FRUSTRATED Storm coach Craig Bellamy yesterday responded to criticism of his side's tackling techniques by claiming a similar ploy was responsible for Billy Slater's knee injury and questioning whether grand final opponents Manly were behind a campaign to destabilise the minor premiers.

While Slater is expected to play on Sunday night, he failed to complete Melbourne's first field session since last weekend's spiteful encounter with Parramatta, and Bellamy later blamed the fullback's medial ligament strain on a PJ Marsh leg pull.

The 40th-minute incident, that led to Slater later hobbling from the field, was called "unnecessary" by the NRL's match review committee but like the controversial Brett White tackle on Eels captain Nathan Cayless it did not warrant further action.

Cayless suffered a torn pectoral muscle when White wrenched his arm trying to "turtle" him on the ground, sparking allegations that the Storm - alleged pioneers of the "grapple" tackle and "crusher" had invented a new manoeuvre, dubbed the "ripper".

But Bellamy said White's actions were no different to those of Marsh, who after tackling Slater grabbed at his bandaged right leg and yanked his ankle around in an awkward position.

"That looks quite deliberate and that's how Billy got injured. He could miss the grand final because of that," Bellamy said. "We knew that had happened on Sunday night but we didn't say anything about it.

"We've been copping it over the wrestling and the White incident … that incident [involving Slater], was that called for? We're sorry that Nathan got hurt … but that's how Billy got hurt. We prefer to leave things on the field but we copped about three days of this and nobody noticed what happened [to Slater].

"I don't know who [the agenda is being] pushed by. It doesn't concern the players, they think it's all a joke. Every time we play a game someone seems to keep something running on us. We prefer to leave these things on the field."

Asked if he suspected the Sea Eagles could be involved, Bellamy said: "They could be bringing it up - or Parramatta. I don't know. It just keeps going so I'd imagine it could be [Manly]. They had Mark Carroll in the paper today so I imagine that would be a Manly thing, perhaps."

Contacted by the Herald last night, Marsh said he had no recollection of the tackle or of Slater being injured. "I'm not going to say anything. I haven't seen it and no one has said anything to me about it," Marsh said. "Good luck to them, I hope they win. I'm on holidays so I don't really care."

But NRL video review chief Greg McCallum said the incident had been flagged for his panel to look at on Monday.

"PJ had finished the tackle, he got up, grabbed the ankle and pulled it around," McCallum said. "It was probably unnecessary and could have been worth a penalty for interference in the play the ball. The way we viewed it was like the Cayless tackle, another attempt to slow the play the ball. There were a number of incidents like that in the match."

Meanwhile, there was further fallout from the clash yesterday, with Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne hitting back over claims from Storm players that he deliberately took a dive after a hit by Jeremy Smith, which saw Melbourne forward charged but not suspended.

Hayne, who was accused of winking at Storm lock Dallas Johnson as he lay on the ground after the hit, aimed most of his vitriol at Clint Newton, who had described Hayne's reaction as "piss-poor".

"For him to say it was poor form from me … I think he should have a look at himself," Hayne said. "I got hit around the head. I'd like to see how he goes if it happened to him. It's pretty pathetic when someone's that bitter. You could see on the replay, he didn't miss … What do they want, do they want me to be hit by - a crow-bar - before I stay down? I was hit by a forearm across the head."

Eels second-rower Nathan Hindmarsh also gave an indication of the ill-feeling between the two sides yesterday after he was asked who he felt would win the grand final. "Manly," he said. "They're a Sydney side, and good blokes."