Storm coach Craig Bellamy has suggested the Warriors could be gifted a head start of four or six competition points next season in compensation for having their last three seasons disrupted by Covid.
The Warriors, currently 13th of 16 teams in the competition, are only recently back in Auckland after spending the best part of three seasons based in Redcliffe, north of Brisbane.
Bellamy, in Auckland preparing his side to play the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium on Friday night for the first time since 2019, said it was only fair the New Zealand team were shown some gratitude for what he described as their “sacrifices”.
“Yeah, I don’t know what,” Bellamy said when asked what could be done for the Warriors by the NRL. “We could give them four or six competition points to start with. They probably deserve it with being away for three years.
The Melbourne NRL side isn’t used to losing, let alone losing four on the trot (Source: 1News)
“What they’ve done for the game has been unbelievable. To go over to Australia and live in Redcliffe – some with their families and some without – they’ve done a great job. They’ve basically kept the competition alive. They’ve made a lot of sacrifices – far more than any other team in the competition.
“We should tip our hats to the Warriors and congratulate them and be really grateful for what they’ve done for our game.”
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Asked whether the Storm could host one of their “home” matches in Auckland next season, he said: “That’s out of my hands but if we could show our gratitude and support… we’d certainly consider that, I’d imagine.”
With the Storm in 5th place following a poor recent run of four defeats in their last five matches, Bellamy himself is coming under more pressure than he is used to.
The Storm, the 2020 and 2017 champions, are rarely associated with losing streaks but that’s where Bellamy and his side find themselves.
“We’re in a bit of a situation now where we are trying to lift our form a touch and be a bit more consistent,” he said.
Asked how he copes with pressure, Bellamy said: “Different people handle it in different ways. I’ve always tried to be balanced. Sometimes I’m probably not, like anybody else, but for us it’s not about winning or losing at the moment, it’s about finding some form and being more consistent in the things we know that are important to us as a football team.
“We’ve gone back to really nailing those things down in training and hopefully they’ll improve in the game.
“The thing for me is just making sure you’re sticking to what your beliefs are – your values and your beliefs. At the end of the day they have got us to where we are as individuals and as a team… and hopefully if we concentrate on that we’ll come out the other side.”
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Asked what advice he would give Ian Foster, the All Blacks head coach facing up to his own team’s losing streak, Bellamy said: “Really stick to what he believes in and what he knows works for the All Blacks. Just keep working hard on that. There’s no miracle cure – as we know over the last month.”
He added of the Warriors: “They’ve got some dangerous players… big strong forwards. We know about Tohu [Harris], he was a wonderful player for us and he’s playing some great footy over here. [Addin] Fonua-Blake up front and Jazz [Tevaga] – I think they’re doing a great job.
“I think young [Wayde] Egan is an underrated player as well… and I think with Shaun’s [Johnson] kicking game – it’s as good as any kicking game in the competition.”
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