Cameron Munster lifts the lid on Craig Bellamy's reaction to Xavier Coates NRL winner
The Melbourne playmaker revealed the Storm coach's hilarious reaction to Xavier Coates's game-winning try.
Storm star Cameron Munster has given NRL fans a hilarious insight into what was going on in Melbourne's coaching box as Xavier Coates flew through the air to score the match-winning try against the Warriors. Munster is currently battling a groin injury and is expected to return to action in round five but in the meantime, he has been sitting with Bellamy and the Storm coaching staff during games.
On Saturday, Melbourne were down by eight points with just over three minutes to play but snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with two quick tries, capped off by Coates's try that has been described as the best in NRL history. With the seconds counting down the ball spread to Coates on the wing, who looked like he was going to run out of room as Dallin Watene-Zelezniak slid across in defence.
But not to be denied the Queensland winger leapt into the air from about five metres out from the try-line, manoeuvring his body mid-air as he was pushed over the sideline to place the ball down miraculously in the corner. Munster was with Bellamy as they witnessed Coates' incredible feat and he revealed on the Clubhouse podcast with fellow Storm teammates Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes just how Craig Bellamy's emotions unfolded.
Hughes asked his teammate if Bellamy initially thought it was a try as he is traditionally a "glass half empty" coach to which Munster replied: "It was actually hilarious because when X scored he’s like, ‘Is it a try? Is it a try?’, while he’s pacing up the back," Munster said.
"And I said to him, I think it (the ball) may be simultaneous with his hand and he goes, ‘What the f**k does that mean?’, so I was like what do you mean? Then he said, ‘What does that mean Munster?’, so I said mate it means it could be 50/50. It could be him with his hand on the ground and the ball hitting the line at the same time, so he was like, ‘Oh don’t tell me that.'"
Munster revealed that even after one of the Storm's coaching staff had informed Bellamy that he could breathe easy as it was definitely a try, the Melbourne coach could not sit still until he saw the referee confirm it was a four-pointer. "He didn’t believe it," Munster said. "You boys have done really well to win for Bellyache (Bellamy) otherwise he would have needed a new pacemaker."
The Maroons half said once it was confirmed as a try Bellamy couldn't hold in his emotion. "I had Bellyache (Bellamy) in the box grabbing everyone and going, ‘you f***ing beauty!" Munster laughed.
Craig Bellamy not surprised Xavier Coates scored the last-ditch try
Following Coates' extraordinary feat, Bellamy and Melbourne Storm players revealed how Coates was well-prepared for his miraculous match-winning try as he practises it at every single training session. Speaking on Fox League, Cooper Cronk and Michael Ennis both said it was the greatest try they'd ever seen. But for Bellamy and his teammates, it was just what he does.
"He didn't just did do that tonight because that's what needed doing, he practices that," Bellamy said after the match. "Since he's been here, he's been one of our hardest workers and he's probably had nearly the best pre-season of anyone we've ever had here.
"Just with hard work but also doing the things like catching high balls, the things he needs to do in his job. He practices that and if he doesn't practice that, he don't score that try tonight. He's one hell of an athlete but what he's doing at the moment isn't surprising anyone here because we know he's put in the work and he's getting rewards for that and we're getting rewards for that."
RELATED:
Cooper Cronk shoots down Matty Johns call amid dramas at Souths
Ivan Cleary delivers bad news to Panthers fans about Taylan May
While Papenhuyzen said: "He does that every (training) session. You look over in the corner and go ‘when’s he going to use it’, but that scenario there where we most needed it, he delivered."
Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.
