Joey faking it: Bellamy
By Karl deKroo
April 19, 2006
HE hasn't been named and Newcastle claims he is no chance, but Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy says Andrew Johns will be lurking at Olympic Park on Saturday night.
Bellamy smells a rat, and believes it will take more than a low-grade ankle injury to sideline the Test superstar.
"I don't believe a word of it," Bellamy said last night.
"We will prepare as if he's going to play. I watched the Knights game (against North Queensland) on the weekend and he didn't miss a minute.
"They were very quick to rule him out, but I know what a competitor he is and if there's any chance, he'll be there."
The Knights insist Johns will miss at least a week with a lateral ligament strain and yesterday named rookie Jarrod Mullen at halfback.
"I think part of our decision was to make a call early and allow Jarrod to focus on starting at halfback this week," Newcastle coach Michael Hagan said.
"We can look forward to Andrew playing maybe the week after.
"It takes the pressure off him (Johns) feeling as though he needs to make himself available when it would have been unlikely for him anyway.
"Saturday night's going to come around pretty quickly and I don't think the injury will settle down by then to be honest."
No player has a greater influence on his team's prospects than Johns. That will be reflected when betting markets open this morning.
"At the moment it looks like he's out, so we'll go up with Melbourne $1.60 favourite and the Knights $2.30," Sports Acumen head trader Matthew Fisk said last night.
"If he was named it would be Newcastle $1.45 and Melbourne $2.55, maybe longer."
Johns was at the centre of a massive betting plunge when he was a late withdrawal from the Knights' Round 4 game against the Warriors who were sensationally back from $5 to evens -- and duly won.
Should Johns not play it could also impact on Storm's hopes of pulling a big crowd at its first home game.
"I'm sure a few people would like to see Joey (Johns) play," Storm chief executive Brian Waldron said.
"But I'd like to think our fans come out to watch us not the opposition.
"We are the local product, we have an exciting, talented list that rivals anything in the competition."
Mullen is considered one of the most talented young players in the NRL and played Australian schoolboys alongside Storm whizkid Greg Inglis.
Mullen said he would relish the chance to fill Johns' shoes.
"Anyone's going to feel the heat if they've got to stand in for Andrew Johns," Mullen said.
"But I've just got to get out there and do my job.
"I've got a lot of great players around me . . . so hopefully we can come away with the win.
"I don't read much into it, that media stuff about how the Knights can't win without Joey. I know we can."
From:
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,18859009-23214,00.html
