General Rumor mill: Storm NRL boycott rumours circulate

[teariki_old]

Storm NRL boycott rumours circulate
AAP - July 16, 2010, 11:34 am
Rumours are circulating that the Melbourne Storm will boycott the rest of the season. AAP ©

News Limited chief executive John Hartigan says he has heard nothing to support rumours Melbourne Storm players will boycott the rest of the NRL season.

Melbourne radio station 3AW has speculated the Storm will not take the field against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland on Saturday or in any of their remaining matches this campaign.

The rumours follow Thursday's release of an independent investigation into the club's salary cap breach which found the Storm were $3.17m over the cap since 2006, more than 80 per cent more than originally thought.

The club was stripped of two premierships by the NRL in April and is playing for no points this season.

News Ltd owns the storm, and when asked about the rumours, Hartigan told 3AW: "Look I don't know anything.

"You've cold decked me there, I certainly haven't heard that."

A Storm spokesman said he was investigating the rumours.

Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah laughed off the suggestion, saying he had also heard nothing to suggest the Mt Smart Stadium match wouldn't go ahead.
"We'd be pretty disappointed if they didn't turn up," Scurrah said.

Surely nothing more than a rumour. But if it happens, pretty good grounds to turf the club out of the NRL.

 

[insulinboi_old]

This has been confirmed as simply a rumor. No basis of truth at all.

 

[mumblA_old]

Would we get the 2 points if they did?

 

[ryan1_old]

Would we get the 2 points if they did?

Of course.

I understand that this is all bullshit rumours, but for mine, I'd be pissed if they didn't turn up!

 

[mrblonde_old]

That would, if it ever happened, cause a mega-mega-shiitstorm.

If the Storm boycott the NRL season and subsequently the NRL expell them well...
If I was the CEO of one of the clubs the Storm beat and our position was taken by a team who got 2 pts automatically because of the Storm's expulsion
I'd be looking at serious legal action on the grounds that the NRL and Storm - via News Ltd - gave the team below mine a chair ride to the finals. I'd even claim conspiracy.

Of course, I don't think anyone in the Storm is quite that stupid to boycott and I imagine the very thought will right now have the NRL lawyers working out a measured system of dealing with such an occurance.

 

[Tyrael_old]

Rumours are circulating among Australian rugby league supporters today that some of the key members of the embattled club Melbourne Storm are refusing to get on a plane to come to Auckland for the team's NRL match against the Warriors tomorrow night.

The club has today acted to deny rumours that its players are pulling out of all games for the rest of the season following release of an audit by accounting firm Deloitte into salary cap rorts yesterday, the Melbourne Age is reporting.

The Deloitte report named the players who had received improper payments. And yesterday News Limited chief executive John Hartigan went on to comment that the players concerned had not co-operated with the investigation into the salary cap rort.

Club spokesman David Donaghy this morning rubbished suggestions the Storm would not fly to New Zealand this afternoon to take on the Warriors in tomorrow's round-19 clash.

Claims that the team would not play for the rest of the season were also wrong, he said.


Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah told the Age that the suggestion was laughable, saying he had also heard nothing to suggest the Mt Smart Stadium match wouldn't go ahead.

"We'd be pretty disappointed if they didn't turn up," Scurrah said.

The Storm players were training at AAMI Park in Melbourne this morning.

A club spokesperson is expected to make a statement at 4pm (NZT).

- AAP

 

[gREVUS_old]

i couldn’t believe that the top 4 in the storm would pull out, cause then they wouldn’t get picked for international games at the end of this year. If they don’t pull out, why would anyone else. However when u keep hearing that the officials in the club did not co-operate with the investigation, there may have been some talk at their level designed to push the NRL into making a decision in favour of them getting points etc..

 

[Spence_old]

I guess that shows they were just playing for Origin. I don't really care if the big 4 come, we'll beat them either way.

 

[Fazz_old]

I hope they're demoralized and not fired up...I'd really love to cane the fxck out of this scum of a club...

 

[ryan1_old]

I hope Jabroni knocks Cronk out in a fight (White starts it until Ta'ai lifts and throws him through the uprights).

 

[AussieWarriorsFan_old]

I hope Jabroni knocks Cronk out in a fight (White starts it until Ta'ai lifts and throws him through the uprights).

Costo says, "Yeah, right through the horns!"

 

[The 22 BEAST_old]

They will turn up and we will SMASH them!