08 Mar Smith calls for NRL to reinstate stripped Storm premierships

Cameron Smith has called for the NRL to reinstate the Melbourne Storm’s two premierships that were stripped due to salary cap breaches.

It comes after Cronulla were found to have breached the cap after a nine-month investigation by NRL.

They were fined $750,000 for financial irregularities dating back to 2013.

The Sharks managed to keep their 2016 premiership, whereas the Storm were fined $1.7 million and had their 2007 and 2009 titles stripped as well as their premiership points for the 2010 season.

Speaking at the NRL season launch, Smith believes the punishments handed to both clubs for the same indiscretion don’t add up.

“They look quite similar the way the salary cap breaches came about, yet you see two significantly different punishments,” Smith said.

“I think everyone can see what happened to us was fairly harsh. You haven’t seen anything like it since.”

“They haven’t made a decision after what was it, 48 hours like ours. They have put a bit of time and thought into the punishment handed down to Cronulla.

“That is a clear standout. It hasn’t happened in the space of two days. As far as looking at what had happened at Cronulla and having the understanding of what I know happened at our club, it sounds quite similar.

“Yet we were made to play an entire season without points and had premierships taken off us. So it is almost like the same or similar crime with a completely different punishment.

“I think a lot of people got caught up in the overall amount that we were over the cap in the space of five years.

Smith later doubled down on his stance in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

“Absolutely,” he said when asked whether the Storm’s premierships should be reinstated.

“They have a lot on their plate at the moment (with a spate of off-field scandals) and I don’t want to take away from some of the things that have happened over the past six months.

“But if the NRL can have a look back and go over what happened at the Storm over those years, they may find there is a different outcome.”

The Storm great re-signed with the club for a further two years in January.