Craig Bellamy captured in brutal reaction amid backlash around Storm 'liability'
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy's reaction said it all after his star centre Nick Meaney suffered a suspected jaw fracture at the hands of teammate Nelson Asofa-Solomona on Thursday night. The Storm exacted grand final revenge over their fierce rivals Penrith after beating the four-time defending premiers 30-24 in a brutal contest that also saw Nathan Cleary knocked out in the opening five minutes.
But the Storm are counting the cost of victory, with Meaney facing a stint in the casualty ward after being wiped out by hulking prop Asofa-Solomona in a sickening first half incident. The Melbourne enforcer tried to put a massive hit on Penrith's Liam Henry in the 34th minute, but was undone by some late footwork from the Panthers forward and missed the tackle.
Asofa-Solomona had fully committed though and lunged head-first into Meaney, who was also attempting to bring down Henry from the other side. But he was left in serious agony as his Melbourne teammate's head cannoned into his jaw, leaving Meaney stricken on the turf before he left the field to undergo a head injury assessment (HIA).
"Nelson got him for sure ... surely he has to come off," Andrew Johns said about Meaney on Nine's coverage. There were initial hopes that the Storm centre would be able to return to the field after his HIA but Nine's Danika Mason revealed a short time later that the injury was far more serious than first thought.
"We've had confirmation from the Melbourne Storm that Nick Meaney has a suspected fractured jaw following that collision," she said. "This is a nasty injury and it has some complications going forward." The NRL Physio account suggested Meaney could be sidelined for between one to two months depending on the severity and whether he requires surgery.
Nick Meaney won't return for the Storm tonight - came off for a HIA & now news he has a suspected broken jaw.If fracture confirmed usual recovery time of 1-2 months pending nature of fracture (multiple fracture sites? surgery required?). pic.twitter.com/5ZBpYkQaJ6
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 20, 2025
Bellamy took a gamble by including Asofa-Solomona on Thursday night after the Melbourne enforcer missed last year's grand final and their round one clash due to suspension. He was facing another potential ban over an alleged hip-drop tackle in his playing return in the Queensland Cup but was ultimately cleared to play for the Storm. But the gamble backfired badly as Asofa-Solomona found himself at the centre of fresh drama.
The Kiwi Test veteran is one of the most imposing figures in rugby league and a handful for opposition sides in attack and defence. But ill-discipline and poor decision-making has landed him in plenty of trouble in the past and his over-eagerness to inject himself into Thursday night's contest proved very costly.
Asofa-Solomona could easily have gone into the tackle on Henry with more intent to wrap his arms around the Panthers forward, rather than trying to put the massive hit on. Instead, he ended up wiping out his own teammate and an exasperated Bellamy could be seen with his head in his hands in the coaching box as cameras flashed to him in the aftermath of the carnage.
The Storm were ultimately able to hang on for victory without Meaney. And they were given a boost on Friday as five-eighth Cameron Munster was cleared of a hip-drop tackle after being placed on report for a first half incident with Liam Martin. But the loss of Meaney is set to test the Storm's depth and Bellamy's patience with Asofa-Solomona, who fans described as a "liability" to Melbourne, following Thursday night's brutal incident.
Nelson is a liability at this point #NRLStormPanthers
— SydneyGooner (@InanchMehm40961) March 20, 2025
Well done Nelson...Nick's got a fractured jaw. You are a liability. #NRLStormPanthers
— Jan (@bimmyjartel) March 20, 2025
Our yearly appeal for a 'Craig Bellamy PPV Camera' for every Storm Game.#NRLStormPanthers pic.twitter.com/zojRkSsukw
— Roast (@thenrlroast) March 20, 2025
Well done Dennis. Thursday night is no good for us.Fingernail biting game.But a win is a win.Big Nelson may as well have been playing for Penrith.Notice Craig kept him on the bench in second half. He's a liability. Happy to see him go.
— Jan (@bimmyjartel) March 20, 2025
Meaney broken jaw after head clash with Nelson 😩🤦🏻♀️
— Kristie (@Herro6MOTY) March 20, 2025
Time the let Nelson go bloke is a liability
— Daryl (@DHoriszny) March 20, 2025
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