Graham Annesley has rejected Melbourne captain Cameron Smith’s assertion the Storm have been cleared by the NRL amid renewed controversy over the minor premiers’ wrestling tactics.
The NRL’s decision not to charge prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona for a crusher tackle on South Sydney’s Dean Britt last month ignited a war of words between the two clubs and public debate over Melbourne’s methods.
Smith, who received a ‘concerning act’ notice for his ear pull on Canberra young gun Bailey Simonsson in Round 22, on Thursday claimed the NRL have cleared the club’s tactics.
"We just listen to the NRL and they have got no issues about how we go about things,” Smith, who suggested the recent criticism is a product of a Sydney media conspiracy, said.
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In a contentious interview on Triple M on Sunday, Annesley, the NRL’s Head of Football, attempted to distance himself from Smith’s claim when asked directly if head office has signed off on the Storm’s tactics.
“Well I think that’s probably not the right way to put it,” Annesley told Triple M.
“The only communication I’ve had with the Melbourne Storm is to tell them that they’ll be judged by what they do on the field like every other team in the competition.
“… When it comes to those sorts of wrestling issues, which have obviously been prominent over the last week … you can’t go into the game with a pre-determined outcome.
“A referee can’t go into a game saying, ‘Well, I’m going to watch club A or club B more closely because they’ve got a reputation for so-called wrestling’.
“If it happens they act on it, if it doesn’t happen they don’t act on it.”
Things got heated when News Limited journalist Paul Kent suggested either Annesley or Smith are not telling the truth.
“I don’t know what Cameron has said and I haven’t even spoken to Cameron,” Annesley fired.
“I said that’s not how I would frame it.
“… The only conversation I’ve had with the Storm was to tell them they’ll be treated the same way as every other club and if they don’t break the rules they’ve got nothing to worry about and I would say exactly the same thing to any other club or player.”
The Storm host the Raiders at AAMI Park in a qualifying final on Saturday night.
