Bellamy bemoans lack of respect for skipper
MELBOURNE coach Craig Bellamy has made a passionate plea for Cameron Smith’s long line of detractors to back off, urging them to show the Storm skipper some respect.
Fed up with the vitriol directed at Smith, Bellamy has defended him as both a person and a player ahead of the Storm’s sudden-death showdown with the Roosters on Saturday night.
The future Immortal was cheered off the field last Saturday night – not when the Storm won but when he was given 10 minutes in the sin bin.
“The thing that disappoints me more than anything is the criticism Cameron gets,” Bellamy said yesterday.
“I can’t work out why he cops so much. He has never put a foot wrong off the field. It seems like they try and burn his character at times.
“That is very unfair. I think people should show him the respect he deserves.”
Arguably the best thinker in the game, Bellamy is not usually lost for answers.
But the master coach was left scratching his head when asked why Smith was perceived as an NRL villain.
“I don’t think he would be (the villain) if he had played 400 games in a rugby league state,’’ Bellamy said.
“I find it hard to believe that he is treated this way.
“I could understand if he had done the wrong thing off the field. He hasn’t. He has always done the right thing by the club and the game.
“It seems as though what he has done in the game has been taken for granted.
“He is not respected. He is used to (the criticism) it but it gets up my nose.’’
Smith’s biggest off-field controversy this year was not of his making. The No.9 was dragged into a heated debate when NRL boss Todd Greenberg gifted the Storm skipper’s wife a ring as part of the celebration for Smith’s recordbreaking 400th game.
On the field, Smith has been criticised for his both his tackling technique and ship with referees.
Most notably, Smith was hit with a “concerning act notice” from the NRL after what appeared to be a face rake on Bailey Simonsson during the Storm’s regular-season loss to the Raiders.
Most now agree that Smith was pulling at the Canberra winger’s jersey.
The character controversy looks set to go on for at least another year with Bellamy predicting Smith will play on for at least one more year. relation