Fair cop - but I'm still a scapegoat, says Smith

[Emma]

Its amazing how we all judge a man by the colour his shirt is..

Certainly not true in my case Lachy. I really like Cam Smith, and I will be cheering loudly for Melbourne this Sunday as I do in a lot of games throughout the year when they're not playing the broncos. Bottom line is what he did was stupid and he deserved to be suspended for it. Just because others weren't doesn't mean he SHOULDN'T be, it just means that they SHOULD have been suspended.

Surely people can criticise someone from Melbourne without it always being 'because he plays for Melbourne'??

 

[Dexter]

I don't see the big deal here. Melb are just asking why that one tackle has been singled out by the media.

Webbs tackle was worse because he had the player in a headlock and flipped him over putting all the players weight onto his neck.

The simple question is why wasn't it cited and why didn't the media go into a meltdown for 3 days trotting out experts on neck injuries etc if they are so concerned about the grapple. Warren Ryan argues these points very well.


http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/stor ... 89,00.html

 

[Kaz]

The media went into a 'frenzy' because Thaiday's head was twisted etc.

Not once but twice.

 

[Coxy]

As Robert Craddock said in his column. It's like whinging about being caught speeding or running a red light despite seeing other people do it and not get busted.

Too fucking bad.

 

[Dexter]

Yeah, I don't disagree with any of the comment that he was guilty, Bellamy was out of line with most of what he said and just plain wrong with some of it and will lose any court case if he doesn't apologize and retract.
What led him to the point of giving that spray still needs to addressed.

The judiciary needs to be accountable and provide reasons why certain tackles are not charged.

Coxy, that is not a good example IMO because the police don't look at the film of ppl speeding or running a red light then pick 1 person out and charge them. They would charge everyone and that is the basis of the Melb complaint.

 

[Coxy]

Maybe speeding's a better example. They stand there, radar gun ya, pull you over, and while they're writing your ticket some idiot speeds past as well...they don't get busted because they're busy looking at another case.

I don't disagree with Bellamy. I think there needs to be consistency. But the attitude that Smith shouldn't be charged because others weren't is a joke. He did the crime, like it or not.

 

[Kaz]

The Storm are just p!ssed off because they were expecting Smith to be charged with a grapple tackle.

And he would have gotten off.

 

[Hamm.0]

FTR; Cam Smith will still be the next QLD & Australian Captain after Lockyer retires. /discussion.

I still don't understand why anyone is even discussing Smith's comments?

"I just want to make it clear I am happy to cop the two weeks. I've been told that tackle is illegal, I accept my hand was in the wrong place.

So he excepts the judicary findinsg.

"But there have been tackles the two weeks leading up to that game where they were quite similar to mine and nothing was done about it. It's in the rules that it's illegal, but we just wanted some clarification there as to why there was nothing else done about it before that.

"Obviously it does make a statement and probably has - suspending the captain of an NRL side and taking myself out of a grand final. [But] I would like to think I am as equal as any other player in the competition. If it's good enough to suspend myself, why not anyone else?"

Nothing wrong with that question to me. He is simply stating that he is as equal as Joe Blow and therefore should be trialled the same and is curious as to why a similar tackle attracted no media attention and no charge. Seems fair to me [icon_shru

The thing that makes me LOLZ, is how does that interview in anyway, jeopardise his credentials as Australian Captain?

 

[bianc]

I think Smith handled the interview very well. He wasn't winging but I see his point at being pissed off when the evidence is there to show how many have gotten away with bad tackles in the past. Especially in the finals
Yes IMO he would have gone but it also was trial by media. Why wasn't the case handled on the Monday night for a start?
These guys reckon they go through every game every week and check. Well obviously they do not and i reckon Bellamy has a case if it goes to court. I hope to hell it doesn't as league does not need any more bad publicity.

Anyone remember Gordie getting suspended some years back simply through a photo Knights sent to the papers?
To this day he says he is innocent of that tackle yet the photo made it look so much worse than it even was. Media trial at it's best.

McCallum himself is a total jokes and we ourselves have had many players lose cases or be suspended because of this jerk.
Something has to be done about the judicial system. It is such a joke.

To all who say if it were a Bronc they would feel the same? Rubbish. If our captain was put out for the GF and other players have been let play such as many Manly players and had it been Sharks they to would have been free to play even though committing illegal head contact. You would have been screaming that is for sure.
Just this morning the ARL were have said that Locky tackling the manager of a hotel would not stop him being Aussie captain so why would an illegal tackle stop Smith from taking the role should ( [icon_pray. please no)Locky be injured?

Go Storm. You may be down on troops but you are not defeated yet.

Warren Ryan summed it up perfectly IMO as shown in the link above.

 

[Flutterby]

Personally I don't have a problem with Smith's interview in regards to his suspension and raising the issue again of the judiciary's inconsistency. I think he handled himself and the issue a thousand times better than Bellamy and Waldron; and I don't think it will jeapordise his captaincy claims at any level. But again - the only way to ensure you don't get charged or suspended is not to do it in the first place - they know it's not legal as part of the game and they have kept doing it simply because they didn't get suspended, now one of them has, it's all a conspiracy. Melbourne are correct, some similar (but IMO not as bad) tackles have been let go on many occasions during the season - including from their own players, so they are actually quite fortunate they weren't without key players more often during the season, which may have seen them not win the minor premiership or maybe not even finish in the top 8.

Hopefully the judiciary will continue to suspend for these type of tackles, but in reality we all know they are not going to get all of them - as long as they get most, I'll be happy.

And bianc, you can choose to believe me or not; but if one of the Broncos players did a tackle like that, I would totally agree with and accept his suspension. I have no support for players using such illegal tactics no matter who they play for and I certainly wouldn't want them in my club. I also wouldn't want to risk him doing it again in the GF and getting sent from the field for it during the most important match of the season.

 

[Coxy]

Well said Flutterby!

 

[Emma]

And bianc, you can choose to believe me or not; but if one of the Broncos players did a tackle like that, I would totally agree with and accept his suspension. I have no support for players using such illegal tactics no matter who they play for and I certainly wouldn't want them in my club. I also wouldn't want to risk him doing it again in the GF and getting sent from the field for it during the most important match of the season.

Completely agree. I wouldn't care if it was Darren Lockyer and he got ousted for the GF, if he did what Smith did, regardless of what has and hasn't been punished before, I would have no reason to be up in arms about it.

 

[Flutterby]

Also I hope that Bellamy does spend the off-season in court getting his ass sued. He cannot bring the integrity of the judiciary as a body, the three people specifically hearing this case and to a certain extent the entire sport into dis-repute (even the betting agencies) and just walk away from that. Defaming people is bad enough but then to just take the attitude a few days later of 'well i've moved on you all should too' is deplorable. I could ALMOST accept that he was very emotional and charged up in the media conference and it just got away from him; but he has had almost a week now to calm down and re-assess what he said and issue some kind of apology or give a better explanation of what he meant but he has chosen to just leave it out there, so one can only assume that he intended to defame. What the sport doesn't need is for individuals to be able to run rough-shod over those in authority and get away without any repercussions

 

[mrslong]

Craig Bellamy has certainly done himself a disservice. You could let him get away with his coaching tactics, because it is in every coaches nature to win, but the way he has handled himself in these interviews is deplorable. Not to mention embarassing.

 

[Flutterby]

And what's even worse is people in the media saying "oh well you have to expect it, he learnt from the best up in Brisbane to blame the media for everything". That annoys me - sure WB isn't the greatest in dealing with the media and he irritated me on occasions when he wouldn't talk to the press, but he NEVER carried on as deplorably as Bellamy.

 

[bianc]

Bellamy lost it. He agreed with that. Emotions do take over sometimes. He made an idiot of himself by the way he went off and it was pre empt not on the spur of the moment although I don't think he intended to totally lose it like he did.
I think he honestly believes what he said and then why should he apologize. "Yes they probably were influenced by the media just as many of us are" I think were his words.
I don't want this in court. We still may have other league cases coming into the courts. Do we want the papers just full of bad press about our game cos they certainly don't give any of the good things the players and coaches do.

Many of you bagged WB with the media thing. I always believed he gave great interviews to Grandstand after the game and many just on WB the man. Who needed him to go front the camera. He done his talking with the players he put on the paddock and the results did the talking
Now Bellamy who usually sickens me with his press conferences which he gladly gives after every game and whenever asked, has blown up and said what he thinks and he is the most hated in the country.

I seriously don't think if it came down to it that most of you wouldn't whinge if this were Locky and we were in the GF. Not in that position so you cannot say!
It was always going to affect a team in the GF with the inconsistency of the judiciary and the way tackles have been let go so why start now and get one guy. Don't buy into the "better late than never" either.

Smith says he accepts that he should go but I guess he is wondering when he sees so many of the tackles let go and those players running onto the field on Sunday' WTF this ain't right' I agree Cam. It really isn't.
I don't think he is innocent at all but it should never have come down to this great players losing a day many would die for.

 

[Flutterby]

If he doesn't apologise and it doesn't go to court then that will just create more negativity and bad stories in the game because players, coaches and administrators will get the idea that they can just say whatever the hel they like about anyone involved in the game and not be held accountable. I'm sorry, but for me a $50,000 fine for the club is not punishment enough for what the man said and his attitude towards the whole situation - he personally is not receiving any punishment.

I agree with a lot of what he was trying to say - but there are proper ways and means by which to say it and get the issues addressed. P***ing people off with your attitude is not going to help your cause. As I said earlier, I don't have a problem with Smith's interview - he handled it in a a non-emotive, I know I did the wrong thing but there needs to be more consistency, but I'm not defaming anyone kind of way; instead of Bellamay's It's all a conspiracy against Melbourne, you hate us cause we're winning, you're corrupt kind of way.

 

[Kaz]

What makes this worse, apart from the I don't care attitude from Bellamy, is that is was planned on what he would say.

The media knew about it 48 hours before it happened, they just didn't know the extent of what he was going to say.