Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy is unsure if the proposed swap with the Wests Tigers for centre Paul Momirovski will go ahead.

Melbourne will be looking to swap young hooker Harry Grant in any sort of swap deal, but Bellamy is unsure if it will happen.

With the Storm lacking depth in the outside back department and the Tigers lacking options at dummy-half, both clubs had arranged to trade the players for this season before both returned to their respective clubs in 2021.

Both the Storm and Tigers must discontinue both players' current deals before both can be signed to one-year deals with their new team.

The Rugby League Players Association are all for this new unique deal by both clubs, but Bellamy said he isn't sure where the deal is at, at the moment.

"I'm not quite sure where that is at the moment. It seemed to be a simple thing to me," Bellamy told NRL Media. 

"The two clubs were very happy for it to happen. The two players were very happy for it to happen for 12 months. But there's been a fair few roadblocks put up by the NRL."

Momirovski was in Melbourne recently to check out his potential surroundings, and Bellamy gave him the tick of approval saying he is a "terrific kid".

Bellamy also doesn't want any part of the technicalities with any sort of deal.

"I don't know all those rules and I don't really want to know all those rules either, to be quite honest. It gets a bit technical, so they tell me."

Grant, who is rated as one of the NRL's brightest and best up-and-coming young hookers in the game, would challenge for a starting role at the Tigers with Robbie Farah retiring, Josh Reynolds is facing legal dramas and Jacob Liddle unable to return from his ACL injury until at least the midway point of the year.

Bellamy believes Grant is "ready for first grade", but doesn't see a role for him this season with Cameron Smith still controlling the number 9 jumper and Kiwis hooker Brandon Smith also on the bench.

Whether Momirovski ends up wearing purple this season or not and despite the departures of Will Chambers and Curtis Scott, Bellamy has designated Justin Olam for one centre role.

"[Olam] seemed to improve each game [last year] as well. He's had a reasonable pre-season so he'll probably get the first go at that left centre," Bellamy said.

Marion Seve and Brenko Lee are currently fighting for the right-side role while Tom Eisenhuth has also seen time there during training.

Bellamy has also confirmed that Jahrome Hughes is set to start the season at halfback after the Brodie Croft departure to Brisbane.

Hughes played as a fullback for the vast majority of the 2019 season, but ultimately replaced Croft in the halves with the emergence of the dynamic Ryan Papenhuyzen.

"[Jahrome] has done most of the training in that position this year. We've also got Ryley Jacks back and young Cooper Johns has come on a bit as well," Bellamy said.

"But certainly with Jahrome there, we had him at the end of the season and he's been there most of the pre-season. If all goes to plan, we think he'll be our halfback come round one."

14 COMMENTS

  1. We really cannot stand anything new and innovative in our game can we ?

    This deal was win:win for both parties with neither side trying to flout the principles of the salary cap rules. It helped two young kids break into NRL grade whilst still remaining loyal to their respective clubs. Surely Todd or someone has the ability to rule on these things with a common sense decision.

    These kinds of swaps and out and out loans of young players looking to break into first grade are common in the ESL. They seem to make it work so what is wrong here or are we just a bunch of Ludites.

  3. Squiz, He may not be there for long.

    To be fair, he was thrown in at the deep end last year and although he was spectacular he was reasonably solid. If he has a preseason under his belt in that position he should be a lot better and if not then Mr. John’s lad might get a go.

  5. So Tyrone May gets another month of suspension, even though he’s effectively been suspended for a season before that. Plus , has other penalties to go with it.
    He should have just bashed several people in a drunken stupor. He’d have only gotten a six week ban for that.
    Just joking! It’s better to not do anything stupid. It still seems to depend on who you are & who you play for , for how severe the NRL penalties will be.

  6. EOD, they just make this crap up as they go along each day, pretty much like 21 and his ZT comments. I’m not sure why he isn’t allowed back till round 5?? Court matter is finalised, penalties dished out yet the nrl give him another 4 games on top!! Really, WTF?? I don’t agree with what he did but either he’s back or he’s gone

  7. That’s how I see it redv13.
    Penrith like St.George , have gone a year one player down from the 30 man squad . Still paid the player for that time. A year seems like a pretty good suspension. With whatever punishment that is handed down from the legal system. That should be the end of the matter. If they face a prison sentence, they would most likely then be sacked by the clubs.
    Why the extra bit of punishment by the NRL?
    De Belin & St.George are in an even worse position. With his case delayed further. So without a player even longer. If he was proven innocent, do St.George get compensation from the being a player down for all of that time, by the NRL? Monetarily, under the cap compensation I mean.
    Why shouldn’t Penrith also ask for compensation in the cap?
    They should also ask for an extra player on top of the squad of 30, for the time the player has been out. It isn’t the clubs fault, that a player has done the wrong thing. A club is actually being very kind in keeping the players on, while having to pay them.
    If the NRL can dish out the extra sentences . They can also give some sort of compensation to the clubs , for the missing player.

  8. Swap Brain Kelly for Timo early release

    Titans get a solid forward early and can play Peachey and Watkins at centre.
    Kelly would be awesome for the storm

    Titans can then arrange some sort of deal for releasing Jai Arrow early if they want. Maybe Dane Gagai

  9. East
    “Why the extra bit of punishment by the NRL?”

    I think it is more about letting the media settle down than it is about punishment.

  11. I don’t agree with the May decision, why give him an extra 4 weeks plus a fine of 25% of last years money, thats not fair in my opinion.
    I don’t like this no fault rule, if De belin is found not guilty , what then? This whole thing is wrong, the NRL should not be allowed to basically find people guilty until provan innocent, I hope Saints go after the NRL if he is found not guilty, now the case will be put back till August, just not fair.
    In regards to the Reynolds case , a good read in sat tele by Paul Kent , explains a lot and also the Burgess business in how Easts sat on that until the right time to release it, all in all it is difficult to get the balance right by the NRL but I don’t believe this policy is the right one

  12. Look the NFSD rule isn’t pleasant and I wish we didn’t need it but we do.

    If Debelin is found innocent then nothing happens. Saints can’t go after the NRL because there is no case to answer. The whole point of the NFSR is that it does not presume guilt nor innocence (the clue is in the no fault bit). The rule is legal as DeBelin proved. In my mind, the only vulnerability the NRL has over this rule is where Todd decides to apply it. Other than that, it is rock solid legally.

  13. May wasn’t even close to going to jail.
    So with may being banned for 30 games the nrl must leave that as the standard for anyone sent to community service

  14. I don’t know about May, I know it wasn’t a good look for the game which is where Toddy is coming from. The penalty does seem excessive in his case but this is the problem with Todd making decisions. He will get them wrong. The automatic stand down as it is, is a necessary evil in my view and I can live with that. Most of the others we should just let the court process play out then penalise afterwards if necessary.

    To put it in a little perspective, compare these cases including May with someone given a life time ban in 2 sports for a case that is not even an offence, has had zero police police involvement and doesn’t even warrant a $10 fine. That is what you get for sending a tweet that is not considered politically correct. There is something wrong somewhere.

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