Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has come out swinging, denying Brandon Smith’s recent comments about the club’s culture.
In a recent podcast interview with YKTR Sports, Smith opened up on a drinking culture within the club.
The comments from Smith came in the same podcast as comments regarding his desire to win a premiership with the Sydney Roosters despite having a year to run on his Melbourne contract.
He also said three more clubs - the Wests Tigers, Parramatta Eels and Penrith Panthers - were chasing him, a claim the Panthers have come out and strongly denied since it was aired.
While most of those comments got swept under the rug because of his Roosters comments - which have angered Storm officials to the point they were believed to be weighing up an immediate release for Smith - the comments regarding Melbourne’s drinking culture were addressed by Bellamy on Monday.
The super coach, who has guided his team to the finals in all but one year he has been in charge, slammed the comments when talking to The Daily Telegraph, saying there was no way the club could be as successful as it is with a drinking problem.
“The drinking thing … we’ve been in the top four seven years straight,” Bellamy told the publication.
“And that doesn’t happen if you’re a team of drunks.
“I’m not saying we’re teetotallers because we’re not but we stick to our protocols in regards to the drink. We plan to have our drinks when we have a longer turnaround.
“We’ll have a night out together but it’s always at the appropriate times.
“I’m confident we don’t have players drinking two, three or four days before a game. That wouldn’t be acceptable.”
It’s understood Bellamy will meet with Smith tomorrow, but the club have no plans to release the 25-year-old star.
His new deal with the Roosters is yet to be officially announced, however, it’s understood that, after touring the Dolphins, Titans and Cowboys, and fielding offers from up to half the competition including his current club who were desperate to keep him, Smith will join the Roosters on a new deal for 2023 and beyond.