Storm warning signs present all season

IT’S been a tough old week here at the sports desk.

All week my workmates have been asking me if “I’m okay” and they’ve been wanting to know where I think things “went wrong for Melbourne” against the Roosters.

I tried to deflect the questions directed my way but after a while I caved and offered up my opinion.

And it pains me to say it but I wasn’t surprised we lost.

Too often this year we have been the architects of our own defeat.

Beaten because we have been unable to complete a fundamental skill key to playing good football – catching the ball.

Dropped ball has cost us a lot this year and unfortunately a lot of it (dropped ball) cost us on the biggest stage of all.

The Roosters deserved the win though – they were hungry, determined and focused – all 16 of them.

I say 16 because I’m finding it really hard to give Copper Cronk credit.

All the focus earlier this week was on Cronk’s “heroic” decision to battle through the pain of a broken shoulder and play.

But I wonder would we be saying the same thing if the Roosters lost?

Would we be showering him with praise if the Storm had been able to consistently run over the top of him?

Of course not.

The people who deserve praise in this case are the Roosters line-up that protected Cronk and coach Trent Robinson for being brave enough to gamble on him.

MENINGA DESERVES PRAISE AFTER ‘BAN’

You have to applaud Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga’s decision to drop Greg Inglis.

It would have been easy to strip Inglis of his captaincy after his drink-driving incident.

But in line with past decisions Meninga has been consistent in his “ruling” by punishing a player he feels has broken the “code of conduct”.