Melbourne Storm coach Chris Anderson launched an unprecedented attack on the Brisbane Broncos a week out from the 2000 Finals series, which will certainly liven up proceedings if the two sides meet during the mad final month of football. However, Anderson's outburst is something the game can well do without, particularly when he is commenting on issues he just does not understand.

Anderson opened fire on July 26 during a press conference, and it didn't take long for the journalists, ever ready to begin an attack on a game already struggling to get back on its feet, to feed on the bait. Anderson criticised everything from accusing the Broncos organisation of putting themselves ahead of the game, to blaming them for the demise of Anthony Mundine.

"I am not a fan of the way they do business," Anderson said, "They have been successful, and I am a fan of that. But at times they put themselves in front of the game. If it wasn't for the game they wouldn't be here. There is an arrogance there. At times they don't have enough respect for the game."

Brisbane have traditionally attracted a lot of criticism from south of the border from the time they announced their birth as a privately owned club. The feelings escalated as they enjoyed immediate success and celebrated their first premiership in just five years. The Broncos have been criticised in recent weeks due to the signing of young North Queensland star Scott Prince. Immediately journalists began cries for a draft to be brought in to stop the Broncos monopolising talent.

Those same journalists were the ones claiming the Broncos were little more than average at the beginning of the season because they had lost Allan Langer, Steve Renouf, Andrew Gee, Peter Ryan and John Plath. Suddenly the Broncos were forced to call upon that rich junior nursery they have been diligently developing since 1988. It brought immediate success, with Brisbane jumping to the premiership lead after just three rounds, a position they have maintained for the rest of the season.

The Broncos have set the benchmark this season, and it has not been an easy transition, despite the speed of the recovery. In 1998, the Broncos were absolutely dominant, depending on the flair and flamboyance of Allan Langer, Kevin Walters, Steve Renouf, Darren Smith and Wendell Sailor. Langer, Smith and Renouf left within 12 months and suddenly the Broncos were forced to rely on forward strength and a power game instead. After losing 8 of their first 10 games in 1999, that style of play immediately came into effect and Brisbane won 11 games in a row to scrape into 8th spot. They fine tuned that style with the addition of Ben Ikin and Harvey Howard and went on to be unbeaten after 8 rounds in 2000.

Anderson has reason to be jealous. Last season he took his club to a premiership in just two seasons. There has not been a more remarkable achievement. This season, the Storm began with 4 losses in a row and apart from stretches of brilliance, have struggled to stay in touch with the pacesetters after a succession of injuries, suspensions and controversies, including the shock defection of Test halfback Brett Kimmorley back to Sydney.

The common bond between the Broncos and Storm is their founding management. John Ribot was chief executive at both Brisbane and Melbourne, and no matter what your opinion of the businessman, he is one of the best administrators in the game. Anderson was coach and player under the administration of Peter "Bullfrog" Moore, who recently passed away after a long battle with cancer, for over 20 years.

Bullfrog is regarded by many as the greatest administrator the game has seen. His reign of 25 years at the Canterbury-Bankstown club is testament to that. Bullfrog's personality, his jovial, friendly attitude and warm nature was the reason players respected him, and why he was such a great drawcard to the club and formed such a wonderful ethos. Canterbury were regarded as the family club, particularly through the 80s with the Mortimer and Hughes families, plus Bulldogs players Anderson and current Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes marrying into the Moore family.

Ribot's is a very different ethos, focussing more on forming a successful business structure to support a top level football team rather than the people. Both methods are valid, and both have been extremely successful. It's understandable that Anderson has taken time to accept Ribot's methods and personalities would clash.

The Broncos have, since Ribot's departure in 1995, changed their ethos in part. While still remaining very much a business, there is a club spirit that did not exist - at least as strongly - in the early days. The Storm haven't yet got to that point, and it would be ridiculous to expect that after only three years.

Like most southern critics, much of Anderson's disdain stems from jealousy of the success the Broncos have enjoyed, and their ability to cope with adversity and come out stronger. The Storm are undergoing that now and it remains to be seen whether they have the strength so early on to withstand it. Remember the Broncos sacrificed Wally Lewis in their founding years, a decision that potentially could have destroyed the club. Two years later they were premiers.

Anderson's attack moved on to Anthony Mundine. Extraordinarily, he blamed much of the drama on Mundine's illfated stint with the Broncos in 1997.

"I think it all started at the Broncos when he started speaking out there," Anderson said. "He went to the Broncos for a lot of money, but he was unhappy and not playing in his position.

"I think he was ostracised a fair bit and I think that affected him.

"I don't think you buy a player of that magnitude for the sake of buying him. That is what they seemed to do. You don't spend $500000 on a player and say, 'you are not playing your position, you are playing some other position', and not have him happy."

This statement alone exemplifies Anderson's ignorance of the situation. Super League was the only reason Mundine signed with Brisbane. News Ltd had enticed him to defect and he said he wanted to come to the Broncos. Brisbane warned him he would be playing in the centres. Mundine accepted that.

There is no doubt Mundine's signing was more political than anything else. He never was the sort of personality that the Broncos look for. Despite the apparent self confidence of Wendell Sailor and Gorden Tallis, they have great humility and respect for predecessors and competitors alike. Respect is not a word often associated with Mundine.

Mundine had an added drama when he suffered a serious ankle injury in the opening game of the season. He never recaptured his best form on return. He was ruled by a court to return to the ARL at season's end and St George bought him back. Mundine, obviously frustrated with a wasted year, unleashed an attack on the Broncos.

Anderson's assumption that Broncos arrogance rubbed off on Mundine is off the mark. He was never the most humble human being. But despite the off field drama that went with him, he played an inspirational role in St George's charge to the Grand Final in 1996. Earlier this season Mundine narrowly missed selection for Australia, and spat the dummy, quitting Rugby League altogether to start a laughable career in boxing.

Five-times premiership winning Storm captain Glenn Lazarus also earnt the ire of Anderson. "I was never a close friend of Lazzo's," he said.

"The Grand Final speech didn't hurt me too much because Lazzo and I won't be meeting eachother in 10 years for a drink at the bar.

"Coming from Brisbane to here, he wasn't just looking at the playing side of things. He had other things in mind. When it wasn't going to work out for him...well, he is certainly not going to give me a wrap, because he wants my job."

Much of Anderson's comments can be written off to frustration, with the Storm sitting in sixth place and in danger of missing out on a home final if they fail to overcome Wests Tigers at Campbelltown this weekend. With Robbie Ross on the sidelines, Kimmorley leaving and other players lacking the consistency needed to win a premiership, Anderson has some headaches. It would be understandable for him to be jealous of the ease with which the Broncos have negotiated a particularly grueling season and a less than desirable injury toll.

However, while there are reasons for his frustration, it is dangerous for someone as high profile as him, being Australian Test coach, to be criticising a club which he has had nothing to do with. To comment on issues that he doesn't understand, much less have authority to make calls about is irresponsible.

Once again, the negativity in the coverage of Rugby League is doing far more damage than anything the Broncos physically do. Instead of being praised for their attractive style of football, their incredible performance this season, or the emergence of wonderful young talent like Ashley Harrison, Dane Carlaw and Brad Meyers, there are calls for a draft, a second team in Brisbane and myriads of other methods to bring the Broncos back to the field instead of encouraging the field to catch up.

Typical Rugby League. And unfortunate.

Article: Daily Telegraph.