![\"Cooper](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/5f78236a390cfc6fc651d8f5cb4148eea641bf04.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nAsked about winning without Smith, Slater and Cronk, Hughes added: \u201cI think just winning one is enough for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what everyone goes out every year to do. The big thing is a lot of people thought we couldn\u2019t win one without them, so it\u2019s a little bit of a driving factor there.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a new group every year and our sole goal is to win a premiership. I think we\u2019ve got a great group this year, we\u2019re really connected, really hard working and really keen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully we can do something special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bellamy said he was grateful to have great key-position players when asked how his current big three compared to the originals.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s a whole heap of difference,\u201d Bellamy said. \u201cThey obviously play in the same positions, but they have different strengths and different shortcomings.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to improve the shortcomings and focus on their strengths as well. I\u2019ve got to say these guys still don\u2019t have the experience of the big three \u2013 they played for a long time and a long time together.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater in 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d like to think there\u2019s improvement in our spine. Like I say, they all have strengths and things they need to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fan fest brought both teams face to face ahead of the Storm-Broncos grand final at Accor Stadium on Sunday. One of the talking points was the inflammatory remarks from the usually mild-mannered Melbourne prop Stefano Utoikamanu, who kicked off grand final week by labelling his opponents as \u201cstuck up\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n It\u2019s provided days of content, but Bellamy wasn\u2019t giving it any more oxygen.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t actually hear it, but I heard about it,\u201d the Storm coach said. \u201cI was surprised. I\u2019ll leave it at that.\u201d<\/p>\n Broncos coach Michael Maguire will come up against Bellamy, the pair being teammates from their playing days in Canberra. Maguire went on to be an assistant to Bellamy for five seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the reason why the teams are here, across the board they have quality players, all 17 of them,\u201d Maguire said. \u201cI know our players want to play and do their part for each other. [If they do that], I\u2019ll be a happy coach.\u201d<\/p>\n