Melbourne assistant coach Jason Ryles has stood up for Storm skipper Cameron Smith, who has been accused of dirty play during their NRL preliminary final win over Canberra. Peja Stojakovic Jersey .Ahead of Sundays grand final against Cronulla, Smith has come under fire for appearing to knee Raiders skipper Jason Crokers injured leg and pushing him over following a Storm try late in in the first half.The incident wasnt deemed worthy of any action by the match review committee with Ryles saying that Melbourne were the team that others loved to hate, particularly during the NRL finals.That has gone up a notch with the ANZ Stadium decider being billed as a state against state showdown.You can make a lot out of a still shot, Ryles said of a newspaper photograph of the collision.Its the same thing, different year for the Storm.When I was playing the same thing happened and now Im coaching four or five years later its still happening so we certainly dont read into it.The former Kangaroos prop, who played two years for Melbourne before his retirement, didnt believe Smith was a protected species.He said as the Australian captain Smith had earnt the respect of referees.Hes obviously a quality player and hes the Test captain and the referees have a lot of respect for him and he has respect for the referees.If I was the referee and the Test captain came up to me and spoke politely than I would speak to him and I think thats basically all he does.Since Ryles took over as forwards coach this season the Storm have taken their game to a new level.But he was quick to deflect his own efforts, making special mention of the improvement from lock Dale Finucane and prop Jordan McLean, and said that was a key to Melbournes success.Probably the biggest thing for Jordan this season is that he had a really solid pre-season which was unbroken with injury, Ryles said.That consistency in the pre-season seems to be showing through in the season that hes having.Ryles heart-breakingly sat out Melbournes 2012 grand final triumph over the Bulldogs due to a hamstring injury.He said being a part of this campaign was just as special.It still meant a lot in 2012 winning the grand final and this would as well, he said.Theres a lot of work that goes into it during the season culminating in this weekend and its an honour and a privilege to be part of it. Vlade Divac Kings Jersey . Pert has formerly spent time as an assistant coach with Cardiff City, Coventry City, and Bahrain mens national team. "Martyn is a highly-respected coach with experience at the top levels in England," said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. Bogdan Bogdanovic Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. https://www.kingslockerroom.com/Justin-J...Edition-Jersey/ . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has assured Goran Dragic that, contrary to a recent report, Miami has not discussed including the starting point guard as part of trade talks with the Sacramento Kings.?Dragic told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that Spoelstra approached him Thursday before Miamis preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets to tell him that the trade speculation is not true.The website BasketballInsiders.com, citing sources, reported Tuesday that the Heat and Kings discussed a trade involving Dragic, Rudy Gay and Darren Collison.Dragic, who will make approximately $51 million over the next three years, acknowledged that playing in the NBA is a business but also said he appreciated Spoelstra reaching out to him. DeMarcus Cousins Jersey. I told him I understand this is the business, Dragic said. The only thing I can do is do what I do on the court.Dragic, 30, averaged 14.1 points and 5.8 assists in 2015-16, his first full season in Miami. The nine-year veteran is expected to assume a more prominent role this season after Dwyane Wades free-agent departure and Chris Boshs indefinite medical absence. ' ' '