Stuart should get his own house in order - Bellamy

[Bman26]

THE Melbourne Storm is a club that would prefer to leave what happens on the field out there. It is something we pride ourselves on. If something needs to be scrutinised then we let the authorities at the NRL deal with it.
This week is different though.
There has been an endless amount of agenda-driven opinion circulating both publicly and privately about one incident. The club and in particular one player, Cameron Smith, have had their credibility brought into question once again in the wake of our win over Brisbane.
We would have preferred to have left things as they were - that's out on the field - but, with people working in the background, staining Cameron's credibility as well as the Storm's, it's time to say enough is enough.
In some respects the comments from Ricky Stuart earlier this week, where he called on the judiciary to ban Cameron, forced our hand.
I've got no problem with Ricky having an opinion. It's healthy to have one.
But perhaps he'd want to take a look in his own backyard before casting aspersions at others.
With the stones he has thrown at Cameron he might want to buy a brick house.
Here is the photographic evidence that explains what I am talking about. Now, it's fine to say these are still-frame shots, that any tackle can be made to look ordinary in slow motion.
But if you have a look at these tackles in normal time by Cronulla players you can see they all put pressure on the head and/or neck of the ball carrier in every instance.
Whether they are deliberate, accidental or somewhere in between I don't know, but the evidence is there.
Here is another interesting statistic. Of incidents involving unnecessary contact with the head and/or neck, over the last seven rounds of the season, we had nine tackles flagged by the match review committee. Cronulla had 18.
Yesterday, my assistant coach Steve Kearney was told by the match reviewer from our game last Saturday that Brisbane should have been penalised four times for grapple tackles. The same could be said about most teams from most games over the weekend.
Yet we seem to be the only club that is ever spoken about with regards to it.
It should be fair enough then that we feel as though we're more heavily scrutinised by match officials than other teams in that part of the game - particularly when the media spotlight is so heavily focused on us.


http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,24399344-5016365,00.html

 

[madunit]

but, with people working in the background, staining Cameron's credibility as well as the Storm's, it's time to say enough is enough.

lol

People working in the background didn't force Cameron to make the dopey tackle he attempted on Thaiday which saw him get suspended.

Cameron's and Melbourne's credibility is controlled entirely by themselves. Their actions determine their credibility.

 

[Bman26]

lol

People working in the background didn't force Cameron to make the dopey tackle he attempted on Thaiday which saw him get suspended.

Cameron's and Melbourne's credibility is controlled entirely by themselves. Their actions determine their credibility.

Absolutely, but each club should face the same media scrutiny about their credibility, especially when there is such glaring evidence.

 

[Miller was a legend]

THE Melbourne Storm is a club that would prefer to leave what happens on the field out there. It is something we pride ourselves on. If something needs to be scrutinised then we let the authorities at the NRL deal with it.
This week is different though.
There has been an endless amount of agenda-driven opinion circulating both publicly and privately about one incident. The club and in particular one player, Cameron Smith, have had their credibility brought into question once again in the wake of our win over Brisbane.
We would have preferred to have left things as they were - that's out on the field - but, with people working in the background, staining Cameron's credibility as well as the Storm's, it's time to say enough is enough.
In some respects the comments from Ricky Stuart earlier this week, where he called on the judiciary to ban Cameron, forced our hand.
I've got no problem with Ricky having an opinion. It's healthy to have one.
But perhaps he'd want to take a look in his own backyard before casting aspersions at others.
With the stones he has thrown at Cameron he might want to buy a brick house.
Here is the photographic evidence that explains what I am talking about. Now, it's fine to say these are still-frame shots, that any tackle can be made to look ordinary in slow motion.
But if you have a look at these tackles in normal time by Cronulla players you can see they all put pressure on the head and/or neck of the ball carrier in every instance.
Whether they are deliberate, accidental or somewhere in between I don't know, but the evidence is there.
Here is another interesting statistic. Of incidents involving unnecessary contact with the head and/or neck, over the last seven rounds of the season, we had nine tackles flagged by the match review committee. Cronulla had 18.
Yesterday, my assistant coach Steve Kearney was told by the match reviewer from our game last Saturday that Brisbane should have been penalised four times for grapple tackles. The same could be said about most teams from most games over the weekend.
Yet we seem to be the only club that is ever spoken about with regards to it.
It should be fair enough then that we feel as though we're more heavily scrutinised by match officials than other teams in that part of the game - particularly when the media spotlight is so heavily focused on us.


http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,24399344-5016365,00.html

Boo farkin hoo bellemy. Why not pick out one hundred photos of players from all clubs who end up with arms around the neck. The tactic was born by you and your club, so it is only further evidence of what a disgrace you and your club have made of the game.

Defending Smiths particular tackle with photo's of what other clubs have done is futule exercise. Smiths was particularly dangerous in comparision to anything you have drummed up to throw back.

I don't condone these tackles either, but fair dinkum dude, how can you defend the way Smith effected that tackle?

This is a notice to all Coaches and players, Stuart included, its time to cut this crap out of our game. Hard luck for Smith yes, but maybe both of you should look in your backyard to find the source and lay blame.

 

[madunit]

Absolutely, but each club should face the same media scrutiny about their credibility, especially when there is such glaring evidence.

if the evidence is so glaring, then players should be suspended.

Media has f**k all to do with it.

 

[drake]

Cut the crap out of our game for good.

Stop whining Bellyache, that grapple on Thaiday was sickening; if Sam had my neck, he'd be a quadraplegic. What a misuse of media this article is.

 

[Bulldog Force]

Boo farkin hoo bellemy. Why not pick out one hundred photos of players from all clubs who end up with arms around the neck. The tactic was born by you and your club, so it is only further evidence of what a disgrace you and your club have made of the game.

Defending Smiths particular tackle with photo's of what other clubs have done is futule exercise. Smiths was particularly dangerous in comparision to anything you have drummed up to throw back.

I don't condone these tackles either, but fair dinkum dude, how can you defend the way Smith effected that tackle?

This is a notice to all Coaches and players, Stuart included, its time to cut this crap out of our game. Hard luck for Smith yes, but maybe both of you should look in your backyard to find the source and lay blame.

Well said.

 

[cb4]

storm androtops cryin again.......... its gettin to repetitive

 

[ElectricEelMan]

storm androtops cryin again.......... its gettin to repetitive

The reason they are 'crying' is because of the double standards.
I agree that Cameron Smith should have been suspended, BUT a lot of other similar tackles have NOT been dealt with in the past. I honestly believe the only reason this tackle was dealt with was because of how the Broncos reacted. If I was Bellamy I would be telling my players to complain like hell to the referee and take matters into their own hands if there are similar tackles on their teammates on Friday night.

 

[Mr Saab]

The reason they are 'crying' is because of the double standards.
I agree that Cameron Smith should have been suspended, BUT a lot of other similar tackles have NOT been dealt with in the past. .

Similar tackles? I have not see a player attack the head of another player like that before.

 

[ShadesOfTheSun]

The reason they are 'crying' is because of the double standards.
I agree that Cameron Smith should have been suspended, BUT a lot of other similar tackles have NOT been dealt with in the past.

There is no way in hell that Smith's headlock was comparable to those shown above. The player's momentum had already been arrested by the other players effecting the tackle - one of whom had already used an illegal hold. Smith then came round and went straight for the neck.

I honestly believe the only reason this tackle was dealt with was because of how the Broncos reacted.

Which just highlights the problems with the game right now. The tackle should have been dealt with whenever and wherever it occurred, no matter how often it occurred. It was illegal, dangerous, and grubby. It has no place in our game.

If I was Bellamy I would be telling my players to complain like hell to the referee and take matters into their own hands if there are similar tackles on their teammates on Friday night.

Basically you're saying you want the Storm to mimic the whinging their coach has been complaining about all season and wreck their reputation even further by adding 'hypocrisy' to the list of reasons why people hate them. Wonderful.

 

[bennoonthehill]

Can you blame other teams for adopting these tactics? They see the Storm getting away with it far more often than not and have to level the playing field somehow. Blame the judiciary, not other clubs for just trying to keep up.

 

[Meth]

It's just gamesmanship from Stuart and Bellamy took the bait- in the build up to the biggest game of the Storm's season, the week already disrupted by the judiciary, he should be ignoring this stuff.

 

[Meth]

I agree that Cameron Smith should have been suspended, BUT a lot of other similar tackles have NOT been dealt with in the past.

True enough

Isn't is good to see justice served in such spectacular and dramatic circumstances

 

[ElectricEelMan]

Similar tackles? I have not see a player attack the head of another player like that before.

A grapple tackle is a grapple tackle. They are all bad and need to be dealt with in a similar fashion.
I applaud the action taken against Smith but any tackle around the head (including all the ones shown in that article) need to be dealt with. Then and only then will the grapple tackle be eradicated from the game. But when you pick and choose which tackles will be dealt with just means players will keep attacking the head of the opposition.

Every single one of those Sharks players shown in those photos should have been suspended

 

[ElectricEelMan]

True enough

Isn't is good to see justice served in such spectacular and dramatic circumstances

Yes, but only if they continue to take hard action against any grapple tackle in the future. They have set the precedent now lets see if they have the balls to follow through with it ... I don't mind one little bit if every single grapple tackler is suspended. It is a blight on our game that needs to be weeded out.

 

[StormChaser]

Every single one of those Sharks players shown in those photos should have been suspended

Quoted for truth.

 

[Shorty]

But the Sharks players didn't do a tackle like Smith did.
Smith's tackle was out of line,that is why he was suspended.
You don't f**king go for the head of a player and rip it backward when he's already being pushed another way.

God it's so simple.

 

[Meth]

Yes, but only if they continue to take hard action against any grapple tackle in the future. They have set the precedent now lets see if they have the balls to follow through with it ... I don't mind one little bit if every single grapple tackler is suspended. It is a blight on our game that needs to be weeded out.

Absolutely

And what better way to start than with the pioneers and perfecters of the tactic

 

[ElectricEelMan]

But the Sharks players didn't do a tackle like Smith did.
Smith's tackle was out of line,that is why he was suspended.
You don't f**king go for the head of a player and rip it backward when he's already being pushed another way.

God it's so simple.

Comparing grapple tackles is like comparing serial killers to murderers. Serial killers (Dahmer, Bundy, Gacy) may be worse than murderers, but in the end they are both a blight on society that I wish did not exist. Bad analogy. But what I am getting at is that any tackler who goes in with a arm around the neck of the ball carrier should be penalised and suspended. That is the ONLY way to eradicate it from the game.

There is NO need to tackle around the neck or head. NONE!