DT: Melbourne coach lashes out at Hagan, Bennett

[StEely Matt]

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?

 

[hineyrulz]

Well the grapple tackle originated from Melbourne did it not? And after watching the game vs the Bronc's it looks like they still do it. Some nice gamesmenship from Hage's, the Storm are a little rattled, lets hope it affects their play on the field.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Of course teams are grappling.

Melbourne's been doing it for years and it's a very effective way of slowing down the opposition attack.

The fact it's been outlawed means nothing if teams continue to get away with it, and Melbourne's been geting away with it for years.

So all the other teams have had to adopt the tactic to remain competitive.

The fact they do it doesn't mean Melbourne aren't the ones to blame. In fact, Melbourne aren't really to blame either - it's the referees and judiciary who deserve criticism for the grapple tackle still making headlines after more than 3 years.

 

[FROSTY319]

lets hope it affects their play on the field.

I just hope this doesn't have the reverse effect and fire the Storm up !

 

[caylo]

some of those tackles the players come into contact with the head while wrestling the player unintentionaly. A grapple in my book is when a second effort to grab or twist (sufficating the player also counts) at the head when the tackle is complete. If you come into contact with a players face because of a tackle, or the arm slips that is fair play imo. If you choke, twist or put a player in a headlock that is wrong and i would send players off for it. Prof. foul imo, give him 10min. Then suspend him for a few weeks if it is bad enuogh. Easy way to to get it out of the game, players will stop doing it in one week i assure you. BUT!! for Craig to point us out is just stupid, i may be blind, but i have watched every game this year and most of them more than once, i don't remember seeing that sort of stuff. We gang tackle more than any other team, we are able to win the ruck but that doesn't imediatly imply we grapple.

 

[Parraren]

Just adds a bit of extra spice to the finals series. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[goboggo]

Of course teams are grappling.

Melbourne's been doing it for years and it's a very effective way of slowing down the opposition attack.

The fact it's been outlawed means nothing if teams continue to get away with it, and Melbourne's been geting away with it for years.

So all the other teams have had to adopt the tactic to remain competitive.

The fact they do it doesn't mean Melbourne aren't the ones to blame. In fact, Melbourne aren't really to blame either - it's the referees and judiciary who deserve criticism for the grapple tackle still making headlines after more than 3 years.

Can you please go and post this over in NRL where all the Storm morons are defending their team?

 

[Twizzle]

why would they stop it if they can continually get away with it

its down to the umpires imo, they just wont police it

 

[Hurriflatch]

umpires??

WTF are umpires???

they are called referee's north of the boarder in winter

 

[goboggo]

Putting aside the grapple for a moment, isn't it about time that we put an end to something else, namely this ridiculous excuse:

"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.

I'm sick of hearing this bullsh*t. "Well yes Mr Judiciary, I did stomp on his head while he was on the ground and he did bleed to death, but hey, what happens on the field stays on the field."


They might as well say "yep, we're guilty."

 

[LissaNicho]

Putting aside the grapple for a moment, isn't it about time that we put an end to something else, namely this ridiculous excuse:


I'm sick of hearing this bullsh*t. "Well yes Mr Judiciary, I did stomp on his head while he was on the ground and he did bleed to death, but hey, what happens on the field stays on the field."


They might as well say "yep, we're guilty."

It might have worked 30 years ago, but it just doesn't work now that they have a thousand angles of the ground. I don't think it helps to wheel out Tommy Raudonikis to call today's players soft every time there's an issue, either.

 

[sportsmad]

Can you please go and post this over in NRL where all the Storm morons are defending their team?

you mean they have supporters????:shock: sure they're not news limited staff posting on their lunch break:lol:

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Putting aside the grapple for a moment, isn't it about time that we put an end to something else, namely this ridiculous excuse:


I'm sick of hearing this bullsh*t. "Well yes Mr Judiciary, I did stomp on his head while he was on the ground and he did bleed to death, but hey, what happens on the field stays on the field."


They might as well say "yep, we're guilty."

I totally agree, it's an absolute sh*thouse excuse.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Can you please go and post this over in NRL where all the Storm morons are defending their team?

The NRL forum seems to be the stupidest members of every team forum just slinging s**t at each other like howler monkeys. You can't have an intelligent discussion over there, you can't even have a s**tfight of any class or style.

 

[goboggo]

You can't have an intelligent discussion over there, you can't even have a s**tfight of any class or style.

:shock:

 

[CrazyEel]

You can't have an intelligent discussion over there, you can't even have a s**tfight of any class or style.

Oh ffs, considering your total lack of all three required pre-requisites you mentioned I can perfectly understand why you can't. Give it a rest, caput tuum in ano est! :roll:

 

[caylo]

In that video they showed, i swear every parramatta tackle was not around the neck area. Most were around the chest, and no pressure was put on the head. There was two other tackles that we defiantly grapples but i think they are trying to target parramatta but couldn't find any grapples. Am i blind, because to me they wont grapples.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Oh ffs, considering your total lack of all three required pre-requisites you mentioned I can perfectly understand why you can't. Give it a rest, caput tuum in ano est! :roll:

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=caput+tuum+in+ano+est&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

You're not clever. Or funny.

kthnxbye

 

[sportive cupid]

Of course teams are grappling.

Melbourne's been doing it for years and it's a very effective way of slowing down the opposition attack.

The fact it's been outlawed means nothing if teams continue to get away with it, and Melbourne's been geting away with it for years.

So all the other teams have had to adopt the tactic to remain competitive.

The fact they do it doesn't mean Melbourne aren't the ones to blame. In fact, Melbourne aren't really to blame either - it's the referees and judiciary who deserve criticism for the grapple tackle still making headlines after more than 3 years.

I agree.I can see a parralell here with say ...rape.Rugby League players have alledgedly been doing that for years and getting away with it.I blame the courts for not handing down the right sentences and thenewspapers for slashing it all over the front page all the time.

 

[CrazyEel]

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=caput+tuum+in+ano+est&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

You're not clever. Or funny.

kthnxbye

Clever enough that I don't need to rely on google or to know God created the middle finger for people like you. Now I'm not saying brains are everything mind you, in fact in your case they're absolutely nothing, therefore I won't call you dumb, it's just that I find it rather odd that you were sixteen years old before you learned how to wave goodbye.

Now go google this, potes meos suaviari clunes!