Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy fires up over Storm’s NRL off-season from hell

The Storm’s drama-filled off-season has provided a new challenge for master coach Craig Bellamy.

Craig Bellamy has fiercely defended Melbourne Storm in the wake of Brandon Smith’s claims of a boozy drinking culture.

The Storm super coach says he can live with the fact that Smith wants to play for the Sydney Roosters from 2023 but is furious about his comments in a podcast last week in regards to alcohol.

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“The drinking thing … we’ve been in the top four seven years straight,” he said.

“And that doesn’t happen if you’re a team of drunks.

“I’m not saying we’re teetotallers because we’re not but we stick to our protocols in regards to the drink. We plan to have our drinks when we have a longer turnaround.

Craig Bellamy has passionately defended his club’s culture.

“We’ll have a night out together but it’s always at the appropriate times.

“I’m confident we don’t have players drinking two, three or four days before a game. That wouldn’t be acceptable.”

Bellamy is scheduled to officially meet Smith on Tuesday for the first time since his comments, which enraged Storm owners, sponsors and fans.

The pair met briefly on Monday morning when Smith arrived at AAMI Park headquarters for his mandatory Covid test before returning to training.

A nervous Smith said hello and they moved on.

Bellamy was not giving much away on the eve of their showdown.

Brandon Smith speaking his mind during his podcast appearance.

What will you say to him?

“I want to see him face-to-face. I’ll tell him what I think and he’ll have his say. I’m not sure how he’s going to explain it.”

Will you release him?

“Not at this stage, no. I don’t know if he wants a release. He’s under contract to us. We’ll find out tomorrow.”

Bellamy says he can accept Smith’s decision to join the Roosters.

“At the end of the day he’s got every right to make a decision to go to another club,” Bellamy said. “There’s nothing wrong with him joining the Roosters.

“Even him saying he wanted to win a premiership in a Roosters jersey didn’t particularly worry me. He’d want to win a premiership in any jumper I’d imagine.

“It’s some of that other stuff that was really disappointing.”

Melbourne Storm player Cameron Munster was caught up in a white powder scandal.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona has so far refused to get vaccinated. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

In a tumultuous off-season, Storm have had to deal with:

* The white powder video footage of Cameron Munster and Brandon Smith on the Sunshine Coast, leading to Munster checking himself into a rehab facility.

* Assault charges laid against front-rower Tui Kamikamica who was arrested by Queensland Police — and then stood down by Storm — over an alleged incident involving a woman outside a Brisbane hotel.

* Smith’s foul-language in a podcast interview in which he spoke of a bad drinking culture in Melbourne – and then his desire to win a premiership in a Sydney Roosters jersey while under contract to Storm for another year.

* Plus Nelson Asofa-Solomona and his refusal to be vaccinated.

“There’s always challenges in this business but I’m not shying away from the fact that this has been the most distracting off-season we’ve ever had,” Bellamy said.

For the first time Bellamy admits they may have to go without Asofa-Solomona this season.

“I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen — the longer it goes the more unlikely it is that he’ll play,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to him for a month. At the end of the day, if he’s got his beliefs, we’ve just got to move on.”

The veteran coach is convinced the off-season dramas won’t interfere with the pre-season.

“It’s not only unlike Melbourne Storm, it’s unlike any footy club to have one issue after another like we have,” he said. “It’s been a distraction without a doubt but the one thing it hasn’t affected is what we’re doing out on the training paddock.

“A lot of the guys have been back for two or three weeks and they are going great.”

Originally published as Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy fires up over Storm’s NRL off-season from hell