NRL: Bellamy warns his players to step up

Craig Bellamy. Photo / Getty Images

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy is warning his players that winning isn't enough to keep them in the NRL side.

The Storm were back to their punishing best against Cronulla last round and are primed to do a similar demolition job on Newcastle at AAMI Park in Melbourne tomorrow with Bellamy set to retain the same line-up.

While his players performed across the park against the Sharks, Bellamy said they needed to maintain that standard with plenty of others looking for an opportunity.

"If you can keep the same side continuously that helps with continuity in your play," Bellamy said.

"That's a great help but having said that, the players need to make sure that they perform well themselves because a lot of our other players are playing really well in our feeder teams.

"They're knocking really hard on the door and sometimes you've got to give them a reward as well."

Centre Junior Sa'u scored four tries in their Queensland Cup side last round while Siosaia Vave, Ben Hampton and Brett Finch are also pushing for selection.

Some of those players are certainties for some game time after this clash with the Knights, with the Storm's State of Origin foursome absent for two of their next three matches.

The Origin contingent has had the week off training and will return today to pick up on their game plan ahead of the tomorrow's match.

Bellamy said the squad was still "buzzing" following their 38-6 thumping of the Sharks.

He believed the difference to the side, which stumbled during the Origin period last year, was extra experience.

He felt players such as Gareth Widdop, who was man of the match against Cronulla, Kevin Proctor, Jesse Bromwich and Justin O'Neill had grown in confidence.

"They realise they've got to step up and I think they're a little bit excited about that. In the past perhaps they've been a little bit intimidated about it. They've had three or four years in first grade now and I think they get a bit excited about the team relying on them now and not so much on the rep players."