Storm weren't driven by stripped titles: Smith

Updated October 01, 2012 14:59:25

Melbourne captain Cameron Smith has declared his team did not use the club's two lost titles as motivation for its grand final win over the Bulldogs.

The Storm were stripped of their 2007 and 2009 NRL premierships because of salary cap rorting of at least $1.7 million over five years.

The club was also fined $500,000 and forced to return prize money worth $1.1 million.

But on Sunday night, all that seemed irrelevant as a clinical Melbourne starved Canterbury of the ball and shut them down with immense defence in a scoreless second half to clinch a 14-4 victory.

The 2012 premiership is added to Melbourne's 1999 victory, which was not affected by the scandal.

Smith acknowledged the media had focused on Melbourne's punishment ever since the salary cap story broke.

"We've been asked this question for three years," Smith said.

"Is it about making up for what happened? No, it's not.

"Sure, we were down about what happened a few years ago - it was an extremely tough period to get through.

"I think you have to look at the way we played in 2011 and 2012 and the way we went about things and you could see we didn't look back."

The Storm had been unable to play for premiership points in the 2010 season, then the team rebounded the following year to get all the way to the preliminary final before losing a bruising encounter to eventual premier Manly.

"To be one game short of the grand final we were bitterly disappointed with the way we finished," Smith said.

"This year's been all about 2012."

Smith did admit the premiership win was special for the club, even if it was not a make-up for past pain.

"My voice is almost gone from screaming in the rooms," he said.

"It's an emotional time - we've just won a grand final."

Melbourne playmaker Cooper Cronk was at the heart of the Storm's win, and a deserved winner of the Clive Churchill Medal - his 510 kicking metres, far exceeding the Bulldogs' Josh Reynolds' 223 metres, and two try assists.

The platform for the Storm's win was almost-perfect ball retention.

Melbourne completed 34 of 37 sets compared to the Bulldogs, who only completed 26 out of 36.

The Dogs were forced to make 35 more tackles than their opponents, and could not get vital points on the board despite having five line breaks to the Storm's three.

Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, sydney-2000, nsw, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted October 01, 2012 09:35:12

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Stripped titles all in the past: Slater

Updated September 20, 2012 18:34:46

Billy Slater says Melbourne is not using memories of being stripped of two premierships as motivation for Friday's preliminary final with Manly.

Slater refuses to acknowledge his side did not officially win the 2007 and 2009 deciders, which were relinquished after it emerged the club were cheating the salary cap.

But he insists his bitterness towards the NRL over the decision that fateful day in April 2010 has diluted and he says looking back could have a negative affect on the team.

"In my book I've won a couple of grand finals," Slater said.

"As a player I don't look at the past whether it's good or bad. If you hold yourself up in the past you're going to find it hard to compete in the future."

Victory over the reigning premiers at AAMI Park will take Craig Bellamy's side to a September 30 showdown against either South Sydney or Canterbury at the Olympic stadium.

But in their way stands a club who has not lost a preliminary final since 1975.

The two teams have developed a fierce rivalry in recent years, contesting two grand finals, with the Storm prevailing in 2007 and Manly gaining revenge 12 months later.

Both play in an aggressive style and a clash last year boiled over in the infamous 'Battle of Brookvale'.

A mass brawl involving players from either side ended with Glenn Stewart and Adam Blair being sent off, and Slater is expecting another bruising encounter.

Slater's opposite number Brett Stewart is in red-hot form for the Sea Eagles, scoring seven tries in his past five appearances.

"Brett Stewart is a great player and has been for about 10 years now," he said.

"He's a danger to us, has great speed, quick hands and offloads the ball very well.

"We're going to have to make sure our kick chase is on-song and we get down the field in numbers to make it hard for him."

AAP

Tags: rugby-league, nrl, sport, melbourne-3000

First posted September 20, 2012 18:34:46

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