Storm coach Craig Bellamy took aim at the NRL for changing the rules for repeat offenders with the match review committee amid a media storm surrounding Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
The Storm forward was placed on report for a late tackle on Mitchell Moses in the Eels’ 22-14 win in Round 25, which Bellamy found unnecessary.
“I think it was probably a touch late, but it certainly wasn’t high,” Bellamy said.
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“His arms were around his waste, so look I’m not sure if it was placed on report because of his reputation, I suppose might be the word to use I’m not quite sure.
“There was certainly nothing around his head, so it could have been a little bit late, but I don’t think there was too much more to it.”
Nelson Asofa-Solomona was at the centre of a media storm surrounding his repeated elbows to players’ heads in tackles this week.
It prompted the NRL to stipulate that repeat offenders risk upping the charge from a grade one to a grade two heading into the finals, which Bellamy found unfair this late in the season.
“It has all come because of this week,” Bellamy said.
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“If they thought that was the case, why didn’t they do it halfway through the season?
“Why react now because of one story that turned into a story for three or four days on the one bloke?
“There are a lot of other incidents that are as bad as Nelson’s, but we decided to pick on Nelson this week, so he was the punching bag.
“If they want to change the rules because of that well at the end of the day that is their decision.
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“That’s not my decision so if they want to change the rules, at the end of the day that is not my concern because I can’t control that.
“But if they want to change the rules well good.”
Bellamy was pressed on whether his star forward was unfairly targeted due to his reputation.
“Just with that incident tonight I thought it was a bit late, so that’s fair,” Bellamy said.
“But I don’t think too many guys get put on report for being that late.
“But he was nowhere near the head. Like his arms were around his waste.
“So unless I saw the wrong incident, but that’s the one I saw.”
