Could news Ltd be involved??

[supermario]

I was thinking about the whole situation and some thing came to me, it is out of left field and is definatly open to discussion.

News have always wanted The Storm to be a success, they are one of 2 teams that news currently own (the broncos being the other)

The storm have been successful over the past 5 years, with players like slater, blair, smith, hoffman, Inglis, folau, king, Chambers, Lima, Manu, cronk all playing for the club in this period.

News has been happy with this.

but now, especially this year the talk has been about forming the independant commission and taking ownership back from News. and as we know, part of the deal is that News can only have one finger in one pie....The broncos.

If news does walk away, it leaves the storm with 6mill in debt and a stain and possibly resentment to news for leaving the storm this way and the possiblity of the storm folding under debt.

Where as in this situation, the storm has been "caught" with cap rorts which have been going on for 5 years. The Storm are pleading innocents and blaming Waldron and 4 others.

the fans are already revolting against the club after this news, they are throwing away and handing back their memberships, their supporter base is instantly dropping.............

Would it be easier to fold a melbourne team after this than let them slowly die when the news umbilical cord is cut????

Did news know and sanction the cap breach, but leak this to either derail the independant commission talk or fold the club without being the main culprit???

it is just a thought, not fact, i will probably elaborate more.

After the extent the storm went to about hiding all this for 5 years, i think any thing is possible, no matter how crazy !

[redwhiteandbluester]

If anything, these revelations will provide impetus to the IC. The fact that we had Fox Sports (News owned) helping Cameron Smith of Melbourne Storm (News owned) cheat the NRL (News owned) is laughable. Its Murdoch putting money from his left pocket into his right pocket. Plus, the criminal and the policeman are both News Ltd! It's a farce!

The point is, this just highlights exactly why we need News to piss off out of our game.

I think the Melbourne Storm died today. This is a club permanently making losses, despite doing all they can to get people through the gate. Now this problem will be exacerbated in 2010 because I think by season's end, with nothing to play for, will literally be playing to crowds of about 3,000 people. It will be an irrecoverable financial disaster. They might survive into 2011, maybe 2012, but dying a slow death.

Therefore, the NRL could passively let this basket case stumble on with no hope of long term prosperity, or cut their losses and take incisive action. That action would be fast tracking Central Coast Bears. Their administrative structure is already there, sponsorship and a board etc, and the football structure exists in Melbourne. I think the NRL should strive to ensure the contracts of the bulk of the Storm's squad with the option of moving to the CC in 2011.

Obviously that's ambitious and probably won't happen but considering how drastic the situation is, maybe it requires a drastic solution.

Regardless, Melbourne Storm hasn't worked despite all the resources News and the NRL has thrown at it. To persist in that market is futile - it hasn't worked with a world beating side, it's going to be even worse with a decimated side with nothing to play for.

Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We've been doing the same thing - pissing money up the wall in Melbourne - for 13 years and getting the same results. We need to try new things - and thats Central Coast.

Melbourne is dead, let's give up, Gallop.

[stsae]

All of what you both said and the new Yawnion team in Melba.

Pay TV has just done a deal with Stooper 1213141516 (whatever its called now), im sure I saw something about it today??? Maybe the plan is to lump with Yawnion and gAyFL and leave us alone for a while???

The day News fark off from our game is the day we get it back IMO.

Ive hated these carnts with fingers in every pie since day 1.

I always thought Ruprect wanted his investment returned, cash wise and the establishment of its Pay TV thru our game. I reckon hes got it now, probably with substantial interest.

Fark Melba and News to the gutter.

[Guest]

I hope this NBN super broadband thing gets completed in quick time and IPTV destroys those greedy Foxtel pricks...

[supermario]

All of what you both said and the new Yawnion team in Melba.

Pay TV has just done a deal with Stooper 1213141516 (whatever its called now), im sure I saw something about it today??? Maybe the plan is to lump with Yawnion and gAyFL and leave us alone for a while???

The day News fark off from our game is the day we get it back IMO.

Ive hated these carnts with fingers in every pie since day 1.

I always thought Ruprect wanted his investment returned, cash wise and the establishment of its Pay TV thru our game. I reckon hes got it now, probably with substantial interest.

Fark Melba and News to the gutter.

this is the super 14/15 article you are talking about

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

[Vasco]

Of coursne News Ltd are behind all of this. They want out of the game and the best way is to get rid of a team they support financially. With the Storm out of the competition the next television deal will be significantly lower and News Ltd will be on the other side of the negotiations. They will save a stack of money with the next deal.

The whole of this is just so scripted. Waldron and those others involved have probably received a nice pay out and will be looked after for being the scapegoats.

It's a farce.

[Guest]

Of coursne News Ltd are behind all of this. They want out of the game and the best way is to get rid of a team they support financially. With the Storm out of the competition the next television deal will be significantly lower and News Ltd will be on the other side of the negotiations. They will save a stack of money with the next deal.

The whole of this is just so scripted. Waldron and those others involved have probably received a nice pay out and will be looked after for being the scapegoats.

It's a farce.

You're mad

[melon....]

Jail time. Its Fraud. The Tax Department are sniffing. Fraud. There should be jail time for someone.

[Guest]

Melon, ATO don't give a toss about anything more than money. ATO have ordered many criminals to pay taxes and fines related to drug money, and nothing more has ever come of it.

[Vasco]

You're mad

Why? Don't you believe your bosses are capable?

It's obvious.

[Vasco]

If it's NOT a conspiracy involving News, then they are idiots for not sweeping it under the carpet, and enjoying the benefits a successful Melbourne club has brought the game ie. massive TV ratings, growth beyond traditional borders, rivalry with the AFL, a billion dollar TV deal etc.

If it IS a conspiracy, then Melbourne and its staff have been made huge scapegoats to allow the club's owners to exit the game, scortched earth policy in place, abandon Melbourne and protect their own reputations from any scrutiny by a new independent commission... to me, this reeks of "sh*t we are not going to be in control of the game anymore, what happens if the Commission finds out, we'd better drop Melbourne in it now to get it out into the open and get ourselves off the hook!"

The game of Rugby League shoots itself in the foot yet again, and once more, News Ltd has it's fingerprints on the trigger...!

[Guest]

If the extra money for the second set of books comes from News Limited or a related company, then your theory has a lot of cred Vasco. I'll be very interested to see where that money was coming from?

Chook.

[Guest]

If it's NOT a conspiracy involving News, then they are idiots for not sweeping it under the carpet, and enjoying the benefits a successful Melbourne club has brought the game ie. massive TV ratings, growth beyond traditional borders, rivalry with the AFL, a billion dollar TV deal etc.

If it IS a conspiracy, then Melbourne and its staff have been made huge scapegoats to allow the club's owners to exit the game, scortched earth policy in place, abandon Melbourne and protect their own reputations from any scrutiny by a new independent commission... to me, this reeks of "sh*t we are not going to be in control of the game anymore, what happens if the Commission finds out, we'd better drop Melbourne in it now to get it out into the open and get ourselves off the hook!"

The game of Rugby League shoots itself in the foot yet again, and once more, News Ltd has it's fingerprints on the trigger...!

Vasco is spot on.

News have an excuse to get out of their money losing investment (Storm) without losing face.

They'll never let go of the Bronx though.

[Guest]

Vasco is spot on.

News have an excuse to get out of their money losing investment (Storm) without losing face.

They'll never let go of the Bronx though.

News have stated that they will exit the Storm. How can they do so with 2 sets of books? They will need to show the prospective buyer the exact payments being made to the players

By leaking it, its in the open. The storm will be forced to fit under the cap and News can on-sell it with "clean hands". Management take the wrap and News gets on with business

[Vasco]

Yep, set the Storm up to take the wrap for 12.5 seasons of NRL rigging...

Then News exits claiming the moral high ground, sparing itself being caught later...

Threaten players and former CEO with huge fines and jail terms to silence them...

I believe, in the industry, this is called a "self cleaning crime"...