Melbourne forward Eliesa Katoa was sin-binned and put on report for a hit on Brisbane fullback Tristan Sailor that could have ramifications for their finals campaign.
The independent doctor ruled that Sailor did not need to go off for an HIA, suggesting he was not hit high with any force. The Storm are hoping that scenario will play out well for them with the match review committee when they investigate the incident that occurred in the 61st minute of their 50-12 thrashing of the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
“We will be able to use that to our advantage I would imagine,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.
“From where I was sitting I didn’t think it was too bad and I was surprised that he went to the bin.”
Bellamy had good news about first choice fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, who suffered bone bruising to his leg in last week’s loss to North Queensland.
Papenhuyzen is on track to play the first week of the finals after his replacement Sua Fa’alogo tweaked a hamstring against Brisbane.
“At a pinch Paps could have played this week but we didn’t want to take that risk,” Bellamy said.
“We didn’t want him to pull up sore and not train all next week leading into the finals so we thought that was the best way to go.
“The medical staff seem to think Paps will be fine for next week.”
Bellamy said Fa’alogo felt “a pop” in his hamstring but there was hope it was not as bad as first thought.
The pocket rocket, who will go for scans, ran for 208m and had two try assists in a dynamic 57-minute display. He would be a dangerous bench option later in the finals if he can recover.
“He is a great runner of the footy and like lightning,” Bellamy said.
“The more games we can get him the more he is going to learn about the game and the better player he will be.”
The Storm have had injuries like all clubs this season, including missing star No.6 Cameron Munster for 10 weeks in the middle of the year with a groin problem, but still managed 19 wins to finish top of the table.
“The guys that have come in have done such a good job, like Wishy (Tyran Wishart), Grant Anderson and Jack Howarth,” Bellamy said.
“They have really performed. Sometimes you put a player in and he is not ready for first grade but these guys after a week or two have grabbed the opportunity, run with it and made a success of it.”
Bellamy has won three premierships as Storm coach and is in a strong position to challenge for a fourth.
“You would love to win a grand final,” he said.
“They are hard to win and hard to get to. You have to do a lot of things right. Hopefully we can play our best footy in the next month.”
The win over the Broncos was his 400th in charge of the Storm.
“It is a nice milestone but I sit up in the box,” he said.
“I have some sort of influence during the week I suppose but it is the players that have gone out and done all the hard work.”
The Storm will host a qualifying final next week against the fourth-placed team.
Written by: Joel Gould (AAP)
Photo file: (AAP Image/Jono Searle )AAP ©
