Craig Bellamy has touched on the influence of Billy Slater and the NRL‘s new six-again rule change after tipping young gun Sua Fa’alogo to be Melbourne’s fullback “for a long time”. Storm’s livewire No.1 was a standout in Saturday’s come-from-behind 46-20 victory over the Dragons in Wollongong, scoring a hat-trick to lead Melbourne to back-to-back wins to begin the new season.
Many questions around the Storm in pre-season centred around how Bellamy’s side would cope without Ryan Papenhuyzen in 2026 after the fullback’s shock retirement last year. But in his first two games since succeeding Papenhuyzen in the No.1 jersey, Fa’alogo has shown Melbourne fans they’re in good hands.
Billy Slater’s (L) influence and the NRL’s six-again rule change has been credited with Melbourne Storm star Sua Fa’alogo’s (R) incredible start to the NRL season. Pic: Getty
All three of his tries on Saturday showcased the electric footwork and acceleration that have made the 22-year-old one of the most exciting prospects in the game. And they all came in a devastating 12-minute spell in the second half against an increasingly tiring Dragons defence, to fuel fresh debate about the six-again rule change leading to blow-outs on the scoreboard.
The NRL changed the rule this year to extend the zone where referees can call six-again infringements. And it’s resulted in an even faster tempo of game, with plenty of points so far across the opening two rounds coming off the back of teams getting repeat sets.
And Bellamy admitted after the game that it’s tailor-made for players like Fa’alogo with speed to burn, who can punish weary defences. But the Storm coach pointed out that the heroics of Fa’alogo – who now has five tries in his first two games of the season – came off the back of plenty of hard work in an impressive pre-season for the young gun.
“He’s got talent and he’s been touched with the speed brush. He has convinced me with his pre-season that he is willing to put the hard work in,” Bellamy said. “Last year I reckon I would have beat him in the pre-season.
“With these six-agains, there seems to be a lot more fatigue in the game. If he can stay reasonably unfatigued I think he can do some damage.”
League great Greg Alexander said he’d seen enough to be convinced Melbourne had found the perfect successor to Papenhuyzen. “Well, the new era has dawned, hasn’t it, for the Melbourne Storm in terms of their No.1s?” Alexander said on Fox League.
Sua Faalogo destroyed the Dragons with a hat-trick of tries to inspire the Melbourne Storm to back-to-back wins to begin the NRL season. Pic: Getty
(Mark Nolan via Getty Images)Sua Fa’alogo under the expert tutelage of Billy Slater
Bellamy credited the influence legendary Storm fullback Billy Slater has had on Fa’alogo’s game. The Maroons coach has been working closely with the Storm No.1 and Bellamy believes the 22-year-old is well primed to have a massive future at the club.
“I have no doubt he can be our fullback for a long time,” the Melbourne coach added. “He has one of the best teachers in Billy Slater, who does a lot of work with him. He is lightning quick over a short distance, and that’s hard to handle.”
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan admitted his side were “our own worst enemies” after a number of yardage errors cost them dearly in the final 20 minutes, having staged a second half comeback to lead the Storm by two. The Dragons are now 0-2 to start the season after losing to the Bulldogs in Las Vegas, and will be sweating on the results of scans for halves Kyle Flanagan and Daniel Atkinson, who both played through the pain of lower leg injuries in Saturday’s defeat.
with AAP