Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster has leapt to the defence of his mentor Craig Bellamy after media pundits accused the veteran coach of deliberately implementing on-field tactics "designed to maim and injure" rival players.
The Storm have officially sent complaints to the NRL and Fox Sports about comments made by journalists working for the broadcaster that were directed at Bellamy last week.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Bellamy took particular offence to comments made by Fox Sports NRL 360 host Paul Kent, who suggested the coach had implemented malicious wrestling tactics during his tenure at the Storm that were "designed to maim and injure."
"All right let me just say this, Grapple tackle, chicken wing, rolling pin, hip drop, crusher, crocodile rolls, cannon balls, ankle twists," Kent said on NRL 360.
"The only constant in Melbourne since 2005 when all those tackles have been brought in and later banned in the game is the head coach Craig Bellamy. So I think the less advice we take from Craig Bellamy about the welfare of players the better.
"And you can go to town on that because you know what? They are the ones that are doing it. The game is now producing rules to counter what Melbourne are trying to introduce. I've got no stock in it."
In a concerning development from the Storm, the Courier Mail reports Bellamy is so upset over the claims that he could consider walking away from the game following his current contract at season's end.
It's thrown a huge spanner in the works for the Victorian franchise, who are in the midst of attempting to lure Bellamy to stay-on into 2022.
Speaking publicly for the first time on the matter, Munster launched an impassioned defence of his long-time mentor on behalf of his teammates, announcing he'd had a "gutful" of the criticism directed Bellamy's way.
"I've had a gutful, to be honest, no one goes out to do any malice to players," Munster told Nine's Danny Weidler.
"It's a bit of a disrespectful thing they've been saying about the club.
"If they have a problem with someone, go and talk to them about it. Don't go sit there and winge about it on a panel.
"I don't really care what the media think. If they think I'm a grub then I'm a grub."
After notching two losses on the trot, the pressure has been turned up on the reigning premiers, but Munster believes it's the players not the coach that are failing the Storm.
"I know how hard he works and he always takes that work-load off the players," he said.
"We need to show a bit of faith and a bit of respect, and go back and try to play a lot better for Craig. I feel like he's probably taking the brunt of it and he shouldn't be."
"In previous years, he would have been angry at a lot of people and pointing fingers, but he's put it on himself to be honest which is a bit weird."
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from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/cameron-munster-defends-craig-bellamy-over-fox-sports-wrestling-critcism/61f4da2e-6571-4873-ad69-aaa008137fe8
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