The Mole: How Craig Bellamy humbled Melbourne Storm young gun Brenko Lee
Football always came easy to Brenko Lee - until the day he met Craig Bellamy.
A naturally gifted player from an early age, Lee represented the Junior Kangaroos and made his NRL debut while still a teenager at Canberra in 2014.
Lee coasted for the next six seasons, enjoying mixed success at the Raiders, Titans and Bulldogs.
The strongly-built centre probably expected more of the same when he signed with the Storm this year - until Bellamy intervened.
"In fairness, Brenko probably thought he could just turn up and cruise," Lee's manager Chris Orr told Wide World of Sports.
Brenko Lee fights off two would-be tacklers in the Storm's preliminary final win over Canberra Getty
"But that quickly changed the moment he arrived in Melbourne.
"Craig and the coaching staff took him to a new level, pushed him harder than he had ever been pushed before, and taught him how to be a real professional in everything he does.
"Now he is playing in an NRL grand final - something few would have believed he would achieve a few years ago.
"And he is in line for a Queensland State of Origin spot if he goes well on Sunday - that's how consistent he has been this year.
"He tells me he has finally found a football home in Melbourne and he is just determined to play his part and not let the boys down on Sunday."
