Bellamy in bullish mood
Last updated: 21st February 2008
Bellamy: no excuses
Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm
Friday, February 29
Live on Sky Sports
7.00pm, Sky Sports 1
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has warned Leeds Rhinos that his weakened side will not roll over in the World Club Challenge.
The NRL champions have arrived in England for the annual showdown on Friday, February 29, without some of their biggest names.
Captain and current World Player of the Year Cameron Smith has stayed at home, as have star turns Greg Inglis and Michael Crocker.
Bellamy has been forced to call on some of the club's youngsters as they bid to buck a miserable trend that has seen Super League sides win six of the last eight Anglo-Australian clashes.
But he is confident they can cope with the challenge and conditions and in doing so, put themselves in contention when the NRL season begins in March.
"We've come here without a few of our players but we've got so much confidence in our younger guys who always do a job for us when they come up," Bellamy told Boots 'n' All.
"It's a great chance for those guys to put a stake in the ground for a spot in this team."
"We see it as a real privilege to come over here and reprensent the NRL in the World Club Challenge and all the guys are looking forward to it."
Conditions
The Storm's final training session in Melbourne on Monday took place in temperatures of 34 degrees, compared to the chilly eight degrees that greeted them when they landed in London.
As well as the dramatic difference in climate the Aussue champions will also have to contend with the different rules in place over here - something that has been the downfall of several of their predecessors.
The taps over here are 10 metres in and not 20, the quick tap is allowed in Super League but more controlled in the NRL and over here tackles in the in-goal area when the catcher is going up, are banned.
It usually means an awkward opening for the Australians, but Bellamy says he plans to make sure the differences are ironed out before the Elland Road encounter.
"It's a long way to come over here and certainly the conditions are not what we're going to be used to," he admitted.
"Hopefully though, I'll get to have a meeting with the referee before the game so we get get some of the interpretation because there will be some differneces between Australia and England I would imagine."
