Hoff ruled out

[Stormwarning[c]]

MELBOURNE Test forward Ryan Hoffman has not been named in the Storm team for Friday's NRL preliminary final against Cronulla due to an ankle injury.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy today called Aiden Tolman and Scott Anderson into his side to replace injured Hoffman and suspended Kiwi Test forward Jeremy Smith.

Smith today accepted an early guilty plea to a chicken wing tackle on Brisbane's Sam Thaiday and has been banned for one game.

Sika Manu has been elevated to the starting line-up in place of Hoffman and Smith, with both Anderson and Tolman added to the interchange.

Anderson, 22, has played just six NRL games this year and eight in total while Tolman, 19, has also played just six games in 2008 in his debut season.

Anderson last played in the Storm's qualifying final loss to the New Zealand Warriors while Tolman played in the round 25 defeat to Newcastle.

There could be further changes to Melbourne's side with skipper Cameron Smith to face the NRL judiciary tomorrow night in an attempt to avoid a two-game ban for a grapple tackle.

Full team

Storm: Billy Slater, Steve Turner, Matt Geyer, Israel Folau, Anthony Quinn, Greg Inglis, Cooper Cronk, Jeff Lima, Cameron Smith (capt), Brett White, Michael Crocker, Sika Manu, Dallas Johnson. Interchange: Aiden Tolman, Adam Blair, Scott Anderson, Antonio Kaufusi.

[CaptainKlutz]

Bad luck for Ryan.


How can they not fight the Jezza Smith charge and fight the Cam Smith one?

[mrpc]

Simple - If Jez looses, he gets 2 weeks instead of 1.  (Barring the charge being upgraded) if Cam loses, he gets 2 weeks instead of, well, 2 weeks.

There's very little reason not to fight Cam's charge.

[nacho]

bad move with anderson IMO, hasnt done much at all, bring on sam

[Bullets]

wtf? Anderson is yet to show anything.


what happend to Sammy Tagataese?

Team still looks alright, bench is a little dodgy though. 

[tugga]

Makes perfect sense to accept the penalty for Jez. No way would the tribunal have let both players off and Jez risks missing two if the charge is sustained. And if the tribunal still found both players guilty, then we lose both of them for the rest of the year.
Concentrate all our energy into getting our skipper off or at least downgraded.

[CaptainKlutz]

Makes perfect sense to accept the penalty for Jez. No way would the tribunal have let both players off and Jez risks missing two if the charge is sustained. And if the tribunal still found both players guilty, then we lose both of them for the rest of the year.
Concentrate all our energy into getting our skipper off or at least downgraded.

Well you can't down grade a grade 1 charge.

Accepting Jezza charge is admitting cams guilt imo.

Jezza's charge would be easier to get off from what I've seen.

Cam's only hope is some type of technicalltiy of high court injunction.

[Hailstorm]

This is what is wrong with the system IMO. Players/clubs will commonly take the early guilty plea to take the lesser penalty even if they don't believe they're guilty of said charge. I guess its not a whole lot different to the normal court stuff but that doesn't make it right.

[Michael :P]

Makes perfect sense to accept the penalty for Jez. No way would the tribunal have let both players off and Jez risks missing two if the charge is sustained. And if the tribunal still found both players guilty, then we lose both of them for the rest of the year.
Concentrate all our energy into getting our skipper off or at least downgraded.

Well you can't down grade a grade 1 charge.

Accepting Jezza charge is admitting cams guilt imo.

Jezza's charge would be easier to get off from what I've seen.

Cam's only hope is some type of technicalltiy of high court injunction.

Maybe not, maybe they could claim that jezza' movemment made it impossible for Cam to put his arm somewhere else despite trying to do so.

[steaming stormer]

I said to someone yesterday, that I wouldn't be surprised if they use Jezza as a scapegoat and try to blame the Cam Smith tackle on his initial contact.
I don't think both would get off, so take the lesser risk and see how it goes I reckon.  Big night tomorrow night - although we can win without them!
I thought Scott Anderson was ok against the Warriors, so he'll be ok off the bench, and Tolman has just stepped in every time he's played this year.  No doubt we are weakened, but beware a wounded animal!!

[CaptainKlutz]

Makes perfect sense to accept the penalty for Jez. No way would the tribunal have let both players off and Jez risks missing two if the charge is sustained. And if the tribunal still found both players guilty, then we lose both of them for the rest of the year.
Concentrate all our energy into getting our skipper off or at least downgraded.

Well you can't down grade a grade 1 charge.

Accepting Jezza charge is admitting cams guilt imo.

Jezza's charge would be easier to get off from what I've seen.

Cam's only hope is some type of technicalltiy of high court injunction.

Maybe not, maybe they could claim that jezza' movemment made it impossible for Cam to put his arm somewhere else despite trying to do so.

I hope thats the case but I doubt it'll work out that way.

The prosecuter is usually on the ball and very agrressive in mounting his attack.

[Michael :P]

Well you can't down grade a grade 1 charge.

Accepting Jezza charge is admitting cams guilt imo.

Jezza's charge would be easier to get off from what I've seen.

Cam's only hope is some type of technicalltiy of high court injunction.

Maybe not, maybe they could claim that jezza' movemment made it impossible for Cam to put his arm somewhere else despite trying to do so.

I hope thats the case but I doubt it'll work out that way.

The prosecuter is usually on the ball and very agrressive in mounting his attack.

I think SS is right though. They'll be blaming everything on Jezza, all with his approval of course. Be hilarious if they called Jeremy up to give testimony.

[Play the ball]

Yeah they will try and use Jezza as a scapegoat,

Plead guilty there, take his one week,and blame his action which made Cam's look worse,

And hopefully get Cam off, hopefully they can also find  footage of tackles through the season that may have been similiar with no charges laid,

That would be their best defence on the grounds of consistency,

They then would have a very good case, how can this be fair , this guy did'nt miss any games, Cam will miss the biggest games of the year, etc , etc,

[Christabella]

I think Jeremy should turn up to the SFS on Friday dressed as Skirt Man ... that has got to be one of the weakest suspensions ever.

[Kaufusis Clan]

SH!T NO SECOND ROWERS ....... Clint Newton COME BACK !!!!!!