MELBOURNE hooker Harry Grant insists the calf problem which forced him off an hour into the Storm’s demolition of Parramatta was “scary”.
But the Australia rake was already fearing the wrath of coach Craig Bellamy as soon as medical staff found he had only suffered a severe cramp during the 52-4 victory.
“I don’t know if Belsa will be too happy: a cramped calf, sub myself off,” he told ABC Radio, before adding: “That was pretty scary.”
And Bellamy didn’t let him down, saying at the post-match media conference: “He did (dominate) there in the first half. We were happy he did – before he broke his leg.
“Oh that’s right, cramp. We thought he broke his leg. We got him off but it was only a cramp so we were very lucky there.”
But when Bellamy was asked about comparisons between the current Golden Boot holder and former Australia captain Cameron Smith, Grant piped up “Cameron didn’t go off with a cramp”.
Bellamy answered: “I think he broke his leg once.
“Yeah that’s an interesting comparison – he’s certainly quicker than Cameron Smith at his best.
“At the end of the day we’re talking about two different players in two different eras, both wonderful, wonderful players. I just look back, look forward or whatever and just think how fortunate this club’s been or how fortunate for me as a coach to have two guys who touch the ball more than anybody else in the team…
“To have Cameron play as long as he did and then as soon as he retired, Harry came in after – the whole club has been fortunate to have two players like Cameron and Harry.”
Meanwhile Storm second rower Joe Chan – raised in France where his father Alex has been a player and coach at Catalans – spoke a bit of French on Triple M before thanking the man he replaced, Eli Katoa who is out for the year with concussion, for his help in the buildup to the match.
“Big shoutout to Shauny (Blore) and Eli,” said Chan junior, 23. “Eli’s just come back and he’s looking fit. He looks like he could play tomorrow. I really appreciate him giving me some pointers, just to show how much of a leader to myself and the group he is. He’s massive.
“Eli, being the leader he is, put (himself) aside and helped us push … especially me, pushed me, gave me some pointers on how too improve my game. Big thanks to Eli.”
And debutant Cooper Clarke, son of former St George and Western Suburbs player Leo, said playing NRL was toughest- but not as tough as the Storm’s pre-season training camp.
“That was probably one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life – probably not as hard as IDQ but that’s alright,” he told ABC.
“If you put the hard work in, you’re going to keep the rewards at some point and I just got lucky enough to reap them in round one.
“I’ve got mum and dad, my auntie, my brother and one of my pops (here). Dad played for Wests and Dragons. It was always good to have him as a kind of thing to reach at.”