NRL must really not care for Storm

Rugby league's governing body missed a golden opportunity to showcase the game in AFL heartland, by choosing instead to go head-to-head with its rival.

IN AUSSIE rules circles, supporters from clubs outside Victoria regularly feel as though the sport's governing body acts predominantly in the interests of Victorian clubs.

Such is the shared frustration from interstate fans, they have even coined a term for it - Vicbias.

Well it seems the NRL has now also shown its hand, and signalled its own form of Vicbias. It just goes in the opposite direction.

How else does one explain the ludicrous decision to schedule the Melbourne, Cronulla preliminary final at AAMI Park at the exact same time as what looms to be a historic final between Richmond and Collingwood just next door?

An eight-year-old with a broken abacus could still do the math. With almost 100,000 likely to turn out for the AFL, how many bums does that remove from AAMI Park seats?

Ask a Richmond/Storm-supporting Melbournian where they are headed on Friday night, and they will reply the former every time.

THANKS FOR COMING: Fans will have to choose between the AFL and Storm in what could be Billy Slater's last match.

Melbourne is an AFL town first, and everything else second. That will not change.

But rather than acknowledge and accept that - as the Storm have done - the NRL apparently want to push their product in a head-to-head with the AFL.

Know when to hold 'em, Todd Greenberg. Hint: this is not one of those times.

The Storm have done remarkably well to be in the position they are, deep within AFL heartland.

Speaking on Melbourne radio last week, Craig Bellamy admitted the club knows it cannot hold a candle to the popularity of Aussie rules in Victoria.

He said it is not trying to.

"Let us be your second team" was the short of it. Rather than force themselves into the Melbourne market, the Storm have worked diligently to integrate into the sports capital of the southern hemisphere, and have been justly rewarded for it.

They rank fourth in the NRL with 25,000 club members this year - a mere 100 shy of Parramatta in third, and behind historic powerhouses Brisbane and South Sydney.

It shows the people of Melbourne are willing to get behind an NRL team in Victoria.

And given the chance, they would love to be present at what may be Billy Slater's final ever match - certainly his last at AAMI Park.

We saw with Johnathan Thurston's testimonial match the kind of crowd-drawing power these greats of the game hold.

But in forcing fans to make a choice, the NRL has missed a golden opportunity.

The second AFL preliminary final is in Perth on Saturday. Timing appeared perfect for the NRL to schedule a Saturday time slot for the Storm and Sharks clash to completely avoid any competition.

Instead, Todd Greenberg has essentially thrown down an ultimatum to fans.

It undermines much of the fantastic work the Storm have done to build the right bridges in Melbourne.

Those bridges have come with some unique benefits - Josh Addo-Carr's remarkable banana kick for a try assist against the Rabbitohs, for instance.

He told reporters afterwards the inspiration came from kicking training with Richmond coaches.

The Storm have embraced being in AFL heartland. Melbournians responded by snapping up memberships and turning up at AAMI Park when able.

Michael Ennis told Fox Sports on Monday the NRL needed to place a higher premium on filling seats, rather than simply winning the television ratings battle with the AFL.

This obvious mis-fixturing only further highlights the point.

But let's not forget, this is the same NRL which forgot to actually check that Suncorp Stadium would be free before advertising a double-header, only to be informed by the QRU the Reds would be playing that day.

Someone tell the NRL it doesn't pay to shoot yourself in the foot to spite your rival. All you're left with is a sore foot.

Originally published as NRL must really not care for Storm