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Melbourne coach lashes out at Hagan, Bennett
We're not the Lone Ranger ... Storm coach Craig Bellamy says rival teams are eqaully guilty of the grapple tackle. See the Storm's Video/Gallery/etc: kicket textvideo evidence. Photograph: Colleen Petch / Agence France-Presse
By Josh Massoud
August 16, 2007 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22252404-5001023,00.html
CRAIG Bellamy last night launched a withering attack on rival coaches Wayne Bennett and Michael Hagan - branding them hypocrites over their grapple-tackle accusations against Melbourne.
Unable to maintain his silence any longer, a furious Bellamy slammed Bennett and Hagan for "living in glass houses" and insisted Brisbane and Parramatta players were "equally guilty" of twisting the head in tackles this season.
But in lashing out at long-time critics who have accused Melbourne of spawning rugby league's grapple tackle plague, Bellamy has created a more ferocious storm than the one leading the premiership.
In a sensational aftermath to Sunday's bitter clash against his former club Brisbane, Bellamy accused his old mentor Bennett of "living in an ivory tower".
"Brisbane think they are the white angels of the competition and we are the Darth Vaders. It's ridiculous," he fumed.
Bellamy is convinced the pair's comments about Melbourne's grapple tackling are motivated to "pressure referees".
He yesterday told The Daily Telegraph their pre-match comments would be "acceptable" if both Parramatta and Brisbane players weren't guilty of committing the grapple themselves.
To prove Bellamy's point, Melbourne officials yesterday took the unprecedented step of circulating a DVD showing 10 grapple tackles committed by other clubs this season.
Not surprisingly, Parramatta and Brisbane defenders featured heavily.
"Wayne (Bennett) started it a couple of weeks ago and now Michael Hagan has come out and had something to say with his team playing us on Friday night," Bellamy fumed.
"It's like groundhog day. I've always bit my lip, but now is the time to have a say.
"These coaches are obviously not watching their own teams. They are living in glasshouses.
"It would be fair enough if they were lily-white and innocent.
"If they really want to clean up the grapple tackle, why don't they start in their own backyard?
"We've never, ever put anybody else in for anything. We are of the opinion that what happens on the field, stays on the field.
"But we just cop it every time. For Michael Hagan to come out two days before (Friday night's) game . . . it's clear all he is trying to do is put pressure on the referee."
Bennett and Hagan both denied they had spoken out during the past weeks to curry favour with referees ahead of their respective clashes against Melbourne.
Bellamy's former mentor at Brisbane, Bennett last night fired back: "I make an issue of it because of my responsibility to the players.
"Nobody is more consistent, or does the grapple tackle better, than Melbourne.
"I know the reaction from players (on Sunday) about being choked around the head and put in extremely awkward positions and I've got an obligation to draw the referee's attention to that.
"Whether he acts on it or the judiciary cites someone is out of my control.
"I don't care what the friendships are, I will continue to back my players as I always have."
But after watching foot- age of Broncos defenders grappling his players, Bellamy accused his old boss of hypocrisy.
"They are up there in their ivory towers and we are down here in our stone huts," he said.
Bellamy fears the resultant "stigma" is damaging his side's fortunes with match officials.
"The mud has been sticking for a while," he added. "Players get up and point to their necks - that's another ploy.
"It's a bit like taking a dive to get a penalty.
"It's frustrating when these guys try to put pressure on referees.
"I'm not being critical about referees. But they live life in same fish bowl as the rest of us. They read the papers.
"It would be hard not to edge that way.
"We just want a level playing field and we might not be getting that at the moment because of all this hoo-ha.
"We've got a reputation as a good defensive team. Sometimes you think you are being penalised for conceding less points than anybody else."
Like Bennett, Hagan denied trying to obtain an unfair advantage by discussing the grapple ahead of tomorrow night's Olympic Park blockbuster.
"Craig seems a bit sensitive to the criticism he is receiving," Hagan said. "Everyone is talking about the same issue and it just happens to coincide with the week we are playing Melbourne."
Watch the video if you can by clicking the link to the story... shows a lot of Parra player's tackles... your thoughts? Were we penalised for any of them?
![0,,5612290,00.jpg](http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5612290,00.jpg)
We're not the Lone Ranger ... Storm coach Craig Bellamy says rival teams are eqaully guilty of the grapple tackle. See the Storm's Video/Gallery/etc: kicket textvideo evidence. Photograph: Colleen Petch / Agence France-Presse
By Josh Massoud
August 16, 2007 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22252404-5001023,00.html
CRAIG Bellamy last night launched a withering attack on rival coaches Wayne Bennett and Michael Hagan - branding them hypocrites over their grapple-tackle accusations against Melbourne.
Unable to maintain his silence any longer, a furious Bellamy slammed Bennett and Hagan for "living in glass houses" and insisted Brisbane and Parramatta players were "equally guilty" of twisting the head in tackles this season.
But in lashing out at long-time critics who have accused Melbourne of spawning rugby league's grapple tackle plague, Bellamy has created a more ferocious storm than the one leading the premiership.
In a sensational aftermath to Sunday's bitter clash against his former club Brisbane, Bellamy accused his old mentor Bennett of "living in an ivory tower".
"Brisbane think they are the white angels of the competition and we are the Darth Vaders. It's ridiculous," he fumed.
Bellamy is convinced the pair's comments about Melbourne's grapple tackling are motivated to "pressure referees".
He yesterday told The Daily Telegraph their pre-match comments would be "acceptable" if both Parramatta and Brisbane players weren't guilty of committing the grapple themselves.
To prove Bellamy's point, Melbourne officials yesterday took the unprecedented step of circulating a DVD showing 10 grapple tackles committed by other clubs this season.
Not surprisingly, Parramatta and Brisbane defenders featured heavily.
"Wayne (Bennett) started it a couple of weeks ago and now Michael Hagan has come out and had something to say with his team playing us on Friday night," Bellamy fumed.
"It's like groundhog day. I've always bit my lip, but now is the time to have a say.
"These coaches are obviously not watching their own teams. They are living in glasshouses.
"It would be fair enough if they were lily-white and innocent.
"If they really want to clean up the grapple tackle, why don't they start in their own backyard?
"We've never, ever put anybody else in for anything. We are of the opinion that what happens on the field, stays on the field.
"But we just cop it every time. For Michael Hagan to come out two days before (Friday night's) game . . . it's clear all he is trying to do is put pressure on the referee."
Bennett and Hagan both denied they had spoken out during the past weeks to curry favour with referees ahead of their respective clashes against Melbourne.
Bellamy's former mentor at Brisbane, Bennett last night fired back: "I make an issue of it because of my responsibility to the players.
"Nobody is more consistent, or does the grapple tackle better, than Melbourne.
"I know the reaction from players (on Sunday) about being choked around the head and put in extremely awkward positions and I've got an obligation to draw the referee's attention to that.
"Whether he acts on it or the judiciary cites someone is out of my control.
"I don't care what the friendships are, I will continue to back my players as I always have."
But after watching foot- age of Broncos defenders grappling his players, Bellamy accused his old boss of hypocrisy.
"They are up there in their ivory towers and we are down here in our stone huts," he said.
Bellamy fears the resultant "stigma" is damaging his side's fortunes with match officials.
"The mud has been sticking for a while," he added. "Players get up and point to their necks - that's another ploy.
"It's a bit like taking a dive to get a penalty.
"It's frustrating when these guys try to put pressure on referees.
"I'm not being critical about referees. But they live life in same fish bowl as the rest of us. They read the papers.
"It would be hard not to edge that way.
"We just want a level playing field and we might not be getting that at the moment because of all this hoo-ha.
"We've got a reputation as a good defensive team. Sometimes you think you are being penalised for conceding less points than anybody else."
Like Bennett, Hagan denied trying to obtain an unfair advantage by discussing the grapple ahead of tomorrow night's Olympic Park blockbuster.
"Craig seems a bit sensitive to the criticism he is receiving," Hagan said. "Everyone is talking about the same issue and it just happens to coincide with the week we are playing Melbourne."
Watch the video if you can by clicking the link to the story... shows a lot of Parra player's tackles... your thoughts? Were we penalised for any of them?