Melbourne Storm's stunning calls to have stripped premierships returned

Cameron Smith has sensationally declared the NRL should consider re-instating the Melbourne Storm’s premierships that were stripped as a result of salary cap cheating.

Speaking at the NRL’s season launch on Thursday night, Smith expressed his dismay at the differences between Melbourne’s punishments and those dished out to the Cronulla Sharks recently.

Last week the Sharks were fined $1.25 million ($500,000 of which was suspended) and hit with a $707,000 salary cap penalty over indiscretions dating back to 2013.

League journalist Paul Kent sensationally declared the Sharks were ‘systematically cheating’ in 2016 – the year they won their maiden premiership.

Yet the Sharks have been allowed to retain the premiership, in stark contrast to the punishments handed out to the Storm.

In 2010, Melbourne were found to have rorted the salary cap by about $1.7 million over a five-year period prior.

They were fined $1.1 million and stripped of their 2007 and 2009 premierships, as well as three minor premierships.

When asked by the Daily Telegraph if the NRL should consider reinstating Melbourne’s premierships on Thursday night, Smith replied: “Absolutely.”

“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,” he said.

Smith didn’t deny the Storm cheated, but was perturbed by the inconsistencies of penalties for other clubs.

“The NRL did a strategic job of using that entire amount ($1.7 million),” Smith said.

“The most we were over in one season was $500,000.

“If you look over the course of time since 2010 until now, there’s a handful of clubs who have been over the cap by similar amounts and they haven’t been made to sit out a season or not play for points.

“They have been deducted four points and two points.

“For me the main differences I have seen with the new administration and that is Todd (Greenberg) being involved, he has taken the correct amount of time to go through all the information gathered and come to his decision, rather than seeing a club breach the salary cap and just wielding the axe.

“What happened to us was fairly harsh, we haven’t seen anything like it since.”