BELLAMY PLAYS IT STRAIGHT
STORM coach Craig Bellamy has hit back at the “condescending” Roosters after Luke Keary likened Melbourne to Spanish soccer giant Barcelona.
Keary's comment followed Roosters captain Boyd Cordner labelling Melbourne the best team in the competition.
“Obviously they sat down earlier in the week and worked out … we'll pump their tyres up and come out and blow them away with shotguns Friday night,” Bellamy said.
“We found it a little bit condescending, to be quite honest … but that's what they want to do, everyone knows what a great team they are.”
Bellamy would rather let actions dictate the Good Friday night blockbuster at AAMI Park, bullish the Storm has squeezed enough into a compressed week to prepare for the top-of-the-table showdown.
The Storm has won five of the past seven against the Roosters, with three of the past four results, excluding last year's grand final, decided by one (twice) and three points.
“What happened last September we can't change that. We'd like to, but we can't, and that's just the way it is,” Bellamy said.
“We don't want to go on about 2018 when this is 2019 … this about our team (tonight).”
The teams have dominated the past decade, winning two NRL premierships and two World Club Challenges apiece, while dominating the regular seasons, clinching the past six minor premierships (Roosters 4-2).
Roosters coach Trent Robinson yesterday refused to “buy into” Cordner talking up the Storm as “favourites” ahead of the Round 6 clash.
“I don't think you'll ever hear me talk about that,” Robinson said.
“I don't buy who's favourite or who's not. That's never been my boat.”
The Roosters struck form last week, dismantling Cronulla Sharks on the back of stars Keary, Cordner, James Tedesco, Cooper Cronk and Latrell Mitchell.
Cronk tonight will run out against the Storm for the first time in Melbourne.
Bellamy yesterday urged fans to give Cronk a “very warm reception”.
“Our supporters were probably really disappointed in what happened to Billy (Slater) in the grand final,” Bellamy said.
“We thought that was wrong but at the end of the day they're not going to do that with Cooper.
“I'm sure he'll receive a very warm reception and I'll be very disappointed if he doesn't.”
Roosters fans booed Slater in the decider last year after the retired legend beat a shoulder charge at the judiciary in the build-up.