NRL: Storm vow not to throw in the towel

Melbourne forward Adam Blair (C) is tackled during yesterday’s match against the Broncos. Photo / Getty Images

MELBOURNE - Craig Bellamy knew the letdown was coming but the Storm coach and his players have vowed Sunday's loss to Brisbane will not be the beginning of the end in terms of the NRL club's competitiveness this season.

On a day that was supposed to be a celebration of their new home ground, the Storm were instead embarrassed at AAMI Park as an out of form and injury-ravaged Brisbane side ran out easy winners 36-14.

"There was always going to be a letdown at some stage ... today wasn't the day we wanted to have a letdown," Bellamy said of the turmoil following their salary cap punishments.

"New stadium, all our fans turning up, we didn't need it today.

"I didn't see it coming.

"I've always said I know it's not going to be easy but at the end of the day we've got certain standards in our club footy-wise and we didn't go near them today."

While the absence of injured skipper Cameron Smith and the fact they had several players backing up from tests and City-Country duties on Friday can go some way to explaining the defeat, the magnitude raised serious questions about the commitment of the Storm players.

With nothing to play for but pride in 2010, it was always going to be tough to keep backing up week after week once the initial emotion of the over-payments scandal had died down.

"I honestly don't know how to answer that question - how do we uphold our standard when we've got nothing on the line?" said fullback Billy Slater.

"You find little things that will get you up and obviously some weeks you will get up more than others and this week was one of those weeks that we didn't get up."

Asked if this was the beginning of the end, stand-in captain Cooper Cronk said: "We can't guarantee how we're feeling in ten weeks time or four weeks time, but one thing we can guarantee, and Craig can guarantee and I can guarantee, is this purple jersey means a hell of a lot to me and my teammates, and that's going to be the driving force.

"We obviously didn't hold it in that regard today.

"I can handle losing a game of football, but to not give our fans what they thoroughly deserve for what they've given us the last few weeks ... today was meant to be a payback to them and that's where I'm not too happy with it at the moment."

Veteran five-eighth Brett Finch did his best to play down the significance of the loss but admitted there were tough times ahead for the club as they eye a trip to Canberra on Saturday night.

"Even last year when we were playing for points, you still have letdowns," Finch said.

"Because of what's gone on people can easily attribute it to a letdown ... I'm not too sure the reason behind it.

"It's going to be pretty tough, if there's been any ray of sunshine in our weeks it's been that we knew that we were still playing good, we had a couple of good wins.

"I'm sure it will be a tough week now, everybody's pretty disappointed. I guess it's just like any week, we've got to bounce back into training and look forward."

- AAP