More than getting closure on their salary cap hell, Melbourne captain Cameron Smith said Sunday’s NRL grand final win was for the crew who have now played their last game for the Storm.
As there is every season at Melbourne, there will be a small army marching towards the exits at the end of this season – such is the reality of life these days where fringe players come in and become indispensable, before cashing in at rival clubs.
Queensland representative Dane Nielsen and lock Todd Lowrie will cross the Tasman to link with the Warriors and Sika Manu ends a six-year career under coach Craig Bellamy when he moves to Penrith.
Bench prop Richie Fa’aoso only joined the club mid-season but will join Manly next year as the proud owner of a premiership ring while prop Bryan Norrie is walking away from the game entirely. As is Jaiman Lowe who is moving to central Queensland to work in the mines.
“I’m just ecstatic really. Particularly with the situation with the club,” Smith said.
“There’s a few guys moving on who have been part of this club for a long time. Blokes like Sika Manu, Dane Nielsen … they’ve been here since they were kids.
“(Bellamy) has had a lot to do with their careers and so have we, because we’ve been there since the start.
“I’m just so pleased for those guys.
“Jaiman Lowe, he’s finished his career tonight, he’s never going to play football again but he gets to finish as a premiership player.
“That’s what this game is about. It’s about fulfilling those dreams and he’s done that tonight and he’ll never forget it.”
It wasn’t as happy in the losing dressing room, with England international James Graham expected to be cited by the NRL match review committee after being put on report for allegedly biting the ear of Storm fullback Billy Slater in the first half.
Bulldogs captain Michael Ennis described the finish to the season as devastating, but for coach Des Hasler, he at least had the chance to look proudly upon a job only part way through completion.
“I’ve got to congratulate the Canterbury side – they had a really good year,” Hasler said.
“(We have) a lot of young players coming into the NRL and it puts the club in very good shape going forward.”