The Annual "Wrestling" Media Attack on the Storm

Discussion on anything to do with Melbourne Storm - games, players, rumours - anything!
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yourhero
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yourhero wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2020 2:40 pm“Wayne Bennett has never liked the wrestle.

“I missed out on the wrestle. I retired in 2000. In 2001, the full-time wrestlers came in.

MacDougall believed that the differing views of Bennett and Storm coach Craig Bellamy on the topic of wrestling caused them to part ways while they were both at Brisbane.

“The rumour goes that Wayne Bennett has always been against wrestling,” MacDougall said.

“Craig Bellamy’s the guy – good luck to him he’s a great coach, he’s working within the rules and no one’s going to begrudge his success and the fact he’s brought this in.

“Rumour has it that him and Wayne Bennett didn’t see eye-to-eye on this early. When he was at the Brisbane Broncos, he brought in a wrestling coach – the first of the kind in the NRL.

“Wayne Bennett didn’t want anything to do with it so he stopped it. And that was one of the reasons why Craig started looking elsewhere for a coaching position, which is why he ended up in Melbourne ultimately.

“He’s always hated this, Wayne Bennett. He’s never really brought wrestling coaches into any club he’s at as a result of his dislike for it and what it’s doing to the game, so it’s a credit to him.”
:lol: :lol: :lol: Way to attempt to re-write history!
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"So it's a credit to him", creditable that he can stick his head in the sand, fingers in the ears and go Lah lah lah?
Complete BS
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So I went back looking on the, as it was known, The Bai Stand and found the earliest reference to wrestle, other than an arm wrestle, from 2nd April 2008, NRL on Fox leading the charge, Cameron Williams at this time?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5501&hilit=wrestle

12 years later, some things never change...
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yourhero
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Not specifically "wrestling" related, but definitely in line with the Smith hate agenda that occupies priority number 1 on the board at Fox Sports...

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https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-2 ... fa00ff3fb6

LIVE: Clubs go hard at 'irresponsible' Smith as NRL locked down in 'second bunker'
UPDATES: The NRL has bunkered down for crisis talks as it prepares to continue the competition with fewer than 16 teams. And Cam Smith's comments have drawn the ire of the league.

CLUBS FUME AT CAM SMITH
Clubs and the NRL are reportedly furious with Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith over comments he made pleading for the competition to be cancelled.

In the wake of the Storm’s win against the Manly Sea Eagles, Smith urged the NRL to stop playing as the coronavirus continues to spread.

"This thing is bigger than rugby league," Smith said.

"This affects more than just rugby league and rugby league players ... after finishing these matches on weekends, we go back to our families.”

But those remarks are said to have angered the NRL, according to Channel Nine’s Danny Weidler.

Weidler told the Big Sports Breakfast: “The comments made by Cameron Smith, I understand where he’s coming from.

“I’m one of the few people who can cut him any kind of slack. Those comments went down worse than a sniffle in an office at the NRL. They were fuming about it behind closed doors. In theory everybody is supposed to be on the same page about this in regards to this and Cameron was not on the same page and they [the NRL] are not happy with him.”

South Sydney boss Shane Richardson has also criticised Smith’s stance, labelled Smith’s views “irresponsible”.

“I don’t know Cameron’s financial situation but we have players who need to pay their mortgage every single week and we have staff who need to do it too,” Richardson told the Daily Telegraph.

“I don’t know if he carries clout or not but I think it is irresponsible in a sense that it is not a decision that Cameron Smith makes or Shane Richardson makes”.
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yourhero
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How much of a petulant child does Shane Richardson come across as? :lol:

Cameron Smith is "irresponsible" for voicing his opinion about suspending the game for a couple of weeks (for them to be played at a later date - in line with the proposal Bart Campbell put to the NRL)...

This is EXACTLY the same thing Michael Morgan said on live TV immediately after the Cowboys/Broncos game. It is exactly what numerous other sports journalists and commentators have said in recent days. Yet nothing has been said about any of them. Why is Smith smashed in numerous articles I wonder?
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https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-2 ... cb59a01fcf

NRL 2020 coronavirus updates: League furious at Cameron Smith
The NRL's coronavirus crisis has taken a strange turn with top officials privately seething at the game's biggest star for his outspoken comments on the virus.

NRL 'FURIOUS' AT CAMERON SMITH
The NRL is reportedly privately seething at superstar Cameron Smith for breaking ranks and publicly calling for the 2020 season to be shut down immediately.

Smith - who is also general president of the Rugby League Players’ Association - on Sunday called for the competition to be suspended for up to two weeks following Melbourne's win over Manly.

The NRL is planning to continue on into round two in front of empty stadiums, as it battles with how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Melbourne are due to host Cronulla on Saturday night at Kogarah in Sydney.

Smith's public declaration has heaped further pressure on the ARLC to suspend the game at a time when officials are desperately pushing ahead in an attempt to play games while the medical advise remains that it is safe to do so.

According to Channel 9 rugby league journalist Danny Weidler, the NRL is fuming about the position that Smith has pushed the league into.

"The comments made by Cameron Smith about suspending the game, I can understand where he’s coming from. I’m one of the few people willing to cut him any kind of slack on that," Weidler told Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday.

"I know he’s worried about it for personal reasons, for family reasons. But those comments went down worse than a sniffle in an office really – at the NRL.

"They were fuming about it behind closed doors. In theory everybody is supposed to be on the same page in regards to this. Cameron is not on the same page and they are not happy with him."

Australian rugby league great and Sky Sports radio host Laurie Daley said the game should instead be showing Smith more support during this unprecedented crisis.

"I can understand Cameron Smith reacting how he did. Everyone’s situation is different," Daley said.

"Rugby league is a sport we all love, but we’re not talking about rugby league, we’re talking about a life and death situation, so I think he should have more support to be honest with you. Rather than people trying to kick him up the arse."

Weidler responded: "Plenty of people want to do that because it’s not a message the NRL is trying to sell".

Meanwhile, The NRL will sit down with the nation’s chief medical officer on Tuesday as the league ramps up its efforts to ward off the threat of the coronavirus.

The meeting with professor Brendan Murphy comes a day after ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys expressed confidence in the game’s immediate future to continue with the season.

NRL officials will also discuss preventative measures with health minister Greg Hunt, who has previously predicted the virus outbreak to last six months.
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MANLY STAR DONS FACE MASK
Sea Eagles prop Addin Fonua-Blake has become the first NRL player to take the step of wearing a protective face mask to training as the fear of COVID-19 takes hold.

Fonua-Blake - one of the toughest players going - fronted up to his Tuesday press conference wearing the mask and said he believes other people will start doing it more often.

“If people think they won’t get it... it’s up to them if they wear the mask. I reckon there will be a lot more people wearing it, it’s a precautionary thing,” he said.

“I’ve got four kids at home, so I would hate to catch it. Not saying any of you (media) have it, but I would hate to catch it and take it home with me.

“My biggest concern now is obviously welfare of the players.

Like Cameron Smith said a lot of people have families, older parents, and you would hate for one of them to get sick.

“If it means putting the comp on hold, put it on hold.
But you put your trust in whoever is running it all, they will make the best decision.”

There’s been speculation NRL players will be asked to sacrifice pay if the season is reduced.

Fonua-Blake is intent on playing on for now and believes if he’s playing, he should be paid accordingly.

“If you’re fully fit and you’re able to play, in my opinion you should be getting paid.

“It’s unfortunate, but as long as you’re still meeting the requirements within your contract I reckon you should still be getting what’s owed to you.”
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yourhero wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:04 am https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-2 ... cb59a01fcf

NRL 2020 coronavirus updates: League furious at Cameron Smith

According to Channel 9 rugby league journalist Danny Weidler, the NRL is fuming about the position that Smith has pushed the league into.

"The comments made by Cameron Smith about suspending the game, I can understand where he’s coming from. I’m one of the few people willing to cut him any kind of slack on that," Weidler told Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday.
Bullshit.
Dunny Widdler is the one pushing this story. The whole issue is driven by his comments on BSB this morning.
Widdler hates Smith with a passion (remember it was him who drove the whole 'Cameron Smith is evil for trying to defend Jordan McClean)' thing). It's just another chance to have a sneaky shot.
We must all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately
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yourhero wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:50 am MANLY STAR DONS FACE MASK
Sea Eagles prop Addin Fonua-Blake
“If you’re fully fit and you’re able to play, in my opinion you should be getting paid.
“It’s unfortunate, but as long as you’re still meeting the requirements within your contract I reckon you should still be getting what’s owed to you.”
This is interesting, to me. I can "meet all the requirements within my contract" but if I get stood down due to no work (potentially imminent) I won't get paid. Do and should the players get paid?
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yourhero
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Bullucked wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:44 pmThis is interesting, to me. I can "meet all the requirements within my contract" but if I get stood down due to no work (potentially imminent) I won't get paid. Do and should the players get paid?
I'm in the same boat. In my world, IT contract arrangements usually have termination for convenience clauses that are unavoidable and cannot be negotiated away - obviously pro sports is a completely different thing. If I am stood down due to the office shutting up shop, I won't be getting paid.
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https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-2 ... fa00ff3fb6

STORM BOSS HITS BACK

Melbourne chief Dave Donaghy has hit back at Cameron Smith critics who have lashed the Storm skipper for saying the competition should be put on hold for “a couple of weeks”.

According to reports, Smith’s comments angered a number of people in the NRL and around the game with South Sydney general manager Shane Richardson labelling the remarks “irresponsible”.

“Sometimes relevance deprivation syndrome emerges in our game, and certainly that was reflective in some of the comments made on Tuesday,’’ Donaghy toldThe Sydney Morning Herald.

“Cameron never called for the competition to be cancelled, he never said we should play less games.

“All he said was, ‘Maybe there’s merit in getting ahead of this thing, taking a deep breath, devising a strategy and mapping it out’. I’m all for that.

“It’s a cool, calm approach and it was following our proposal we sent to the ARL Commission last week. The ARLC have said ‘play on’ and we fully support that, including Cameron. As I said, it was only a suggestion for their consideration.’’

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Nice response Dave.
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Danger D
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I would never wish illness on any one individual. But Danny Widdler strongly makes me reconsider my position...
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After Paul Crawley and Paul Kent’s ridiculous attack in the DT and NRL360, Matt Trip has fired back. Not as strong as I personally would have liked, but glad there has at least been a response.

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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/i-wish ... 553li.html

'I wish they just said they hated us': Storm boss defends Smith
Adam Pengilly
June 17, 2020

Melbourne Storm's new chairman has labelled attacks on the club's style of play as "tall poppy syndrome north of the border", saying Cameron Smith and the rest of the team are not treated differently by referees.

Matt Tripp wasted no time launching a passionate defence of the Immortal-in-waiting, who has again been accused of wielding influence over whistleblowers.

Tripp and the Storm will give Smith time to decide whether he will play a 20th season of NRL next year, but the chairman's immediate concern was defending the reputation of the game's most-capped player.

"It's been happening for a number of years and I would rather certain people come out and say, 'I have a distinct hatred for the Melbourne Storm'," Tripp said. "At least it would confirm all we've assumed over the last few years.

"We play within the confines of the rule. I look at the Newcastle game and, if we want to talk about the tackle recount or six-again rule, Newcastle had five or six and we had one [last week].

"In terms of treatment I don't think we were treated any differently in the eyes of the referee. He just refereed the game in accordance with what he was seeing and not these made-up tactics we seem to get labelled with any time we win a game.

"Usually you can set your watch to it - about a month out from finals, they come for us. It's happened early this season and it's something we're just going to have to put up with. We've always put up with it when tall poppy syndrome kicks in north of the border."

The Storm have quickly adapted to the mid-season rule changes designed to quicken the game, reversing a round three loss to the Raiders with impressive wins against the Rabbitohs and Knights.

Smith has been the chief architect behind those wins, even prompting league legend Peter Sterling to back track on an earlier assessment that Canberra No.9 Josh Hodgson had dethroned the Melbourne talisman as the best hooker in the game.

On-field audio was used to suggest Smith swore while pleading with Ben Cummins for a penalty against Newcastle. It's understood he has denied being the player who used foul language.

Smith's decision on whether he plays on in 2021 will have an impact on the highly rated Harry Grant, who has flourished with the Wests Tigers after a player loan swap with Paul Momirovski.

Grant can seek a permanent home away from the Storm if Smith doesn't hang up the boots. Craig Bellamy also has New Zealand international Brandon Smith capable of playing at hooker.

The Storm will travel to Sydney to take on the high-flying Panthers at Campbelltown Stadium on Friday night, which could temporarily lift them into a share of top spot with unbeaten Parramatta.
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yourhero
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Danger D wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 8:04 am I would never wish illness on any one individual. But Danny Widdler strongly makes me reconsider my position...
I legit have this for Crawley. He deserves pain in his life.
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And now apparently they are making up Bellamy to the bulldogs stories
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