The Bellamy formula

[SunnyCoastChook]

If you look closely at the Melbourne Storm, Bellamy always uses the same formula when compiling his rosters. In every team he has coached he has always put most of his cap into the 1, 6, 7 and 9 and sometimes 13. Then he builds honest workers in his forwards around them and outside backs who are I guess fringe rep level or developing.

Unfortunately for us this year our spine is just not there. We have a great 1 and Rads if he plays 13 but our 6 and 7 are NSW Cup level and Watson isn't a 9. The cap we have available needs to go on a 6 (we have Robson next year at 9) even if it means losing in other areas.

[Rooster_6]

James Tedesco, Sam Walker & Brandon Smith would be in the top 5 highest paid players in their respective positions of 1, 7 & 9.

And you're going to have years where you're bringing through new talent in a position where they won't be taking up a large chunk of the cap due to their inexperience and qualifications. Doesn't mean you should just go out and buy an expensive player for the sake of filling some pre-concieved principle around salary cap distribution. In fact if we take anything from the Storm system it's their ability to develop from within and not go out and overpay for spine players that's more closely linked to their success in my opinion.

I just don't believe the structure of our salary cap is an issue.

[Mickie Lane]

If you look closely at the Melbourne Storm, Bellamy always uses the same formula when compiling his rosters. In every team he has coached he has always put most of his cap into the 1, 6, 7 and 9 and sometimes 13. Then he builds honest workers in his forwards around them and outside backs who are I guess fringe rep level or developing.

Unfortunately for us this year our spine is just not there. We have a great 1 and Rads if he plays 13 but our 6 and 7 are NSW Cup level and Watson isn't a 9. The cap we have available needs to go on a 6 (we have Robson next year at 9) even if it means losing in other areas.

Bellamy & Ponissi have a gift of developing players who become top notch then they get the top dollar.
There is no other coach & director of football who can identify talent like Bellamy & Ponissi do.
They develop no names Papenhausen, Munster, Hughes & Grant into champions after they replace other no names Slater, Cronk, Inglis & Smith.
All clubs have the opportunity to have these players but they end up at Melbourne under Bellamy & become the best in the game.

[caz]

our squad was good last year but losing our 7 and 9 cruelled our chances. we would have given it a better shake if we'd been fully fit. we would very probably have won it if we'd been fully fit and storm and panthers suffered our fate and lost their 7 and 9.
this year our squad would look alright if sammy and cheese were fit

[King Salvo]

Storm had a flexible salary cap for quite a while though which enabled them to keep players.

I don't think the Storm are more advanced than any of the top clubs in developing players to NRL level except for Penrith's production line.

The Roosters last year had players who first starred in 2010 at the club - others in 2013.2016/2017/2018 for an example. Not an easy decision to bring in new players to replace established players as some sort of squad refresh.

Hence why you could lose these up and coming players who are NRL ready but know that their game time will be limited if they stay - so they leave for more game time with another club.

[SamKerrSimp]

If we had Bellamy as a coach with the likes of Cam Smith, Slater, Cronk, Inglis, Munster, Hughes, Papenhuyzen, Bromwich brothers, Grant, all the players they've had to let go like Nicho Hynes and we only got 3 premierships in 15 years you guys would be tearing down Bellamy as an overrated fraud 10 times worse than you guys do to Robbo.

[Mickie Lane]

If we had Bellamy as a coach with the likes of Cam Smith, Slater, Cronk, Inglis, Munster, Hughes, Papenhuyzen, Bromwich brothers, Grant, all the players they've had to let go like Nicho Hynes and we only got 3 premierships in 15 years you'd be tearing down Bellamy as an overrated fraud 10 times worse than you do to Robbo.

You make a good point

[Bates]

I'd like Ivan Cleary's coaching manual.

[MKCS]

I have felt that what has held us back over the past 4 seasons is our lack of a world class spine. If you look at both Penrith and the Storm that's what they have and where they dominate us in games also.

I still feel like we should've gone hard for Luai. Tedesco, Luai, Walker and Robson would probably be the best spine in the competition and even for this year Tedesco, Luai, Walker and Smith would probably be 2nd or 3rd best in the comp.

[Rooster90]

I have felt that what has held us back over the past 4 seasons is our lack of a world class spine. If you look at both Penrith and the Storm that's what they have and where they dominate us in games also.

I still feel like we should've gone hard for Luai. Tedesco, Luai, Walker and Robson would probably be the best spine in the competition and even for this year Tedesco, Luai, Walker and Smith would probably be 2nd or 3rd best in the comp.

Robbo doesn't like Westies, so Luai was never an option.

[Nicola Tesla]

I wrote a post about our struggles to build a spine! Sam came in an earlier than expected and Keary slid faster than expected and a a lot of this succession planning was impacted by catastrophic injuries and massive rule changes.
It’s been obvious for two or three years that we can’t have Two small bodies in the line and we lack a good long kicking game.
But here we are now with the same situation.
Bellamy has the gift of developing halves .. Robbo needs to show it.
When I look at the storm or Panthers, there are no spot players! Our spot player put do much pressure on others around them!

[Bates]

I have felt that what has held us back over the past 4 seasons is our lack of a world class spine. If you look at both Penrith and the Storm that's what they have and where they dominate us in games also.

I still feel like we should've gone hard for Luai. Tedesco, Luai, Walker and Robson would probably be the best spine in the competition and even for this year Tedesco, Luai, Walker and Smith would probably be 2nd or 3rd best in the comp.

This 100%

1 hand on the trophy with Teddy, Luai, Walker and Robson.

[SamKerrSimp]

I wrote a post about our struggles to build a spine! Sam came in an earlier than expected and Keary slid faster than expected and a a lot of this succession planning was impacted by catastrophic injuries and massive rule changes.
It’s been obvious for two or three years that we can’t have Two small bodies in the line and we lack a good long kicking game.
But here we are now with the same situation.
Bellamy has the gift of developing halves .. Robbo needs to show it.
When I look at the storm or Panthers, there are no spot players! Our spot player put do much pressure on others around them!

Robinson got rid of Flanagan because we had Walker coming through we can't say that he came in to the team earlier than expected when the coach fast tracked him in to the team in 2021.

Sam Walker's struggles should hopefully show people just how good Pearce was at the same age (all throughout his career really) when he was getting hammered from pillar to post by the Roosters "faithful"

[King Salvo]

Do Head Coaches develop any player though?

The Roosters have Cooper Cronk as the halves consultant/ specialist halves coach plus a raft of other assistant coaches looking after the attack / backs/forwards/defence and other consultants for kicking etc. I remember the Roosters employing several former Sydney Swans player for kicking and marking ( i.e ways to catch the footy from attacking kicks).

Youngster come through the academies and junior pathways where they receive training and development which is then ramped up once they start playing senior reps and NRL.