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Well, todays work has now been decided .... chop chop, get to it
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Well, todays work has now been decided .... chop chop, get to it
The whales need me today.
My analysis is better.
.
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy takes Parramatta defensive concerns to NRL
10 hrs ago
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Cameron Smith still improving?
The fiery build-up to Saturday's qualifying final between Melbourne and Parramatta has ramped up another notch with Craig Bellamy taking his concerns about the Sydney club's defensive tactics to NRL referees boss Tony Archer on Monday.
There is no shortage of tension between the minor premiers and the Eels, who finished the season fourth, ahead of their clash at AAMI Park, particularly between Bellamy and Parramatta coach Brad Arthur.
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The Storm mentor is still fuming at Arthur's suggestion following victory over South Sydney last Friday night that if the visitors were "allowed to play a bit of football we might be a chance" in Melbourne this weekend.
The title favourites had anticipated a rival team complaining about their so-called smothering defence at some point in the finals but were surprised that the jab had come from someone who spent four years at the Storm and who they still regard south of the border as one of their own.
Bellamy as a result has now gone to the NRL about his own issues with the way he believes Parramatta slow opposition attacking players down in their own 20-metre zone by going "to sleep" on them.
He got in touch with Archer on a day in which Storm captain Cameron Smith backed his long-time coach's view on the Eels.
War of words: Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has escalated comments on Parramatta's defensive tactics. Photo: Nathan Hopkins
"Craig looks at a lot of vision of all teams throughout the NRL. I don't look at it as much as he does," said Smith, preparing to break Darren Lockyer's all-time NRL appearances record in his 356th game on Saturday.
"I was away with Origin duties when we played against Parramatta so I haven't actually done any sort of preparation or review on their side. But if Craig makes those comments then I dare say he wouldn't be too far off the mark."
If what the first-time finals coach was trying to do was get under Bellamy's skin then he may well be able to count it as a small victory. Bellamy has made his displeasure clear, saying of Arthur that if "he wants to fire a few shots off at us, well we'll be firing a few shots back".
Smith, however, explained that Bellamy was simply fed up with opposition coaches insinuating that match officials needed to crack down on wrestling in the ruck in the lead-up to finals matches against his team. North Queensland coach Paul Green also angered Bellamyduring last year's semi-finals when he called for the referees to show consistency in their interpretation of the ruck.
"I think maybe he just might be a little bit frustrated that it seems like every finals campaign that we enter into there is always something said about the way we play," Smith said of Bellamy.
"What did he say (on Saturday night)? 'It's the same song, different singer?' He's pretty much on the mark there, I reckon."
Parramatta captain Tim Mannah, the only member of the Eels team who played in the club's previous finals game against the Storm in the 2009 grand final, was diplomatic about the situation on Monday.
"I think it's probably a bit of positioning by the coaches to kind of get the refs aware of a few things," Mannah said. "As players we're not really too concerned."
Just when you thought you couldn't dislike Bellamy and his team of grubs any more.
So you're not worried if it's an Eels try? I would be
Pretty sure it can and does!
Dont defend him. He clearly hadn't thought it through.
They'd whip his shit off the plane and be in the air quicker than you could say "try again merkin".
