Bellamy's grapple coach to join Blues
07.04.2008
By: Dan Koch, Brent Read
QUEENSLAND Rugby League managing director Ross Livermore has called on his NSW counterparts to protect the sanctity of State of Origin after it was discovered Blues coach Craig Bellamy intends to use a wrestling expert as his defence coach.
John Donehue, a martial arts expert, has been Melbourne Storm's wrestling coach for much of Bellamy's tenure at the club.
Donehue had no experience as a player or coach at any level of the game until he was hired by Bellamy, but a senior NSW Rugby League official confirmed the The Australian he was set to play a key role for the Blues.
He is at the centre of rugby league's ``grapple tackle'' furore, which has hounded Bellamy and his players for almost three years, casting a pall over the Storm's dominance.
It is understood that Bellamy, who was appointed to replace Graham Murray after back-to-back series losses for NSW, is unfazed by his critics and has sought to have Donehue included on his coaching staff. NSW and Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr confirmed Bellamy had provided his requests for Origin staff but could not confirm whether Donehue was on the list.
Carr also said he was yet to discuss the grapple tackle issue with Bellamy but was confident it would not infiltrate Origin.
``It's pretty much out of the game,'' Carr said.
But Carr's lack of concern is unlikely to placate the Maroons camp over the role Donehue will play in the series.
Donehue stands in stark contrast to the other men who will fill coaching roles.
Maroons head coach Mal Meninga will call on Canberra mentor Neil Henry and former Queensland Origin greats Kevin Walters and Trevor Gillmeister. Bellamy has Andrew Johns, Laurie Daley and Steve Roach, all former Blues stars, on his staff.
It is believed Donehue has been listed as Bellamy's ``defence coach'', a role filled in the Queensland camp by Gold Coast assistant Gillmeister, regarded as one of the game's most devastating tacklers. Other defence coaches around the league include Royce Simmons (Wests Tigers), Peter Ryan (Broncos) and David Fairleigh (Parramatta), all of them former players.
Livermore said he strongly opposed either side using a specialised wrestling coach as part of their preparation for what is the showpiece of the game and questioned what other role Donehue could play in the series.
``Having (Donehue) as the defence coach certainly doesn't make much sense to me,'' Livermore said.
``Rugby league is not about wrestling or locks or holds, which is why the NRL are taking steps to try to get rid of all that stuff.
``We definitely don't want it creeping into Origin and I can't imagine anyone at the NSWRL would want to see it any more than I do. I guess they will need to have a look at exactly what he is bringing, because it would not be acceptable to bring in anyone who might advocate the use of (grappling) sorts of tactics.''
Gillmeister, who played 22 Origin matches for Queensland, conceded he had little control over what NSW did, but said the ferocity took enough toll on the players without grappling tactics designed to give defenders greater control of the ruck area.
``Origin footy is tough enough as it is without blokes have to worry about getting twisted up and injured in pretty ordinary ways,'' the former Queensland skipper said.
``The wrestling and stuff that goes on in the ruck area is something, I think, we are trying to get out of the game. We need to be encouraging people to tackle with good technique and reward them when they do, not have blokes being held up by three or four defenders and wrestled all the way down. That's rubbish.''
Livermore said it was crucial that the integrity of Origin was maintained.
``There are rules in place regarding a lot of this and I don't think anyone wants to see State of Origin turn into a wrestle-fest,'' Livermore said. ``There is no room for it anywhere. Rugby league is about tackling, not wrestling, and the sooner we get back to that the better.''
