Melbourne Storm’s coach Craig Bellamy declined to attribute his team’s loss to the officiating, despite experiencing significant discipline issues during their narrow 20-18 defeat to Canberra in golden point. The Storm had been leading 18-12 with just five minutes remaining, and a field goal from Ryan Papenhuyzen should have sealed their victory. However, the referees intervened, ruling out the field goal due to a penalty against Storm lock Trent Loiero for an elbow to the face of Raiders’ captain Joe Tapine.
This decision sparked a furious reaction from Bellamy, who could be seen venting his frustrations from the coach’s box. The situation worsened for Melbourne when prop Stefano Utoikamanu was sin-binned shortly into the golden period for a foul against Raiders’ hooker Tom Starling, costing them another scoring opportunity.
As the match progressed, Loiero continued to struggle with discipline, committing multiple penalties, including a high tackle against Hudson Young that led to the Raiders winning the match with a penalty from Jamal Fogarty. Post-match commentary from Bellamy acknowledged Loiero’s issues but emphasised that the discipline displayed was uncharacteristic of the Storm. He remarked on the rarity of players conceding penalties while in possession, describing it as a major factor in their defeat.
Storm captain Cameron Munster echoed these sentiments, stating he had spoken to Loiero and urged him to learn from the experience. Munster, reflecting on the game, admitted that they played “dumb footy” and recognised the need for greater discipline moving forward.
Bellamy further expressed the team’s need to control their actions and highlighted the importance of maintaining discipline, especially in critical game situations. He stressed that penalty concessions, especially while in possession, ultimately cost them dearly in the match. Both Bellamy and Munster refrained from blaming the officiating, recognising the team’s shortcomings as the root of their defeat.