'Cost us dearly': Bellamy fumes over poor discipline

Yahoo

04-05-2025

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy wants his players to take ownership after poor discipline while in possession of the ball cost the Storm victory against Canberra.
"One thing we can control is our actions," Bellamy said.
"To give away penalties when you have got the ball, it cost us. It cost us dearly."
The Storm lost 20-18 in golden point in the final match of Magic Round on Sunday. In regular time, they led 18-12 and fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen kicked a field goal in the 75th minute that would have taken them to 19-12.
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On review, the Bunker found an elbow to the head of Raiders captain Joseph Topine by Storm lock Trent Loiero in a previous play when Melbourne had the ball. Papenhuyzen's one-pointer was overturned.
The Raiders then levelled through a scintillating try to fullback Kaeo Weekes.
But the Storm were in position for a field goal in golden point when prop Stefano Utoikamanu was pinged and sin-binned for stomping on hooker Tom Starling in the play-the-ball.
He'd already given away a penalty in the first-half while in possession, after wrangling with Canberra prop Joseph Topine.
Loiero again transgressed when he hit Raiders forward Hudson Young in a high tackle in the 85th minute, with Jamal Fogarty landing the winning penalty.
Storm captain Cameron Munster, no saint when it comes to ill-discipline, had a chat to Loiero post-match.
"I said to him to just take some learnings from it. I have been in those situations before," Munster said.
"You don't what to be the guy that clips a chin and they go for two and get the penalty. I have been in grand finals where I have done some silly stuff. He will learn from that.
"He's a great player and we've all had those opportunities and lost those moments. Unfortunately, tonight it was him.
"I'm not going to sit there and bag him. He's done some great stuff for us as a player. I know what he is feeling. A lot of people will be on his back but as a group we have got to stick together and learn."
Bellamy also weighed in on Utoikamanu's actions.
"I've only had one look at it. I'm not exactly sure what happened," he said of the stomp.
"To turn the ball over when you've got the ball 15m from their line ... if he was in the wrong he needs to pick his discipline up. I don't know exactly who was the instigator. "Twice he did it. It's unlike anyone. You show me a bloke that gives away two penalties when you've got the ball in a game. You are not looking at too many people." There was a sense the Storm had been hard done by but Bellamy wasn''t going down that path. "You can say that if you like," he said.
Munster was also careful about commenting on the officiating.
"I can't remember the last time a team got penalised with the ball but ...we played some dumb footy tonight," Munster said.
"As much as it looked like it was in the hands of the ref, we have to be disciplined with the ball.
"It's a tough pill to swallow. We can't afford to keep doing it."