Smith not chicken to dob in Bellamy - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Smith not chicken to dob in Bellamy

By Wayne Heming 19/05/2008 05:03:24 PM Comments (0)

Queensland captain Cameron Smith says he will yell "chicken wing" at the first hint of a dodgy tackle during Wednesday night's State of Origin hostilities.

Queensland officials last month questioned rookie NSW coach Craig Bellamy's motives for wanting his Melbourne wrestling and grappling expert John Donehue in Origin camp as a specialist "defensive" coach.

The one-time bodyguard of US general Norman Schwarzkopf, Donehue is a jujitsu and martial arts expert who's believed to have pioneered the outlawed grapple and crusher tackles and more recently the highly controversial "chicken wing" where an attacking player's arm is bent in the shape of a chicken wing.

With six Bellamy-coached Storm players in Queensland's starting side, the Maroons should be well versed and well equipped to counter any of Donehue's tackling ploys.

Smith dumped club loyalties to reveal he'd warned his NRL coach prior to entering Queensland camp last week he'd protest loudly to the referee (Tony Archer) if he felt he was being chicken-winged.

"I told Craig before I came into camp last week if I feel someone's got hold of my arm (illegally) that I'm going to yell out to the referee that I'm being 'chicken-winged'," Smith told AAP during the Maroons build up to Origin 1.

"Two points goes a long way in Origin."

Smith said every club employed some form of wrestling tactics but agreed it would be a shame to see such a great contest slowed down to a slog.

"I know the crowd love it (Origin's speed and intensity) and the players like it on the field," he said.

"In fairness to Craig, I don't think he wants to change Origin.

"Maybe he's trying to bring in a bloke who knows how to control the ground because we've got a lot of dangerous players around the ruck, JT (Johnathan Thurston), PJ (Marsh), K (Karmichael Hunt) and Billy (Slater).

"I don't think he wants to slow the game down or change Origin because he's very much a traditionalist and he's very passionate about Origin."

Queensland Rugby League boss Ross Livermore called on his NSW counterparts to "ensure the sanctity of State of Origin was protected" after learning Donehue was on Bellamy's Origin coaching staff list.

"Having (Donehue) as the defence coach 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."

Queensland coach Mal Meninga, who played 32 games for Queensland, was not too concerned because in his opinion, Origin is too fast to accommodate any such spoiling tactics.

"I don't think it will creep into Origin to be honest with you," he said.

"Both teams will do their best to win the ground battle but it's such a quicker up-tempo game.

"Sometimes it's not about who wins the ground, it's about who scrambles the best.

"If you're not careful you can easily get left behind."

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