Death, taxes and Craig Bellamy’s coaching future being discussed at the beginning of the NRL season.
Many thought that Bellamy, including the Storm SuperCoach himself, would be “gone” after the 2023 season, however Melbourne confirmed in May of last year that Bellamy would return for 2024.
Now, the same talks have emerged about whether Bellamy will either lead Melbourne beyond this season, retire, take up a director of coaching role at the club.
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The 64-year-old didn’t give much away in an interview with NRL 360 earlier in the week, preferring to let the mystery remain.
Broncos legend Gorden Tallis, who played under Bellamy when the coach was an assistant at Brisbane, says he thinks the Storm coach will get “bored” if he was to step down.
“I think there’s been about five years he’s come off contract and I don’t think he can walk away. Some coaches just keep coaching, Wayne Bennett is one of those guys. He loves being around the guys, it keeps him young and they like coaching. Craig is the same,” Tallis said.
“I think he would be bored. No matter what he does. He just loves being around the guys and improving young men.”
“There’s talk that this will be his last year in charge. I just don’t see it. I do not see a director of coaching role satisfying him,” Matty Johns added.
Johns went onto pose the question whether Bellamy would consider leaving the Storm to become the coach at another NRL club?
“I understand from (Storm chairman) Matt Tripp and the Melbourne Storm want to keep him there, but surely there are some clubs out there that will be looking at Craig,” Johns said.
“A big storyline would be if one of the big Sydney clubs said to Craig, ‘listen, we want you’”
“We know Wayne has been to a few clubs, but does Bellyache have that in him?,” Brian Fletcher asked.
To which Tallis replied, “I don’t see him going anywhere else”.
“He always said he wouldn’t coach against the big three (Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Cam Smith), does he have the same link with Munster, Hughes and Harry Grant? He might have that.
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“Just imagine though if he went to the Tigers or a club like that and won them a comp.”
The Storm begin their 2024 campaign against the three-peat Penrith Panthers on Friday night, putting an incredible first round streak on the line.
Since Bellamy has been at the helm in Melbourne, the Storm have been perfect in Round 1 fixtures.
Including the Round 1 win in 2002, the year before Bellamy arrived, Melbourne are 22-0 in their previous 22 opening round fixtures.
The Storm were able to escape with a golden point victory in Round 1, 2023 when Harry Grant crossed for a try against Parramatta – the previous season’s grand finalists.
In a sign the NRL may be ready for the unbelievable streak to end, schedule makers have pitted Melbourne against the all-dominating Panthers.
The Storm’s task will be made that much harder with star five-eighth Cam Munster (groin) and prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona (hamstring) out injured for the blockbuster.
For a forward pack who copped its fair share of criticism towards the back end of last season, no Nelson is a huge blow for the Storm.
“Melbourne are always a heavyweight team and they are coming up against the best this weekend in Penrith,” Johns said.
“Melbourne have always been very good in the grind, but outside of Nelson, I thought last year they lacked explosiveness.
“That’s the big question, have they got the pack to win it?”
“Nelson is as big a loss as Munster in my opinion,” Fletcher added.
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