Molly's not so jolly over Hayne being allowed to play
Josh Rakic | October 4, 2009
MELBOURNE officials aren't game to say it, but the Storm's No.1 ticketholder Molly Meldrum has slammed the NRL's handling of Jarryd Hayne's dangerous contact charge, declaring he should not be allowed to play in today's grand final.
''Melbourne Storm can't say but I can because I'm not part of the board - it's bewildering that Cameron Smith didn't play in the grand final last year and we have Jarryd Hayne playing this year. And we've got the same thinking,'' Meldrum said.
''It's a shame we don't have Michael Crocker in the team this week because he could sort of fix up Jarryd Hayne - do a similar thing that Jarryd did last week to Bryson Goodwin, and put him out of the game. That's my thinking at least.
''As much as Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron have welcomed that Jarryd Hayne is playing for the Eels, we can't see much difference between his indiscretion to Cameron Smith's of last year.
''Considering Bryce Gibbs from the Tigers did a very similar thing and got three weeks
I don't get it. I'm not sure if that was even as bad as Hayne's. You can use the old Melbourne-Sydney war as an excuse, but it is bewildering.''
Meldrum remains confident his beloved Storm can win their second premiership in three years.
''They have to. I can't have two grand finals lost in the same week, I'm a St Kilda man, too,'' Meldrum said. ''I think they're a lot more switched on this year than last year because we had all the drama with Cameron Smith after the Broncos match and then with the coach and Brian Waldron being fined and the lawsuit threat. It was unsettling for the team, it really was. The fact that our captain wasn't in the team was even more unsettling.''
Meldrum suggested the 17 players that take the field today could rival the victorious 2007 side. ''What didn't dawn on me until this week was that Ryan Hoffman will be playing after missing last year's grand final. He's playing brilliantly and with Cameron back and Brett Finch, plus the blokes that have left like Jeremy Smith, it's a whole different team to the one that lost last year,'' Meldrum said.
''Cooper Cronk was a marked man last year but with Greg Inglis in the centres and everyone back, they're having a field day.
''Some of the former players I've spoken to, including Matty Geyer, are saying that maybe this team is better than the one that played in the 2007 grand final.''
Win or lose, Meldrum will host the Storm players, officials and their partners at his home on Tuesday night to commemorate another successful season.
MOLLY'S GREATEST STORM TEAM
1 Billy Slater
2 Steve Turner
3 Greg Inglis
4 Ryan Hoffman
5 Matt Geyer
6 Dallas Johnson
7 Cooper Cronk
8 Robbie Kearns
9 Cameron Smith
10 Glenn Lazarus
11 Brett White
12 Stephen Kearney
13 Tawera Nikau
http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/hayne-shouldnt-play-molly/2009/10/03/1254418751761.html
