Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy joked that rival coaches used to say one of the best ways to cease his former celebrity fullback Billy Slater would have been with a “double-barrel shotgun”.
Now Bellamy is the coach charged with stopping a participant he thinks is even quicker than Slater and, with armed power out of the query, hopes the plan he has devised is sufficient to cease Broncos gun Reece Walsh in Friday’s NRL qualifying closing.
Walsh went try-less when the 2 groups met in Melbourne in spherical 11 after which was rested from the ultimate spherical conflict. Storm received each to proceed a outstanding successful streak in opposition to the Broncos.
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But Bellamy is extraordinarily acutely aware of the menace Walsh supplies, having loved the identical talent set when Slater was chopping up opposition groups when carrying purple.
“I think that question was asked to opposition coaches back when Billy (Slater) was playing and the answer was ‘with a double-barrel shotgun’,” Bellamy grinned after a coaching session in Brisbane on Thursday when requested his plans to fight Walsh.
“If anyone has got one of them, we might be able to take it out on the field.
“I don‘t know whether I have seen a quicker player than Reece. Billy was unbelievable at changing direction and still being quick, but that straight line pace (of Walsh) … I haven’t seen many quicker than this bloke.
“We have a little plan we are hoping to put into action but … he is a very dangerous player and a huge benefit for the Broncos.”
Bellamy’s outfit isn’t with out its personal dose of lightning within the type of returning Clive Churchill medallist Ryan Papenhuyzen.
The speedster is just two video games again from an damage the coach thought could have ended his profession when his kneecap smashed into 10 items in July final 12 months and is about to return off the bench at Suncorp Stadium.
Bellamy doesn’t wish to place any finals expectations on the 25-year-old however he looms as an X-factor for Melbourne in some ways.
“Paps has looked sharp but the more footy he plays the sharper he will get,” Bellamy mentioned.
“I think he has added confidence to the rest of the team, especially our senior players.
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“Everyone thinks of his pace, which is a great quality, but he knows the game really well and has played in a few positions in the last six weeks in the Queensland Cup and NRL.
“We just think that he will give the team plenty of energy and know how when he comes on.
“There are a couple of positions he might end up in.
“We are relying on how the game goes with how we use him. We haven’t got a 100 per cent plan.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
