Melbourne advanced to a third straight NRL grand final last night but it wasn’t enough to satisfy coach Craig Bellamy, who launched a scathing attack on the game’s administration and the media over the handling of Cameron Smith’s grapple tackle suspension.
The Storm crushed Cronulla 28-0 to book an October 5 meeting with the winner of tomorrow night’s Manly-Warriors preliminary final, a game Smith will play no part in after he was rubbed out of the finals by the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night.
“I don’t think Cameron Smith got a fair go,” Bellamy said.
“Cameron Smith, 10 minutes after the game last week, was hung out to dry.
“The press conference … got hijacked by some of you guys in the media that had him hung out to dry straight away and then it continued for four or five days.
“There’s some sections of the media that seem to have an agenda against Melbourne and certainly the grapple tackle.
“It’s my player that misses out on a grand final opportunity and I think he’s been hard done by here.”
Bellamy went further when he questioned the integrity of some NRL officials as he flirted with a link between the judiciary and the setting up of a market by bookmakers on the probability of Smith being suspended.
The NSW Origin coach later backed down from his inflammatory comments, but refused to let go of his claim that Smith had not been given a fair go.
“The other thing that was very smelly about the whole lot was when I saw in the paper on Wednesday morning and there’s a betting market – $1.18 he’s going to be found guilty, $4.25 he’ll be found innocent.
“That’s a fair spread in a two horse race.
“Bookmakers and betting agencies, they don’t guess, they’ve got good information – take that as you may.
“As soon as I saw that on Wednesday morning … he was thousands.”
Bellamy was accompanied to the post-match press conference by club chief executive Brian Waldron, who unloaded on the role Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart had played in the Smith saga.
Stuart supported the NRL match review committee’s decision to charge Smith for his tackle on Brisbane forward Sam Thaiday, Waldron adamant the Sharks coach’s words influenced those behind the guilty finding.
“Opposition coaches, opposition officials, other officials in positions of responsibility of the game should not be commenting before the judiciary,” Waldron said.
“It doesn’t happen in other sports … it questions the integrity of our game at the core and we need some leadership to fix it.
“To allow Ricky Stuart to make those comments is an absolute disgrace and a blight on the game and we need to address that.”
Stuart defended his right to an opinion as he returned serve on the outspoken Storm chief executive.
“Brian Waldron is a flip,” fired Stuart.
“Wally Waldron should go and learn the rules before he starts complaining about me making comment. I was the opposition coach, of course I was going to make comment.
“If it happened again next week I would say the same thing. The more that flip goes on about it the stronger I will be about it.
“It’s a shame for the game, but the game, me, didn’t make the tackle and tell that idiot Waldron the same thing. We didn’t do this.
“When he learns the rules he is going to probably be a better asset to Melbourne. Until then he is just a nobody.”
The NRL’s chief operating officer Graham Annesley was present during tonight’s press conference but declined to comment on Bellamy’s remarks.
The post-match blow up took the gloss off a gutsy Storm performance, with stand-in skipper Cooper Cronk leading the way in a sublime display that more than compensated for the absent Smith.
Stuart admitted his side were simply outclassed tonight and panicked after conceding their second try in by the 24th minute before going to the break 16-0 down.
“We were never in the hunt,” said Stuart.
“We started off really well and after they scored that second try I felt us all of a sudden panic and tried to score of every set of six.
“That’s not our game plan, we have to be patient.
“It all went out the window.”
The Storm could be in for another week of judiciary drama, though, with Cronk penalised for a lifting tackle on Brett Kimmorley and prop Brett White put on report for the use of an elbow on Sharks opposite Ben Ross.
Oliva
Guest
Stuart should have been fined $50K as well for "bringing the game into dis-repute", but then he's an insider and can't do any wrong. Of course he's allowed to make a comment about the game but publically calling for CS to be side-lined shortly before the case was heard is very un-ethical but then he knows he can get away with it because he's in sweet with Gallop and Co. Bennett brought the grapple tackle problem to the attention of Gallop and Co when it first broke out, but Bennett's not an insider so they totally ignored him. Time to give the administration a shake-up. They are not listening to smart people outside their cosy little network.
Jerry
Guest
The "two horse race" comment makes no sense. It's not a coin toss with an equal chance of either outcome - the bookies can look at the tackle and conclude it was blatantly gonna be called. No inside knowledge needed.
onside
Guest
TKM Your suggestion the Storm engage in 'dirty wrestling' tactics highlights the point SHEEK makes in the first post. The common thread here seems to be not necessarily wether or not Storm players bend the rules, but rather if they do , then it has been going on for a long time.Long enough in fact for the NRL to have both defined the breach and instructed referees to reign in the offenders.My beef, along with others like me, are saying that the NRL is culpable.The NRL alone are responsible for doing pretty much nothing all season , this despite the weekly discussions in all media . Two points : given the decision against Cameron Smith 1.Why wasnt the referee carpeted for not sending Smith off. Surely the tackle (as determined by the judiciary) is a sending off offence.The referee and the touchy saw the incident and let Smith stay on the park. 2.Why did Cameron Smith get just a two week penalty.Given in the NRL's view , the severity of the charge, a 'grapple tackle', must surely be up there with eye gouging or biting .In fact its worse, because a 'grapple tackle' can maim. Two weeks for a 'tackle' that can end a players career. Its farcical. You see TKM, the NRL neither defined the problem, nor did anything to fix it. That is until this time. And even then not at the request of the ref.The fact that the NRL refused to deal with the matter all season long ,and nip it in the bud months ago is a disgrace . A dereliction of duty. Finally ,if Craig Bellamy by saying what many think, is worth a $50k snip, because it undermines the integrity of the NRL (dont laugh ), what penalty might be applied to Ricky Stuart. Deary me, the Australian coach no less ,what a class act. What's left to undermine.
Phil Coorey
Guest
Run by backward thinkers is this once simple game - they have stuffed it up in so many ways now , that I resort to just sitting back and laughing.
Anti- Gallop
Guest
I reckon NRL is going down thanks to David Gallop, this man is acting like a dictator, and he is bad administrator. bloody imposter! The sooner he's gone the better. They waited best time to hurt Melbourne but guess what, they won last Saturday and will beat Manly for sure. I agree with fellas before me that Stuart is totally out of order in his pre-judiciary comments. Good on Bellamy even though Gallop had made sure he hurt Melbourne. If he can't take a criticism he should get his joint under control.
TKM
Guest
just kick these whinging, cheating, dirty wrestling grubs out of the comp. they dont want to play by the NRL rules, fob off and leave the rest of us to play rugby league.
Oliva
Guest
How do ya get a job on the judiciary anyway? I suppose ya have to be a favourite son or well connected? What sort of money do they make? How long are they allowed to hold the position? Whoever these guys are I guess they talk to people, dish out tips to their mates, settle old scores, tend to be re-active rather than pro-active and possibly do what they are told by their Boss. And who is that? There should be more transparency. These little power cells shouls step into the light. The fans would like to know. I think that dishing this penalty on CS and robbing him of his oppurtunity to lead his team to the GF is totally disgusting. What a nasty blow to him and his proud family, his children [has he got any], his friends and his fan club. Regardless that the "tackle" was dangerous the judiciary has no business impossing such a penalty that robs any player of the oppurtunity to play Finals football. Of course players have to be penalised but not this way please during Finals. It's wrong
Justin
Guest
Sheek - sour is the perfect description of the bloke or you could use Karmichael to describe him also ;) I thought Channel were so biased against Melbourne last night also, it was painful to listen to. Old Gus saying Melbourne looked gone, out on their feet in the second half. No doubt the Sharkies had a good period of 10 minutes where they made some breaks but he said little after Melbourne scored the last few tries. Rabbits outing Geyer when he made a supposed grapple was ordinary too. At least the others said there was nothing in it after the replay. A few of those blokes like to pot the Storm any chance they get. I think Sterlo is the most balanced from what I have heard.
Jaffa
Guest
Sheek - you are absolutely right about the spinelessness of NRL administrators - this tackle style is unquestionably dangerous, but it's a bit rich to suddenly find fault with this particular example from this particular player (Smith) after ignoring far worse examples through the season that went both uncited and unpunished.
Chris Beck
Guest
Sheek - I agree with you about Stuart. For a while now I've thought Ricky Stuart and Eddie Jones must be related somehow.
sheek
Guest
Justin, I've long thought Stuart lacked class. He's a sour looking bloke, as if the world owes him a living. And his comments would have poisoned any relationship he had with Kangaroos captain Smith. Hardly clever.
Justin
Guest
I thought it was outrageous that Stuart would make comment that he thought SMith should be suspended before the judiciary. Its nothing to do with him. It smacked of desperation and lack of class from Stuart. And his personal insults about a number of Melbournes management during last nights press conference confirm his lack of class and a decent debate on the issue. "I cant think of anything to say so I will just insult them". Classy stuff.
sheek
Guest
I don't know about any link between the NRL & betting agencies. Unlawful link, that is. What I do know is most of the present drama surrounds the gutlessness of NRL administrators to sit on their hands all season regarding issues such as the grapple tackle, only to suddenly get all high & mighty during the final series. The lack of consistency & integrity is disgraceful. And that, I believe, is what is getting up the noses of unbiased supporters of the game.