NRL: Storm may appeal points penalty

Storm captain Cameron Smith celebrates with supporters after beating the Warriors last night. Photo / Getty Images

MELBOURNE - Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith has not ruled out an appeal to modify the punishments imposed by the National Rugby League (NRL) in wake of the club's salary cap deceit.

The Storm's premiership victories in 2007 and 2009 were voided - and financial penalties imposed after it was discovered they exceeded the cap by A$1.7 million ($2.22 million) over the last five years.

While Smith accepts those sanctions are irreversible, he is still hopeful the Storm will be allowed to play for points for the remainder of the 2010 season.

The Storm lost their eight competition points last week and were told they would not be rewarded for any subsequent successes.

They thrashed the New Zealand Warriors 40-6 last night - a hollow victory that at least allowed Smith to lift the Michael Moore Trophy, a cup named in recognition of the Storm's football manager who died on a team trip to Auckland in 2000.

Asked if a dream to play for points had been abandoned Smith bristled: "Certainly not. In the next week that's something we need to talk about.

"David Gallop (NRL chief executive) has spoken strongly about our penalties. It's up to the guys in charge of our club to sit down and think about that," he said.

"We're not pinning our hopes on being able to win premiership points this year, but we'd love to do that."

Meanwhile, head coach Craig Bellamy reiterated his view that the Storm were still the rightful winners of the 2007 and 2009 grand finals.

"We've had something taken off us that we don't entirely live for but it's a really important part of our life," he said.

"For the players that played in those premierships - we know how hard we worked to win those games.

"They can cross our names out of the record books but we know in our hearts we deserve those grand finals."

- NZPA