Smith likely to rest after torrid Origin

MELBOURNE Storm skipper Cameron Smith is no certainty to take the field for the NRL clash with Newcastle tonight after the torrid State of Origin match.

Smith, halfback Cooper Cronk and centre Will Chambers arrived back in Melbourne yesterday after Queensland’s crushing opening Origin loss to NSW.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy said Smith had pulled up the worst of the three players and, with a game next Thursday against defending premier Cronulla, the hooker might be rested for the AAMI Park match against the last-placed Knights.

“We’ve got another sixday turnaround after this so that will come into consideration as well,” Bellamy said.

“Most of the say will come down to the players, with Smithy and Cooper [Cronk] and the amount of Origin they’ve played, they know better than anybody else.

“Cameron’s probably pulled up the worst of the three of them, to be honest, so we’ll just see how he feels in the morning but he’s feeling tired and he’s looking tired.”

Bellamy, a former NSW coach, said Wednesday night’s Origin opener was the fastest half of league he had seen and he was blown away by the stunning completion rate from both sides in the first half.

Melbourne will be boosted by the return of prop Jesse Bromwich, who is back from a two-game ban for his offfield antics after the Anzac Test. “It’s great to have Jesse back,” Bellamy said.

“While the guys did a good job filling in for him, we certainly missed him and I’m sure he will be really keen to get back in and get stuck in.”

Bellamy said that veteran fullback Billy Slater, who was a surprise omission by the Maroons, was also as “keen as mustard” to prove a point.