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Rugby League > Bellamy shrugs off Smith jibe
By David Beniuk
June 30, 2010

NSW coach Craig Bellamy has shrugged off comments from his NRL club captain Cameron Smith that the Blues make too many changes to their State of Origin team.

Queensland and Melbourne hooker Smith suggested NSW "don't learn their lesson" on Tuesday after Blues selectors made eight changes for Origin III, including three debutant front-rowers.

"Cameron's always got an opinion on something so that's fine," Bellamy told reporters on Wednesday.

"That's his way of looking at things.

"There's a bit of an eye this time (with selections) looking to the future as well.

"Having said that, I think all these guys really deserve to be in there, they've been playing really well at NRL level.

"I don't think it's a gamble, I think these guys deserve to be there."

Props Jason King, Kade Snowden and Tim Mannah and winger Michael Gordon will all make their Origin debuts for the Blues at ANZ Stadium next Wednesday.

But just how many of the Blues' Origin II side would have survived is clouded by the returns of game one forwards Luke Lewis (suspension) and Anthony Watmough (groin), suspensions to Michael Weyman, Luke O'Donnell and Timana Tahu and injury to Matt Cooper (hamstring).

Backrowers Ben Creagh, Trent Waterhouse and Nathan Hindmarsh, prop Brett White and winger Joel Monaghan, however, were overlooked.

"It's really great to see those (new) guys come in, they're so enthusiastic about playing Origin," Bellamy said.

"We'll have to work a little bit harder this week to fit them into what we want to do and how we want to do it."

NSW trained on Wednesday morning at Parramatta Stadium, where ground staff were forced to water the grass after it iced over as Sydney shivers through a cold snap.
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