NRL: Season off to a hot start - Bellamy

The Warriors' comeback win over the Sea Eagles sums up the evenness of the NRL, says Craig Bellamy. Photo / Getty Images

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy says the start to the 2009 NRL season is as intense as he's seen, and believes there's unlikely to be a runaway minor premier this year.

The Storm felt the full force of that intensity in their heart-stopping two-point loss to Brisbane last Friday night, which followed their round one golden point win over the Dragons.

Bellamy, in his seventh season as Storm coach, said the season start had been frenetic.

"I can't remember playing the first two rounds of any season where the intensity has been as high as the two games we've played in," he said.

"We've had two teams keen to go out there and play well and do whatever they needed to do to try to win the game.

"They've been of a really high standard."

Some believe that the game had sped up around the ruck with the introduction of dual referees, however Bellamy wasn't so sure.

With defending champions Manly losing their two games and many of the clubs splitting their results, Bellamy said the competition was very even.

"It seems to get more even every year," he said.

"Obviously the league's plan with the salary cap and other things have made the competition as even as it's ever been.

"It was typical in round one on the Friday night when we won by a point and the Broncos beat the Cowboys by a point, I think that sums up how close this competition is."

He believed that trend would continue throughout the year and a runaway minor premier, like the Storm in 2006 and 2007, was unlikely.

"At the moment everyone thought Manly was the benchmark, and they probably still are, but they've lost their first two games so again that sums up how even this competition is."

Meanwhile Bellamy reiterated that the introduction of two on-field referees shouldn't restrict use of the video referee.

He was furious on Friday night when the referees awarded a 44th minute try to Bronco Peter Wallace after both sides stopped playing following an Aaron Gorrell fumble at dummy half.

"There may be differing opinions as to whether it was a knock-on but I think there was enough doubt there just to go to the video ref and that's my point," he said.

"If it's there and there's any doubt, let's have a look at it, if they're not going to use it then let's cut the video ref out."

- AAP