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Tempers boil over: Gallop hits Storm with record fine
Will Swanton | September 28, 2008
SHAKING with anger, NRL boss David Gallop pointed the metaphorical finger at Melbourne Storm chief executive Brian Waldron and said: "It's a cheap shot and here's some leadership - $50,000."
A furious Gallop yesterday accused Waldron and Storm coach Craig Bellamy of launching an "unprecedented, irrational, pre-meditated and defamatory attack on the integrity of the judiciary panel and the game's judiciary process" as he announced the record $50,000 fine. He also hinted that judiciary members Greg Woods, Royce Ayliffe, Darrell Williams and Darren Britt might take legal action.
Bellamy yesterday distanced himself from suggestions of collusion between bookmakers and the judiciary over the Cam Smith suspension, but any attempts to apologise for the Storm's double-barrelled attack on the NRL did not wash with Gallop.
The Storm-versus-NRL stoush is far from over, with prop Brett White likely to be hauled before the judiciary this week on a charge of striking Cronulla rival Ben Ross.
"The accusations they made were irrational, baseless and at times bordered on hysterical," Gallop said. "Coaches are in emotionally charged environments, but CEOs are employed to take the emotion out.
"There were some attempts at retraction but once you put these types of allegations out there, they damage the integrity of the game, they damage the integrity of individuals charged with the task of conducting our judiciary process.
"This was a clear stepping over of the line. In fact, it was a world long jump record for this type of attack."
Bellamy claimed - but later retracted - that bookmakers must have known about the judiciary's decision to suspend Smith. A lopsided market had Smith at $1.18 to be suspended and $4.25 to escape.
"The other thing that was very smelly about the whole lot was when I saw on Wednesday morning that there was a betting market … that's a fair spread in a two-horse race," Bellamy said on Friday night. "Bookmakers and betting agencies, they don't guess. They've got good information. Take that as you may."
Sportingbet Australia boss Michael Sullivan said only 45 bets, totalling $7000, were placed.
"For Bellamy to be saying that bookies knew this and that or there was any kind of conspiracy is just ridiculous," Sullivan said. "We looked at the video and thought Smith looked ripe for a holiday."
Waldron said the integrity of the game was "absolutely questioned", and he called Sharks coach Ricky Stuart's pre-emptive comments on the Smith tackle a "disgrace and a blight on the game".
Stuart responded by calling Waldron "a flip" and an "idiot".
He also labelled Storm football manager Frank Ponissi a "wombat". But Gallop said Stuart would not be sanctioned.
Yesterday Ponissi replied: "With all due respect, I think enough has been said by everybody. I've got nothing to say about Ricky Stuart."
Stuart said he had every right to question Smith's tackle. "The more that 'flip' [Waldron] goes on about it, the stronger I will be on it," he said. "Cameron Smith got charged for attacking the head, he didn't have hold of his frigging knee."
Gallop said he would not gag anyone from commenting before judiciary cases. "If people [on the judiciary] want to look at the defamatory nature of the comments, that will be a matter for them," he said. "I'm not here to give them legal advice, but certainly they would be entitled to look at that."
Speaking at the Storm's recovery session yesterday, Bellamy said: "It certainly wasn't my intention to say there was any kind of corruption."
Next up, the White case.
"The notion that he'll be looked at any differently than any other judiciary incident is a nonsense," Gallop said.
Waldron was read the riot act by Gallop over the telephone yesterday after the Storm boss directed his venom towards judiciary betting, Stuart's pre-hearing comments and Gallop's leadership.
Stuart had told Sydney radio station 2KY before Smith fronted the panel: "He's been found guilty of attacking the head or the neck, or whatever it was. Rules are rules. It's disappointing for Cameron. It's disappointing for their coach because he's a big part of their team. He's been flirting with it all year, so the time comes when you pay the price."
Waldron was livid. "It questions the integrity of our game at the core and we need some leadership to fix it," Waldron said on Friday night.
"To allow Ricky Stuart to make those comments is an absolute disgrace and a blight on the game, and we need to address that.
"We're sick of it, and we'll fix it if someone else doesn't. Our interpretation is that no matter who they are, they have integrity.
"But the reality is, when the pressure comes on from above, people are forced into situations of making extremely difficult decisions where their integrity is unfortunately questioned.
"There is no doubt the integrity of the game is absolutely questioned when an opposition coach can come out and say what he [Stuart] did.
"It is unacceptable. That reeks of a lack of integrity in our game and we need to fix it."
The $50,000 fine is the highest levelled by the NRL for derogatory comments made by a coach or official.
Webb caught up in Bellamy's fury over Smith
MELBOURNE officials gave journalists copies of a DVD as they entered the Storm dressing room on Friday night with the instruction to get home and watch it.
The opening frame said 'Grapples.' Then came a stream of tackles involving prolonged contact with the head or neck, replayed in slow motion with the wrestling holds highlighted from a variety of players in the NRL.
One involved St George Illawarra's Stuart Webb against Manly a fortnight ago. In his verbal rocket to all and sundry on Friday night, Storm coach Craig Bellamy singled out Webb for special mention, saying the Dragons hooker was guilty of a grapple worse than Cam Smith's hold on Sam Thaiday that led to his suspension from the grand final.
"He said what?" Webb exclaimed yesterday when told of Bellamy's comments.
"I didn't even watch the game, to be honest. Did he really say that about me? Good on him. It doesn't matter. No one told me he said that. Oh, well. It's unfortunate he [Smith] got suspended but it's got nothing to do with me."
Bellamy said if Smith was suspended, why wasn't Webb?
"Every time we come up with a grapple tackle you ring up a spinal surgeon to say how dangerous that tackle is," Bellamy told a room full of reporters. "Well, you ring up a spinal surgeon and ask him how dangerous that Webb tackle I just spoke about is.
"You have a look at Cameron Smith's tackle and Stuart Webb's tackle the week before and you tell me which one is worst, and why Cameron Smith gets charged."
