NRL Grand Final: Nobody Say Vindication
It’s the Grand Final. Bon Jovi has just belted out a livewire version of ‘Living on a Prayer’. The crowd is in rapture.
And there they come, the men of the Melbourne Storm (booooo), down the tunnel, out on to the field. And YES – here they are, the Men in Green, the Canberra Raiders (yeeeeeeeah); marching out onto the turf for their first Grand Final appearance in 18 years.
Sigh. No.
That’s the Grand Final of my dreams. Back here in reality some band I’ve not heard of, lead by a guy who was a judge on a talent show is singing a song that seems vaguely familiar.
And the two teams coming on to the field include one I dislike – the Dogs – playing another that I truly loathe – the Melbourne Storm.
Not the Grand Final I had hoped for, but it’s League nonetheless. I have a feeling though that I will be disappointed by this Grand Final, and as the hooter sounds and the Storm players embrace, I’m not disappointed in my expectations of disappointment.
Then Gus Gould starts talking about ‘vindication’ for the Storm and I’m not only disappointed, I’m pissed off. That’s just salt in the wound. Kerosene on the fire. It’s like walking in to the toilet to take a leak and finding Alan Jones standing there, waiting. It just makes you angry.
Let’s get something straight. When you win by not cheating, that isn’t vindication. Winning by obeying the rules that every other team plays by does not redeem past actions. It’s simply winning. You get the kudos for that, of course. You get the glory of being the best team in one of the most competitive and tough team sports in the world: the NRL. That’s no small thing.
But vindication? Vindication is when you take a course of action that everyone condemns (for example, Galileo saying that the Earth revolves around the Sun) and then you get punished for it (in that case, by the Inquisition), and then you turn out to be right after all.
Look, the Earth really does revolve around the Sun! Vindication!
It means you were right in the first place. Storm was never right in the first place.
So nobody say vindication. While winning clean is forever, so is being a dirty cheat. The Melbourne Storm are the legitimate 2012 premiers. They deserved to win. Let’s leave it at that.
To the game: the Bulldogs were not at their best, that’s true; and Melbourne were the better team. But not one piece of luck went the Bulldog’s way. Not one referee’s call (not one), not one bounce of the ball, not one lucky pass. And maybe that one piece of luck was what they needed to spur a comeback, to change the dynamic of the game. For that kick from Barba to bounce Morris’ way as he charged toward the try line in the second half; for that last desperate pass to stick; to any number of small things could have turned the psychology of the game on its head.
But that didn’t happen. The Storm was just about faultless on all counts, including luck.
However, we do have one insight into how the Storm may have responded to a try by Canterbury in the second half. We know this because we saw how they reacted to the Dogs’ only try in the first half. Billy Slater was petulant, pushing, provocative. The rest of his team rushed in, gunning for a fight. They did not take it well.
Unfortunately, Billy Slater – after starting a brawl – ended up being bitten. Yes, bad form from James Graham and if he’s found guilty (and the replays don’t look good), he should be suspended, and for a long time. His mistake was choosing to bite Slater. What he should have done was given him a well-deserved punch in the mouth.
But that’s speaking about a game that could have been, not the game that was. The game that was, was not very interesting. The Storm were clinical, efficient, faultless. Not much fun to watch, but brutally effective where it mattered.
So the Melbourne Storm picked up their second (and second only) premiership.
Congratulations.
Over emotive tripe.. I will start by saying I am a Manly fan. And quite reasonably, this is the WORST possible Grand Final for Manly fans.
However, you are very wrong on many points. The Storm, as a unit from the playing group, to the front office, cheated the salary cap and got their just desserts for doing so. But in 2012, they fielded a legal side, with a different front office and the NRL watching their every move. As much fun as I have on game day calling the Storm cheats, I know I am doing it tongue in cheek. The Storm's loyal (but very ugly) supporter base – the true supporters, not the ones who turn up in Essendon scarfs – deserve this premiership, and the rest of the NRL should recognise their commitment through what must have been very difficult to overcome.
That leads me to the "vindication" tag. I think the Storm's fans' have the right to feel vindicated. They felt those premierships in 2007 and 2009 and we're very proud of them. The club had them rightfully stripped, but the fan's were left with the mess. They had no say or no part in the cheating, but had those memories ripped away from them. Their vindication comes in knowing they now have a premiership that the NRL cannot take away from them. And knowing their club is back on top of the pile, where they believed they belonged for many years, and they're doing it legally.
Also, as much as he deserves a punch in the face, Billy Slater isn't to blame for the brawl. First of all, Sam Perritt is a sook, and has always been one. Krisnan Inu has proved before he has no brains, and David Stagg had no place involving himself by hooking Slater's neck. Those 3 sparked the brawl. Billy Slater had every right to react back to Inu, and in turn, to Stagg. I don't like Billy Slater, in fact, I hate him – but I don't see how he acted with any petulance – and was far from provocative – both of those tags can sit squarely with Stagg and Inu.
Congratulations to the Melbourne Storm – but they are only minding Manly's premiership until 2013.
I wish you guys would post here with your real names.
Anyway, i think we're talking about different things. If you're saying Storm fans are 'vindicated' insofar as they put up with a couple of tough years, but stayed loyal to their team, and that loyalty was rewarded – i'd agree. Their loyalty was justified.
However, do not agree that this anyway vindicates the team. As you note, front the front office down down the Storm rorted the system. That history remains. They not only besmirched the game for their fans, but for every fan who loves the game (see 'Scotty' below for a similar opinion on this). Nothing wipes that clean. That's what I'm talking about.
They deserved to win this year and are rightful premiers. Nothing can take that away.
p.s. I think we see the fight differently; but that's just a different of opinion.
Cheers
It frustrates me that there was media reports about giving them their premierships back. They have been found to be cheating and we shouldn't be holding this up as a fairytale experience. For four years they deprived other teams of not only competition points but finals opportunities. Which equates to so much these days.
Slater has always been a grub. Wasn't it him who stomped on Todd Payten's head for no reason?
It was Skandalis who had his head stomped on.
Another word I’ve seen tossed around is ‘redemption’.
Also makes me see red. The storm are not redeemed. They simply won.
That’s it.
It is a vindication. A vindication that cheating wins in the end, after winning the Grand Final with a nucleus of players formed together by cheating the system 2 years ago. Just as the Doggies did in 2004 after cheating the game in 2002. it sends a mesage that cheat and you might get caught but even if you do you will still win the comp soon there after. To me this is a shallow victory and another blight on the game. The Storm just like the Dogs in 2002 should of had the complete playing roster stripped bare and been forced to start again.
Slater didnt start the brawl, Inu did. Faux-tough guy Inu over reacted to Slaters fair attempet at stopping Sam Perrett.
Not surprising you blame Slater though, this article reeks of butthurt fan who cant get over the past. Yep, Melbourne cheated, now theyre premiers. Get over it. I hope they continue to make you mad over the coming years.
Not even a buttburt one. In fact, given I'm not disposed to either team, I just called the blue the way i saw it.
But you're probably right. The Storm will make me mad in the coming years.