2010 was a year to forget for the Melbourne Storm. They breached the salary cap, and were thus stripped of their minor premierships and premierships as a result.
They played the remainder of the season for no points, and it was demoralising for the team, particularly towards the end of the season, but 2011 will be a different ball-game according to Storm captain Cameron Smith.
The motivation for season 2011 won’t be coming from the fact that the Storm had a poor year due to their cap breach in 2010, but rather the desire to ensure that they remain competitive in season 2011.
“It’s not a motivation at all,’ says Smith.
“We haven’t spoken about it and I doubt whether it will be used throughout 2011. We’ve all moved on and we just can’t wait for round one against Manly at home.
“Our goal is to be the best team we can possibly be. We’ve never had goals about playing finals or winning premierships, but our expectation has always been to be competitive every time we step on the field.
“Last year was disappointing, but We’re always hungry for success and at this time of the year we’re always keen to get out there and start playing.
“We did some great things for charity last year which gave our season some meaning, but now we’re looking forward to playing for points once again.”
Smith will also be on NRL.com involved in a live question debate with fans, talking about a range of topics and areas on Australia Day.