Bellamy prepares for emotional day
When the Melbourne Storm were told they'd be playing the last 18 NRL rounds for no points, coach Craig Bellamy admits everything became a bit of a blur.
"It was all a bit of a blur for the first eight weeks or so," Bellamy told reporters on Tuesday.
"I wasn't quite sure which way to turn or how we prepared for games. It was take each day as it comes."
The Storm were flying high in April when they were stripped of two premiership titles and all points for this season after their massive salary cap cheating was exposed.
"When it all started when we had 19 rounds or whatever, that looked like a long time coming," Bellamy added as the club announced a promotion for $1 tickets for their last game of the season at AAMI Park on September 5.
"With four games to go we were thinking it's getting close now that's good. We're all looking forward to the end of the season.
"But in the last couple of weeks I've turned a little bit the other way. I'm dreading that last game because it will be the last time I coach a lot of those guys and it's the last time those guys will play for this club.
"I'm not quite sure if I'm looking forward to it or not actually."
Bellamy is facing up to the fact he has to say goodbye to his "babies".
"That last game is going to be the last game for a lot of important people in my life," Bellamy said.
"Some of those players who are leaving, I've coached most of those guys since they've been playing NRL footy.
"For me it's going to be pretty emotional that way and I'd love to see those guys go out in front of a huge crowd.
"They've given the club great service and we'd love to send them go out on a good note.
"All except Brett Finch, all those guys who are leaving all started their first-grade careers here. They came here as babies basically, in footy terms."
This year's wooden spooners will be without Finch, Ryan Hoffman, Brett White, Jeff Lima, Aiden Tolman and Brisbane-bound Greg Inglis in 2011.
The Storm, who play Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday, are hoping for a full house of more than 30,000 fans for their home clash with Newcastle.
Melbourne have shown plenty of heart to win nine of 16 games since the NRL stripped them of any points for 2010.
"It (September 5) is going to be a big day. It's a pretty historic moment in our club's history to lose so many players," Bellamy said.
Storm captain Cameron Smith said it was disappointing to lose players like White and Hoffman.
"We want to make the most of those two matches that we have left together," he said.
"I can't see any reason why we can't have a capacity crowd.
"The first match after the news broke we had 27,500 at Etihad and that was a very, very special night."
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