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Hasler's mind games won't work: Bellamy

3 minute read

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy says rival coach Des Hasler is playing mind games by talking up the Storm ahead of their NRL final.

CRAIG BELLAMY.
CRAIG BELLAMY. Picture: Racing and Sports

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has laughed off rival Des Hasler's mind games ahead of their NRL final, saying they won't work on the Storm.

Ahead of their qualifying final at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Friday night, Manly coach Hasler said Melbourne could be "impossible to beat".

"I guess you can only really put your best foot forward," Hasler said on Thursday.

"Maybe Melbourne are impossible to beat, so we will have to wait and see. They are a good side, a very good side."

While the minor premiers accounted for the Sea Eagles 28-18 in their most recent meeting in round 21, Melbourne fell to Parramatta three matches later to end a 19-match winning run.

Hasler also is the only current coach with a winning record against Bellamy (17-15).

Bellamy said wily Hasler's attempt to pump up the Storm players would fall on deaf ears.

"I think Des might be just playing a couple of games there trying to get our boys a little bit over-confident, which they won't be, I can promise you that," Bellamy said.

The Storm mentor also bristled when his team's "grinding" style was compared to the flash and dash of the Sea Eagles.

"With all due respect, I don't know whether that 'grind' you say that we are, I think we've scored a fair few points this year," Bellamy said.

"Our footy with the footy is a little bit more than a grind.

"Obviously Manly are free flowing and very effective with what they do and they've got the players to play that way, but I don't know whether we're such a big contrast."

Bellamy admitted that stopping the competition's best player in Tom Trbojevic would be key to toppling the in-form Sea Eagles.

While the superstar fullback has scored 25 tries in 15 matches, Melbourne kept him tryless in their last meeting and limited his run metres to 94 compared to his average of 188, while post-contact metres were just 13.

"It's a tough job, he's the form player in the competition," Bellamy said.

"We did do a pretty good job, but I imagine it's going to be at another level (in the final).

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