Cameron Smith

[Butters]

Much like Thurston last year, they'll charge him but when he contests it they won't have the testicles to find him guilty and he'll be let off.

Ahh i almost forgot about that. The Judiciary have set a precedent, any star player is allowed a free run in the finals

 

[cyberdj]

If it was so bad why was Thaiday remonstrating with Jeremy Smith? He should of been going off tap at Cameron if it was as bad as everyone is saying. But Thaiday was going off about the arm bar hold not a grapple. Thaiday's lack of reaction to Cameron Smith's tackle says a fair bit more than the arm chair experts on this forum.
Still looked bad and would be surprised if he isn't rubbed out, but think Jeremy Smith is the more likely to cop the heavy suspension.
Fair dinkum the majority of people on this forum are merkins with their BLIND hatred for Cameron Smith.

(Had to wait to reply to this thread until I saw the tackle a few more times)

 

[Tipster]

News Ltd will ensure he gets off

 

[jc155776]

who Are The Mods Here? Get Rid Of That Poll From My Thread. I Didn't Put A Poll In It. He Can't Be Downgraded.

 

[kal83]

just watched the discussion on the sunday footy show, IKIN is a knob he's trying to say that jeremy smith had no option but to chicken wing Thaiday because he would have gained to much advantage. Every1 wants Cam Smith to play so they are saying that it isn't a grapple tackle. The first contact was a grapple than he twisted Thaiday's head. if they performed the same tackle on Tate, they would be in heaps of trouble due to to Tate's existing neck complaint. Smith will get off because of his status in the game, all the experts of the game want him to play. If Gallen did the same tackle they would wax on about how he is a grub and they would be saying how he should be wiped out for weeks. If they had balls they would suspend him, but they won't so lets hope the Sharks smash melbourne anyway!

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24381493-2722,00.html

Integrity twist in Smith's defence

Brent Read | September 22, 2008

WITH the season of his captain and club on the brink, Melbourne chief executive Brian Waldron yesterday called on the NRL to show Cameron Smith the respect he deserves by clearing him to play in Friday night's preliminary final against Cronulla.

Smith was involved in a tackle on Sam Thaiday during Melbourne's win over Brisbane on Saturday night which is certain to be scrutinised by NRL match review commissioner Greg McCallum today.

Any sort of charge is likely to threaten Smith's season as he has carry-over points and loading from a previous offence on Warriors centre Brent Tate in March.

Given Smith's importance to the premiers, McCallum could have the fate of the Storm's premiership defence resting in his hands. The tackle on Thaiday, during which Smith appears to grab the neck and chin of his rival, enraged Broncos players and drew a penalty from referee Shayne Hayne.

However, Smith was not placed on report. Nor was second-rower Jeremy Smith, who was involved in the tackle and is alleged to have grabbed Thaiday in a chicken wing - a technique banned by the NRL involving using leverage on the arm of the attacker.

While Jeremy Smith has been a consistent performer for Melbourne this year, he could be replaced. Cameron Smith, on the other hand, is as important to the Storm as any player in the club and his influence would be impossible to cover.

Smith protested his innocence after Saturday night's match and Waldron claimed the NRL match review committee should take heed.

"We're talking about the Australian captain, the Golden Boot winner and one of the best players in the game," Waldron said.

"When he says there was no intent to grapple the player, we should take that into consideration. We need to take notice of that. Cameron was standing, which made it awkward. There was a slipping motion on behalf of both players. He hasn't twisted the player. I think Cameron Smith should prevail."

When asked about the tackle after the game, Smith said: "Obviously there were a lot of us involved in the tackle and I saw on the replay that my arm was up around his head, but I'm not nervous. There wasn't any intent there to try to twist or choke him, but it is out of my hands now."

Waldron said the match review committee needed to be consistent, pointing to a lack of action from the first week of the finals.

"I think they have to be careful at this time of year about what they cite and what they don't given what we saw last week that wasn't," Waldron said.

"This is the Australian captain. We shouldn't question his integrity. He has openly said there was no intent. He copped a week at the start of the year and said, 'I was in the wrong here'.

"This time he said there was no intent to put him in a grapple tackle and we need to respect that."

The Storm has been at the centre of grapple-tackle allegations for years but the issue has flared again in recent weeks. On the opening weekend of the finals, Warriors players continually complained of being grabbed around the head and neck, although no charges resulted from that game.

On Saturday night, Brisbane players also protested on several occasions when they felt they were being grappled.

Notably, Melbourne players also complained to Hayne during the match that Broncos players were doing the same thing.

The two Smiths aren't the only concerns for the Storm. Forward Michael Crocker, who has a history of walking a fine line with his aggression, was penalised in the 56th minute for a high tackle on Brisbane winger Denan Kemp which will also be reviewed today.

Should Smith be banned, the Storm would likely move Matt Geyer to hooker.

"To be honest, I didn't think there was much in it," halfback Cooper Cronk said of the Smith tackle.

"He's very important to what we do. He's one of the best players in the game.

"I don't think we will be losing him, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

"We have gone without Smithy before during Origin. We have a lot of depth. We're not too worried about it now. We'll leave it to the powers that be."

integrity :lol:

good one Wally

 

[Miller was a legend]

So because the grub is current Australian Captain, what he did should be ignored. Good on you Storm. The Club CEO has now shown himself to be as much a farkin grub as his team.

Not only should an example be made of Cam Smith in particular (he is a constant exponent of the Grapple) and be out of the finals, but he should be stripped of teh Australian Captaincy. FFS why would a country want a Grub as captain. Give the Job to Gallen if you want a grub.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24381238-5001023,00.html?id=

Smith's grapple with destiny
Article from: The Daily Telegraph

By Dean Ritchie

September 22, 2008 12:00am

MELBOURNE chief executive Brian Waldron has claimed Cameron Smith was a man of integrity who should always be believed - but the camera doesn't lie.

Smith has denied grapple tackling Brisbane's Sam Thaiday in a highly contentious moment during Melbourne's extraordinary 16-14 win over Brisbane on Saturday night.

The NRL match review committee will today determine whether Smith is charged over the tackle and face the possibility of being suspended for the rest of this season.

And the Storm are already prepared for sucha scenario after employing the services of high-profile QC Geoff Bellew via a text message after the game.

The attached image clearly shows Smith's left arm wrapped around the neck of Thaiday - the incident sparking a melee between the two teams. But Waldron said the rugby league public - and the match review committee - should believe the respected Smith's pledge of innocence.

"I'd be very disappointed if we didn't take the word of the Australian captain,'' Waldron told The Daily Telegraph. "He is adamant there was no intent. There were a couple of players in the tackle and the player (Thaiday) was falling over.

"Cameron is a Golden Boot winner, the Queensland skipper and our Test captain - he is a man of great integrity and should be taken on his word. Cameron is a strong believer that he has nothing to answer. We should believe that.''

After the match, Smith said: "There was a lot of us involved in that tackle. I don't think there was any intent involved. I didn't try to twist or choke him or anything like that.''

Melbourne players Jeremy Smith (chicken wing) and Michael Crocker (high tackle) also face the possibility of being charged. Of the 27 grapple tackle charges laid since 2005, seven have involved Melbourne players.

In another key statistic, Melbourne have won 70 per cent of matches with Smith in their team but just 50 per cent without their hooker. Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy last night put forward a staunch defence of his skipper and leader.

"At the end of the day it's a body-contact sport,'' Bellamy said. "It was an accident. Accidents happen in body-contact sports. There's three blokes in the tackle. You're trying to get him to ground. It's part of the sport.

"Ideally you'd like them to work with one another but in this case they looked like they were working against each other. Smithy' looked like he lost his balance. As soon as he realised he'd gone around his head, he let go. You can make anything look bad in slow motion.''

The Sharks, Melbourne's opponents next Saturday, were last night distancing themselves from the Smith drama. "It's up to the NRL to deal with. All we can prepare for is this weekend's semi-final,'' Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart said.

 

[Squae]

Yep he is a important player, so if he says he is innocent he is!!!!, what a complete joke. This is probably the worst grapple tackle I have ever seen, the way he twists the neck is savage and would usually lead to a long stint on the bench.This and the chicken wing are extremely obvious, why is there even talk about it, anyone that is saying that he is not guilty is a complete and utter tosser and has obvious hidden agendas.

IF THEY DON"T CHARGE HIM THE JUDICIARY ARE A COMPLETE JOKE, Maybe we should have trial by media (oops I mean news limited)

 

[no name]

If it was so bad why was Thaiday remonstrating with Jeremy Smith? He should of been going off tap at Cameron if it was as bad as everyone is saying. But Thaiday was going off about the arm bar hold not a grapple. Thaiday's lack of reaction to Cameron Smith's tackle says a fair bit more than the arm chair experts on this forum.
Still looked bad and would be surprised if he isn't rubbed out, but think Jeremy Smith is the more likely to cop the heavy suspension.
Fair dinkum the majority of people on this forum are merkins with their BLIND hatred for Cameron Smith.

(Had to wait to reply to this thread until I saw the tackle a few more times)

Thaiday blew up at Jeremy Smith because he took his arm away and therefore took Thaiday's ability to defend himself away. If Jeremy Smith wasn't there Thaiday would have had a better chance to pull Cameron Smith's arm away from his throat which was causing him obvious discomfort.

 

[gong_eagle]

The tele's poll reads
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24381238-5001023,00.html?id=#vote-now-form

Should Storm's Cameron Smith be charged by NRL match review committee for his tackle on Bronco Sam Thaiday?
Yes - without a doubt 86% (202 votes)
No - I believe there was no intent 13% (32 votes)

 

[effnic]

The tele's poll reads
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24381238-5001023,00.html?id=#vote-now-form

Should Storm's Cameron Smith be charged by NRL match review committee for his tackle on Bronco Sam Thaiday?
Yes - without a doubt 86% (202 votes)
No - I believe there was no intent 13% (32 votes)

All that proves is that 13% of voters are Storm fans.

 

[gong_eagle]

All that proves is that 13% of voters are Storm fans.

or stupid people :sarcasm:

 

[effnic]

or stupid people :sarcasm:

Same sh*t really.

 

[gong_eagle]

Same sh*t really.

very strange poll considering that with all the hidden agendas of News and their biased reporting.

 

[effnic]

very strange poll considering that with all the hidden agendas of News and their biased reporting.

Maybe they are that biasly blind they actually thought the poll would go in there favour???

 

[Glenn]

Should be two weeks, will probably be one.

 

[effnic]

Should be two weeks, will probably be one.

I thought that even if he gets the lowest possible grading he will still face 2 weeks because of carry overs????????????

 

[Noa]

He'll get charged but will fight it and get off, thats my opinion.

 

[Inferno]

I reckon he'll get charged with a grade 1, but for a non-grapple charge (perhaps contrary conduct). That way he'll still get suspended (due to his 25% loading), but it will likely only be for 1 match, and he'd still be available for the Grand Final.