Craig Bellamy continues to own Wayne Bennet in coaching battle as Storm smash Rabbitohs

As if Josh Addo-Carr’s history-making six tries against South Sydney weren’t bad enough, the defeat added professional insult for coach Wayne Bennett.

Josh Addo-Carr celebrates with Kenny Bromwich after scoring one of his four first-half tries. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Wayne Bennett has now lost 10 straight games against Craig Bellamy.

So what chance he has lost the ‘Super Coach’ title, too?

Certainly it’s worth debating over a schooner.

Understanding that while Bennett remains the winningest coach in NRL premiership history – with that wonderful collection of seven premiership gongs – there is no doubting Bellamy now owns him in their ongoing personal battles.

Elsewhere, he could be coming for that title tally, too.

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Wayne Bennett may be the Supercoach but Craig Bellamy is coming for the title – fast. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

Especially if he chooses to coach on next year.

For while the Storm boss doesn’t quite have the same silverware collection as his former mentor – with three titles, plus two more with an asterisk – what he does have is an increasing dominance over his old boss.

With former Brisbane Broncos assistant now owning a run of wins against Bennett that stretches way back to 2016, when the pair were together, and chummier, at Red Hill.

So again, what should we read into all this?

Not so much for today, as when the pair almost surely meet again at the end of this year – when the stakes are far higher than two competition points.

Regardless, in this one Bellamy again bashed up his old boss.

By full-time, the scoreline reading 50-0.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy looks on as his team score fifty unanswered points against South Sydney. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

With Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr bagging six – yes SIX – tries.

Which isn’t to say the Homebush clash represented a fair fight.

It wasn’t.

Still, with Bennett missing a host of key players – think Latrell Mitchell, Cam Murray, Adam Reynolds, Campbell Graham and Josh Mansour – the Storm coach went and chalked himself up another one.

Big time.

Which is a bit like watching Daniel Larusso crane kick the balding melon of Mr Miyagi.

Or Rocky knocking out Mickey Goldmill.

But as for the better coach?

Geez, it’s a bob of the head.

Although you have to reckon the old bloke still gets the nod.

Especially given he not only holds top billing in the only place that really matters – premierships – but also boasts incredible success in that Origin arena Bellamy could never quite win over.

But still, the Storm boss is coming at him late.

In this one too, again reigned supreme.

In the first half alone, the Storm coach watched his side run in five tries. Four of them scored by winger Josh Addo-Carr.

Better, too was how they scored them.

By the finish, the night something of a continuous highlights reel for the likes of Foxx, Cameron Munster, Harry Grant and livewire No. 1 Nicho Hynes.

Then in the middle, those uncompromising Melbourne forwards did what they always do.

No frills, no prisoners.

Elsewhere, the Storm were themselves without fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Which wasn’t anything like the casualty ward across halfway, sure. But had Papz been in, who knows the score?

Again though, this was nothing like a real South Sydney side.

Although if the Roosters have taught us anything this year, it’s that the team you expect to run deep into the year, and the mob who actually takes the field, can end up being two completely different things.

Still, you have to think both these sides will be there come finals time.

With both coaches in the box.

Which is where, undoubtedly, the real fight will take place.

FLYING FOXX PUTS SIX ON STUNNED SOUTH SYDNEY

The history books will tell you South Sydney cannot win the comp after they were embarrassed 50-0 by the perfect Storm as Josh Addo-Carr became the first player in 71 years to score six tries in a game.

No team has ever conceded 50 points in a game and gone on to lift the trophy, and it’s hard to see the Rabbitohs recovering from this after they fell victim to an Addo-Carr masterclass.

The Fantastic Mr. Foxx became the first player since Newtown’s Jack Troy in 1950 to cross six times as he terrorised his junior club in trying conditions.

Josh Addo-Carr created history as the first Storm player to score six tries in a match. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

It wasn’t as spectacular as Ryan Papenhuyzen’s four tries in 11 minutes against Brisbane earlier in the year, but Addo-Carr won’t care after he tore South Sydney’s right edge defence to shreds to grab four in the opening 40 minutes.

The rep star became the first Storm winger since Suliasi Vunivalu in 2016 to score four tries in a first half and then added two more as the Rabbitohs simply had no answers for his electric speed.

“I’m really happy for him. I’m pretty sure that’s a club record. That’s great for him and for the whole team,” Bellamy said.

“He’ll be doing a fair bit of spruiking. He’ll have his shirt off.”

Melbourne clearly spotted a weakness and they attacked the edge at will, with Benji Marshall struggling to keep up with the Storm’s speedsters while centre Steven Marsters was sensationally hooked after just 25 minutes.

Plenty of outside backs would have struggled on Thursday against a man who has developed into much more than a speedy winger who can find the line.

“When he came to us, he relied on his speed. I wouldn’t say that’s all he had – it’s still his main trait – but he’s blossomed into a whole heap of other traits,” his coach said.

“The big one for me is he’s turned into a leader. On the field, he’ll encourage our boys and direct them as well.

“He’s probably the first winger picked in Origin, and if they’re picking the Australian side, he’s probably first picked as well.”

Perfect storm

They lost Cooper Cronk at the end of 2017, Billy Slater left a year later and Cameron Smith retired at the start of this season, but somehow this Storm team is better than ever after they made it 17 wins from their past 20 games against South Sydney.

Cameron Munster had his best game of the season, Jahrome Hughes added another try to his impressive tally and Harry Grant totally outplayed Origin rival Damien Cook as the visitors got the job done without Ryan Papenhuyzen.

This is a squad that used to ground their opponents into submission, but the new breed are the modern entertainers that can score at will and have the bravado to attempt the big plays their predecessors would have ignored.

“That was our best performance of the season,” Bellamy said.

“Souths were down on strength a bit, but my players can only play what was in front of them. They were tremendous.”

Premiership hopes dashed

They may have won seven on the trot but Wayne Bennett could sense this performance coming after worrying signs against the Titans and Raiders in recent weeks.

Things started poorly when Jai Arrow was placed on report for a crusher tackle on Munster in just the third tackle of the game, and they rapidly went downhill from there as the Rabbitohs capitulated spectacularly.

“We probably got what we deserved,” Bennett said, lamenting the fact Latrell Mitchell, Adam Reynolds, Cameron Murray and others were missing.

“We’ve been heading that way in the past couple of weeks and managed to pull games out of the fire, but they’re too good for that.”

Three players were stripped in tackles, including a one-on-one steal by Munster on Cook that led to a Hughes try, as the Bunnies came up with schoolboy errors and disgraceful defence that has people questioning whether they are genuine premiership contenders.

Originally published as Craig Bellamy continues to own Wayne Bennet in coaching battle as Storm smash Rabbitohs