turner, Sinbad Kali, Wairangi Koopu, Jeff Lima, James Maloney, Sika Manu, Clifford Manua, Lucas Miler, Dane Nielsen

Colours - Navy Blue, Purple, White, Silver and Gold

Main Rivals - St George, Manly, Brisbane, New Zealand Warriors

Founded:- 1997
CEO - Brian Waldran
Coach - Craig Bellamy
Captain - Cameron Smith

2008 - Runners Up

Premierships - 1999, 2007, 2009 (Stripped of 2007 and 2009 premierships)
Runners Up - 2006, 2008
Minor Premiers - 2006, 2007, 2008 (stripped of all minor premierships)

Famous Fans - Julia Gillard, Chris Judd, Molly Meldrum

Highest Point Scorer - Matt Orford - 877
Most Tries - Matt Geyer - 105
Biggest win - 64-0 against Wests Tigers on 5th July 2001
Biggest loss - 50-0 against Bulldogs on 10th August 2003
- 50-0 against St George on 4th June 2000

Record Crowd - 20,522 against North Sydney in the first home game. Won 26-16 on 3rd April 1998.
Home attendance record - played at Telstra Dome against Parramatta in 2007, 33,427 (Preliminary final) - we were there.

A new stadium is being built at Olympic park and will be ready for the 2010 season.

Golf Psychology Secrets

A Team of the Decade has been named to celebrate 10 years in the NRL.

Billy Slater, Matt Geyer, Matt King, Greg Inglis, Marcus Bai, Scott Hill, Brett Kimmorley, Glen Lazarus (c), Cameron Smith, Robbie Kearns, Ryan Hoffman, Stephen Kearney, Tawea Nikau, Rodney Howe, David Kidwell, Dallas Johnson, Cooper Cronk

Billy Slater was named as The International Player of the Year 2008 - Golden Boot Award.