There is no denying that being a rugby league player is a dream job.
However not all dreams are smooth sailing with most full of ups, downs and plenty of challenges along the way.
Both Cheyse Blair and Ryan Morgan can relate to that. Each player has had their mental strength tested before breaking into the Storm side this season.
Blair arrived in Melbourne in search of greater opportunity and after enduring early season injuries, got his chance in Round 9. He has taken it in both hands, scoring three tries from his five games.
Morgan signed with Storm only six weeks ago but has provided Craig Bellamy’s side with some much-needed stability on the left edge.
Be at AAMI Park when we take on the Tigers, Sunday 26 June, 4pm.
Both players have had their patience tested in recent times though it appears their hard work is beginning to pay off.
“It is great to see those guys take their opportunity, sometimes you never know when that opportunity is going to come,” Craig Bellamy said,
“They accepted it with both hands and they are doing a tremendous job for us at the moment.
“Cheyse came to us in the off-season and he’s had three clubs already. To be quite honest, and I am being quite honest here, Cheyse’s form in the Queensland Cup didn’t warrant him a first grade spot either but we just ran out of troops in our outside backs.
“Since then it just seems that the higher level of the game he just seems to adapt to that so he’s been really good in his four or five games with us.
“Morgs played one game with our Feeder team, he played up at Tweed Heads actually, I was up there at the time so I went and watched him. I didn’t think of losing him for two, three or four weeks at least but again we got some more injuries.
“Match fitness he was underdone but we was the only centre we had left so we put him in and he’s done a great job as well.”
A trademark of Craig Bellamy’s coaching career has been his ability to rejuvenate the careers of countless NRL players over the years.
The master coach admits he gets great satisfaction from seeing players such as Blair and Morgan endure adversity and emerge better for it.
“Without a doubt. You love seeing guys go through a bit of adversity and then come out the other side, whether it be adversity through injury or guys getting sacked or let go by other clubs,” Bellamy said.
“All these players here have got dreams and most of the guys have got dreams of doing well playing our game. We like to give them the opportunity to live up to those dreams.
“If they’ve got a good attitude that they want to come here and work hard then they are always a chance to play plenty of NRL footy and make a real contribution to the team they are playing with.”
Storm take on the Dragons this Saturday night at 7.30pm at WIN Stadium.
