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'We didn't barge in' - Storm coach defends post-match pep talk with Warriors in their changing room

July 1, 2020

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has defended his and captain Cameron Smith's decision to address the Warriors after their 50-6 win last Friday in the dejected visitors' changing sheds.

Bellamy and Smith initially received plenty of praise for their actions which were viewed as caring and compassionate but critics have since challenged it was an invasion of privacy and belittling - especially for interim head coach Todd Payten after his first game in charge.

But Bellamy told Nine News he doesn't care what others think of the situation - the Warriors are what mattered in the moment.

"We didn't barge in there," Bellamy said.

"We asked our footy manager, Frank Ponissi, when to see Roger [Tuivasa-Sheck] to make sure that was okay."

Bellamy said he wasn't shocked people had taken their actions in a negative light though.

"Nothing surprises me anymore. I haven't spoken to (Warriors coach) Todd (Payten) after that so I don't know what his feelings were on it," he said.

"For me, I don't really care what other people think, at the end of the day, we were really feeling for those guys.

"We just thought we'd try and show them support and say thanks for what they're doing for our competition."

Morale at the Warriors has taken a hit in recent weeks after the team suffered large defeats in their last two matches and head coach Stephen Kearney was axed suddenly. Most recently the team's captain and star player Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was suspended for one week.

On top of all that, some players have also looked at leaving the team's camp in Australia to return home to New Zealand to be with their families.

But over the weekend players agreed to stay at least another two weeks for their games against the 15th-placed Broncos and 13th-ranked Titans.

The Warriors are currently 14th on the NRL table with two wins from five games.

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