Melbourne Storm mentor Craig Bellamy will make a decision in the next two weeks on his future.
As the legendary coach prepares to mark his 500th NRL match in the top job, it’s still unclear if the premiership-winning mentor will continue in the role despite signing an extension last year.
Bellamy will remain involved with Melbourne until the end of 2026 after signing on for another five years last July. But it’s a unique contract that has an undetermined role for Bellamy beyond this season. Under the terms of the deal he has until the end of the month to inform the club whether he’ll continue as coach or move into a less hands on role within the football department.
Bellamy has indicated making a “quick decision” is in everyone’s best interests, while Storm chairman Matt Tripp is prepared to give Bellamy more time should he need it.
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Tripp told The Sydney Morning Herald he is hopeful that Bellamy will stay on as coach.
“If the decision was down to me, it’s a no-brainer; we’d love him to be our head coach as long as he wants to be,” Tripp said.
“We would dearly love him to stay on, but understand the decision is down to him. As always, Craig will make the best decision for him and his family. Whatever that decision may be, I will be fully supportive of it.
“He will play a role in some capacity, I’m hoping it is as head coach for the period. If not, it will be some sort of assistance to the head coach, a role where he can sit over the top of the coaching department to play a role in assisting them in any way required.”
Bellamy is in his 20th season with the club and will become just the fourth coach to reach 500 games alongside Wayne Bennett, Tim Sheens and Brian Smith, when the Storm take on Souths this weekend. If Melbourne can record their second consecutive win to start the year, it will mark Bellamy’s 350th win in charge at a win rate of 70 per cent.
“Coaches, rightly or wrongly, get judged on premierships of course, but I don’t think there has been anyone who has coached north of 300 games who has a win rate like his, above 70 per cent,” Tripp said.
“That’s what separates him from a pretty illustrious pack to make him, in my opinion, the greatest coach of the modern era.”
Bellamy told the publication last week, a busy preseason mixed with off-field and personal issues, made it difficult to give much thought to the looming deadline.
“It’s been a pretty hectic preseason with some off-field stuff, and personally, it’s been a whirlwind of a preseason,” Bellamy said. “I haven’t had a heap of time to think about that.
“Hopefully those things will settle down, we’ll get into the season and I can make a decision reasonably quickly.”
The Storm could face a massive sea change if Bellamy opts not to coach, with the club already parting ways with brothers Jesse and Kenny Bromwich for the Dolphins next year, while Brandon Smith will switch to the Roosters.
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