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Experienced Newcastle coach Brian Smith says he admires rival Nathan Brown for speaking out even though his volatile comments have sparked legal threats from infuriated Melbourne officials.
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Smith is the fourth coach to publicly speak out against the Storm along with Brown, Brad Fittler and Roosters and Australian coach Ricky Stuart.
Fuming Storm chief executive Brian Waldron has threatened Brown with legal action even though the NRL has decided not to fine the Dragons coach for his emotional outburst following Monday night’s brawling loss to Melbourne
A livid Brown yesterday hit out at the Storm over their illegal wrestling tactics at the ruck and for labelling Dragons winger Jason Nightingale a headbutter – the outgoing mentor saying the only thing Nightingale had done wrong in his eyes was he did not headbutt Storm fullback Billy Slater hard enough during their first half altercation at Olympic Park.
He also vowed to turn any possible finals meeting between the two sides into a bloodbath, a comment Waldron claimed was out of line.
Smith revealed he’d telephoned Brown last night to congratulate him on the attitude he took to Melbourne and for his forthright comments after the game.
“Brownie probably just carried that attitude into his comments,” Smith told reporters today.
“He waited a few days to let the dust settle, he didn’t do it in the emotion of the event.
Asked if he thought officials would launch a crack down on the Storm, Smith said: “Let’s just say I admire coaches who say things I was feeling myself
“I feel our game at times lacks that forthright comment.
“Sometimes I think the procedures in our game are there for a reason.
“We don’t want crazy, outrageous comment.
“But there’s always a risk in that environment that unless the body in control is actually doing something about the things we’re not allowed to say about each other, then it’s allowed to continue and it escalates.”
Smith didn’t think Brown was advocating a bloodbath when the teams next meet with his comments about punching harder.
“I think the point he was making and the point I am making is that if the opposition are going to bend the rules and play aggressively, maybe with some technique about it and you don’t have the technique, then you’ve got two options.
“You either cop it or you do something about it.
“I suppose if you haven’t gone down the technique path all you have left is good old fashioned aggression expressed in a manner that you can come up with at any given point within the game.
“When your head is in a scrum with your arms wrapped around them and someone stomps on your foot, there’s only a couple of things you can do.
“One is what Jason Ryles did, two is what his coach suggested (pull out of the scrum and belt him) and three is what everyone else has been doing, just cop it.”
Smith meanwhile suggested Brown could have shown coaches how to play Melbourne.
“I think the coach might be onto something,” he said.
“That might be the way to go, rattle them up week after week because they’re rattling everyone else week after week.”
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