Storm rests Origin stars for Manly clash
CRAIG Bellamy will rest his backline State of Origin stars for today’s clash with Manly, opting to sit Billy Slater, Josh Addo-Carr, Will Chambers and Cameron Munster.
Melbourne’s six Origin players returned to the club yesterday and were assessed following Queensland’s Game III win.
Of those, only Felise Kaufusi and Tim Glasby will play, with the rest given the week off.
It’s the second season in a row Melbourne has taken such an approach, after Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Slater sat out games during last year’s series.
Slater has played just one game for Melbourne since the middle of May after the club managed him through a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the opening game of the Origin series.
However, he was arguably Queensland’s best in the two games he did play, controversially becoming the first player from a losing side to win the Wally Lewis Medal for the player of the series.
“It’s just his age,” Bellamy said of Slater.
“He hasn’t played a whole heap of footy this year.
“But Origin games are hectic games. They’re physical games and for Billy I imagine that was very emotionally draining for him.”
Young Tonumaipea has again been listed at fullback, Ryley Jacks and Jahrome Hughes are in the halves and forward Joe Stimson is now named at centre.
However it’s likely that could be subject to a last-minute change, after Hughes moved to the back in last week’s win over the St George Illawarra and Brodie Croft played halfback.
Today’s clash marks a grudge match on many fronts.
Manly is promoting the match as a celebration of its record 2008 grand final victory, including the sale of 40-0 merchandise — a point Sea Eagles players admitted earlier this week could fire the Storm up.
It’s also the first time they’ve met since the round 12 fight night, although Dylan Walker and Curtis Scott will likely be on opposite sides of the field with the Manly ace named at five-eighth.
But Bellamy said he didn’t feel the need to speak to Scott this week about his discipline.
“I think he learned a lesson from the last one,” Bellamy said. “He realised he missed a fair bit of footy there and that probably put him back a little bit to be quite honest.”
STATS THAT MATTER
* Manly is one of only two clubs Craig Bellamy does not have better than a 50 per cent win record against. * Melbourne has outscored Manly 80-32 in its past five matches. * Only six of Manly’s games this year have been decided by less than 13 points.