Latest news with #CameronMunster
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘He's always perfect': Melbourne Storm star's Craig Bellamy jab
Cameron Munster took a cheeky shot at Storm coach Craig Bellamy after Melbourne's 28-16 win over the Gold Coast on Saturday. At 65, Bellamy isn't showing any signs of mellowing, regularly venting his frustrations in the coach's box during the game, which was held in atrocious conditions. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. While the Storm would win the slugfest by 12 points, you wouldn't know his team was on top judging by Bellamy's antics. Renowned as one of the fieriest characters in the NRL, Bellamy has often been seen slamming the desk or berating his players over his wildly successful 22-year tenure. On Saturday, his main move was simply to stand up and walk away whenever he was displeased by a play, rather than rant and rave. Maybe his doctor has had a chat with him about his blood pressure? Despite the Storm taking a 16-6 lead into halftime after a double from winger Sualauvi Faalogo, Munster initially had an inkling what his coach would be thinking as he spoke at halftime. 'He won't be too happy,' he said. 'I think we shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times. 'A couple of passes under pressure, myself, a couple of other guys throwing balls and not hitting targets. 'Hopefully we can do it a bit better in the second half.' It didn't get much better early in second half, however, with Ryan Papenhuyzen tackled with the ball on the last play just metres from the Gold Coast try line. That was enough for Bellamy to get up out of his seat and walk to the back of the coach's box. 'Great tackle from Brian Kelly and that's got the coach walking,' Michael Ennis said on Fox Sports. 'He's out of the box, he's had enough already, we're only five minutes into the second half.' Lara Pitt then gave a report from the sheds after the break. 'Craig Bellamy certainly looking frustrated already to open this second half,' she said. 'He was saying to his side at halftime consistency is key, they need to stick to their processes in the second half, particularly in these conditions.' There was some consistency – consistent errors in the awful weather. Just two minutes later, Storm captain Jahrome Hughes tried a grubber kick that went straight to the Titans about four metres out. Directly after that turnover Melbourne conceded a penalty to again let the Titans off the hook and Bellamy had seen enough, again standing up and walking away from the action. 'He's not happy at all Craig and rightly so,' Ennis said. 'That was unusual, you don't see Jahrome Hughes often get those wrong.' Warren Smith then quipped: 'He needs a sneaker sponsor Craig. He must go through some pairs. 'He'll need salt tablets, he'll be cramping up in the coach's box with all the metres he's done.' Ennis added: 'He's doing some laps. 'He is unhappy this afternoon, there's no doubt about that.' Imagine how Bellamy would have responded if his team had actually lost the game. While the Storm made some errors, the Titans were far more guilty, making 15 to Melbourne's six, although the visitors were on the wrong end of an 8-5 penalty count. Pitt then mentioned the coach's behaviour again speaking to a drenched Munster after the fulltime whistle. 'The coach, there were various points in the broadcast, he was almost doing a walkout of the coach's box,' she said. 'Can you give us some insight into how that plays out now when you get into the sheds?' Munster gave a sensational insight into his coach, and gave him a little clip, with his reply. 'He's a worry wart, he loves perfection and unfortunately when you play rugby league it's not always going to be perfect,' he said. 'He wants it to be, but in these conditions there's going to be dropped balls, there's going to be decisions that no one wants to do. 'No one's perfect but unfortunately for 'Bellyache', he's always perfect by the sound of it. 'He'll probably be disappointed but we only let in 16 points … pretty happy.' Fans had noticed the constant shots of Bellamy storming out of his seat during the game and provided some more commentary on social media. One tweeted: 'Can we please have the 'Bellamycam' a permanent fixture in the corner every storm game?' Another suggested: 'Gogglebox but it's just Craig Bellamy.' Some fans weren't enjoying it quite so much, with one writing: '@FOXNRL WILL YOU STOP showing the coach FFS.' Another sympathised with the legendary coach, stating: 'This Storm team has all the talent but f**k are they dumb. Probably one of the more frustrating years for Bellamy.' Regardless of his antics, or his blood pressure, Bellamy's Storm moved into second place with the victory with a 7-4 record ahead of next week's clash with the Cowboys. The Titans continue to struggle under Des Hasler, sitting on just three wins for the year and ahead of only the Penrith Panthers in the standings.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Captain Harry Grant set to miss Melbourne Storm's clash with Gold Coast after State of Origin workload
Melbourne Storm could be without a couple of their Origin stars after coach Craig Bellamy revealed Harry Grant had returned home from Brisbane and was 'doubtful' to fly back to the Gold Coast for Saturday's game against the Titans. Grant, Cameron Munster, Xavier Coates and Trent Loiero all played on Wednesday night, while Stefano Utoikamanu was part of the NSW squad that took a 1-0 series lead with Bellamy part of the coaching crew. The Storm has traditionally played it safe during the Origin period, but Bellamy hasn't decided who will back up and who will be rested for the trip north. 'I'm not quite sure yet,' he said. 'A couple of them probably won't but a couple probably will. 'We just need to get through training today and then we'll see how we go with the players here. 'Harry came back (to Melbourne) but the rest of them stayed up there, so we'll see how they're going when we get up there.' Grant is the man most likely to miss out, with Bronson Garlick expected to take the captain's place in the starting side if he's ruled out. The Maroons hooker has played just one NRL match since round 6 due to a hamstring tear and it showed, as Grant struggled to make an impact on Wednesday night. He had just three runs, missed five tackles and gave away a penalty in an uncharacteristically off night, but Bellamy assured Storm fans that Grant's fitness wasn't a concern. 'He hasn't played much footy, but he's OK physically,' he said. 'Like the others, he's disappointed with the result as you would be, but he seems OK this morning. '(I haven't ruled him out) at the moment, but he's probably doubtful, especially with the amount of footy that he hasn't played. 'We're just trying to do what we think is best for tomorrow afternoon but also what's right for the players.' Jack Howarth could return from a shoulder injury, with the Storm searching for consistency after trading wins and losses across the past six rounds before last week's bye. Scoring points hasn't been an issue for Melbourne, but they've also leaked plenty of tries, which is a worry ahead of a tricky clash against a Titans side that loves to move the ball. 'I'm not quite sure what to put it down to, but we're obviously aware of it,' Bellamy said. 'It's not something that we're too happy with, to be quite honest. 'We probably need to be a little bit more consistent with our training and then we'll be a little bit more consistent in the game.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Shocking footage Channel Nine didn't show you proves exactly how bad the first State of Origin game was
NRL fans were left saying the same thing about the 2025 State of Origin Series opener on Wednesday night. Billed as one of the most hotly anticipated events of the rugby league season, this year's opening match between the Maroons and the Blues at the Suncorp stadium was a drab and dismal affair. While the Blues took a huge step closer to retaining the Shield with an 18-6 win over the Maroons, the game left a lot to be desired. Knock-ons, missed tackles and some underwhelming performances from some of Queensland 's biggest hitters, including Cameron Munster and Kalyn Ponga saw some question the quality of the match. Footy great Andrew Johns gave his take on the match after the game. 'It wasn't a genuine Origin game,' he said to Channel 9. QLDers, They just get origin. @9_Moley @BuzzRothfield #Origin — Gibbsy (@Gibbsy2707) May 28, 2025 'It didn't feel that way for whatever reason. It just didn't feel like the intensity and the physical side of an Origin game. 'For me, it was like a good club game.' While many fans took to social media to express their take on the match, others inside the Suncorp stadium voted with their feet. Footage, posted by @Gibbsy2707 on X, shows droves of fans exiting the terraces late into the second half of the match. Some appeared to be wearing Maroon jerseys, with Billy Slater's side underwhelming during the match. Fans had already questioned the coach over why he left Corey Horsburg out of his side for the match. The Maroon's forwards were outclassed by their counterparts, as the side went on to lose back-to-back matches at the Suncorp for the first time in 27 years. But speaking on the loss, Slater believes their defeat was down to a lack of discipline rather than their team cohesion or execution - despite missing a staggering 48 tackles. 'That's probably something for the review, and looking through the tape and, obviously sitting down with the group. At the end of the day it's got to come from the players,' he said reflecting on the game. 'I definitely don't think it's a personnel thing. I know what this team's capable of and that's why you can probably see I'm disappointed because they haven't played their best footy. 'I feel responsible to try and help them get there. So it's definitely not a personnel thing. 'They've had a great attitude as well. But to the discipline side of the game, the attitude wasn't good enough.' Payne Haas was clinical for the Blues while Nathan Cleary starred alongside his St George winger Zac Lomax, who crossed the whitewash for New South Wales' first try. Brian To'o, who was sent to the sin bin during the game, dotted down not long after before Lomax had his second. Queensland, meanwhile were almost kept scoreless in the first term, but for a late Valentine Holmes penalty. But fans on social media did not hold back when issuing their thoughts on the match. 'Yeah, I wouldn't be promoting this game. Absolutely horrible advertisement for the NRL,' one wrote on X. Unhappy footy fans deliver their reactions to this year's State of Origin opening match 'It was boring when Queensland were winning every year. Now it's worse. 'They need to reinvent this series somehow. 'It's losing its shine. Wouldn't know it's on in Brisbane if you didn't watch channel 9 this week. Nothing like it used to be,' another commented.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
‘Embarrassing': Cameron Munster exposed as Queensland liability in Origin defeat
Cameron Munster can thank the rugby league gods Daly Cherry-Evans is a much more obvious lightning rod for criticism after Queensland were outclassed in Wednesday night's State of Origin series opener. There have been suggestions Cherry-Evans, 36, may have already played his final game in the Origin arena after failing to trouble the NSW defensive line in the 18-6 defeat at Suncorp Stadium. The Queensland halves pairing came under fire after the defeat with Maroons legend Shane Webcke admitting he was worried 'the magic wasn't there'. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Both playmakers showed glimpses of the classy players they have previously been at Origin level, but Cherry-Evans' failure to unlock the NSW left edge defence was particularly damning. It was telling for Cherry-Evans that the Maroons' attack looked sharper and more direct when Cowboys playmaker Tom Dearden entered the game in the second half. However, NSW Origin cult hero Josh Reynolds has now pointed out Munster and the Maroons' left edge was just as blunt in attack on the other side of the field. Reynolds told Sky Sports radio on Thursday morning it appeared Queensland continued to attack down Cherry-Evans' side of the field because the Maroons had identified the defensive gap between Mitchell Moses and Latrell Mitchell was a potential weakness. He said the Blues' defence on both edges was 'exceptional'. 'I spoke about Critter (centre Stephen Crichton) before. He was brilliant,' Reynolds said. 'Latrell (Mitchell) was the same. You could tell that Queensland were going after the Moses-Latrell combination. That's the edge they were going for because Critter was eating them alive. 'Every time they went there it was half embarrassing for them. They were like, 'We can't get around this guy'. I'll be looking for them to go back there in Game 2, but even that was hard because big bad Trell was on.' Reynolds put heat on the Maroons' right edge — made up of Reuben Cotter, Munster, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Valentine Holmes — by saying Crichton's defensive dominance had forced Queensland to funnel their attack through Cherry-Evans' side of the field. The former Bulldogs five-eighth described Crichton as the greatest defensive centre he has ever seen — making an apology to Blues great and former teammate Josh Morris in the process. There is already pressure on Queensland coach Billy Slater to make changes at the selection table — but his other headache is needing a tactical shift to combat Crichton. The Bulldogs captain was also a handful with the ball, setting up a try for Zac Lomax where he split the defensive line and forced Tabuai-Fidow to make an attempted tackle instead of trusting his inside defenders to stop Crichton from scoring. Crichton finished with 67 run metres, two tackle busts, a linebreak assist, a try assist and 15 tackles. Blues coach Laurie Daley praised Crichton for his performance, coming off a disrupted training program as a result of a corked thigh. 'Critter was fantastic,' Daley said. 'And I think the word that they said to me, 'Critter's right to go because he said, they asked him this morning, how was he? And he said he was mad, so that's obviously good.' Crichton will be living in Munster's head rent free heading into Game 2 in Perth on June 18. However, it is Cherry-Evans who is feeling the heat even more so. A forward pass late in the game, as the home team tried to muster a final charge, was indicative of a battling night for the veteran No. 7. NSW great Andrew Johns called for Cherry-Evans to be axed for game two and replaced by Tom Dearden, who looms as the playmaker in waiting and came off the bench in Brisbane on Wednesday night. But Dearden wasn't prepared to throw his captain under the buss and called the criticism 'unfair', instead pointing the finger at failures across the team. 'It's unfair criticism like that,' he said on Thursday. 'Daley's our captain, and he's at half back, and he doesn't deserve that because last night as a team, we didn't get our discipline right, and that puts you under pressure.' Former Maroons skipper Cameron Smith said the Queensland key position players, including Cherry-Evans, 'couldn't get the job done' and selection decisions would be crucial to level the series. 'I think (coach Billy Slater) will have that discussion with his selection panel and he'll go through this game thoroughly,' Smith told Channel 9. 'There's no doubt that the key position players of Queensland lacked a bit of cohesion tonight.' Dearden said the Maroons would 'get back to work' before the second game in Perth. 'And work out the areas where we went wrong, where we can get better, and then turn it around for game two and for game three,' he said. Slater said he would look at every element of the game, including the lead-in, adamant there was 'so much more' in his squad. 'Probably some decisions … about the discipline side of the game (have to be better),' Slater said. 'And I'll look at my preparation as well. I'm not out of this. It's not just the players, it's everyone, and we'll all look at ourselves. 'I know there's so much more in this footy team. 'It's a best of three. You've only got to win two games, and that's still alive.'
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
State of Origin: Queensland's Game I performance raises questions about Maroons legends
Dumb, scrappy, flat, ill-disciplined … there aren't a lot of positive words to describe Queensland's performance in the 2025 State of Origin opener. We've seen powerful Blues sides run over the top of physically outmatched Maroons a handful of times in recent years, but rarely have they been so utterly outplayed by a NSW side that didn't even need to play its best to win. After giving away three entirely avoidable penalties in the opening nine minutes, and six in the first half, it was only by dint of some Blues miscues that the half-time deficit was two converted tries. If Nathan Cleary and Zac Lomax had slotted everything they kicked, hardly an unlikely prospect with those two, the 27-6 full-time score would have been the Blues' biggest win since 2022, and a more accurate reflection of what we witnessed on Wednesday night. As ever, you couldn't question the Maroons' grit. Despite apparently being outmatched in the forwards, Queensland's starting middles were up for the contest. It was when the Maroons got the ball in hand that it all fell apart, and Billy Slater's sides simply will never win if the attack is not clicking like the Swiss timepiece it is supposed to be. The core of this team have seen it all. Despite fielding three debutants, eight of the 17 Maroons who took the field in Game I debuted five or more years ago. Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster have been set and forget in the halves for just as long. Rapid outside backs, even if one of them was first-gamer Rob Toia, were also supposed to be a rare point in favour of Queensland in the lead-up. Combine that with comfortably the better dummy-half on paper, Harry Grant, and the team should be able to cut through defences like your mum's fancy fabric scissors gliding through wrapping paper. Instead, the attack couldn't have been much worse, and Grant was either a microcosm or a catalyst for that. In the seventh minute, he looked off club teammate Munster at first receiver, turned short side and kicked high, ostensibly for Xavier Coates, but ending up in the easiest in-goal catch for Brian To'o. He also came up with crucial handling errors and gave away the most baffling of the penalties, blatantly kicking at the ball as the Blues were trying to play it. For the consensus best hooker in the game, it was a performance too bad to simply be chalked up to rust from a hamstring lay-off, but he's just the guy who touches the ball more than anyone else. It felt like on this night, anyone in a maroon jumper with that many receipts would have had a similar night. The Blues, sporting their sixth spine combination in seven games, had moments of clunk but when they strung it together it was glorious. The Maroons could barely, as Slater likes to say, "get their footy on". Their completion rate of 78 per cent was underwhelming if not abysmal, but it was what they did (or didn't do) in those 32 completed sets that left Slater with a thousand-mile stare after the game. "I feel pretty flat about our performance … the flatness comes from how we hurt ourselves," he told reporters after the game. "Close enough on the scoreboard, but not close enough in terms of the way we were playing." So poor was the performance that it raised legitimate questions if the likes of captain Cherry-Evans, struggling at club level and embroiled in another contract saga, had gone one year too many. Tom Dearden is waiting in the wings, but he has a 1-27 win-loss record with a seven on his back since May 2019. And, with the "sixiest" of sixes in Munster, throwing Dearden into halfback is not the cure-all some hope it could be. The alternative is ditching the mercurial Munster and that feels too risky considering he's one of only a few players who have truly won Origins off their own bat. The 36-year-old Cherry-Evans, now officially the oldest player to take the field in Origin, said he understood why people were asking but added he would "love the opportunity" to try to rectify things — a right he's earned and deserves. Slater stayed silent in that moment, although he was adamant before and after the fact that the team's issues were with execution, not personnel. Despite injuries to Tom Gilbert, Ben Hunt, Reece Walsh and potential debutant Jack Howarth, it's hard to argue with Slater's assessment when you look at the Origin experience in his line-up. New blood isn't the answer, but figuring out why the current blood is clotting when it should be flowing may be a trickier conundrum to solve. "In terms of how close were we to playing our best footy, we were nowhere near it," Slater said. There were bright spots like Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, whose pre-match tears turned into an opening frenzy that cost a penalty but truly took it to NSW. Or rookie Toia, who looked completely comfortable on the main stage after just 10 games of NRL. Moeaki Fotuaika aimed up in the middle and Jeremiah Nanai deserved a try assist for the shot he put on Latrell Mitchell, but none of that is going to help the Maroons nail their block shapes or finesse their last-tackle plays. Slater and his experienced spine need sit down and look at how it went so wrong for them almost every time they tried to "get their footy on". "I know there's so much more in this footy team," Slater said of Game I. You'd hope so, otherwise there will be some very tough conversations for players and coach in the weeks ahead.
