Craig Bellamy contract: Melbourne Storm coach signs new deal, Sharks, Broncos miss out on legend
Craig Bellamy has secured his future with a mega deal at the Storm, but the super coach has revealed how he seriously considered joining an NRL rival.
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Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has revealed how seriously he considered joining Cronulla after the Sharks appointed Craig Fitzgibbon as head coach.
On the day he formally signed a new long-term contract at the Storm, Bellamy admitted his “senses were heightened” when Fitzgibbon was headhunted by Cronulla.
In what was a difficult and protracted decision, Bellamy finally spurned offers from Cronulla and Brisbane to remain as Storm head coach for next year before shifting into a yet-to-be-determined role at Melbourne for the following five years.
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With the new deal now signed, as revealed by The Daily Telegraph, Bellamy revealed on Tuesday how he considered joining Cronulla as a director of coaching above Fitzgibbon.
“I was talking to the Sharks before ‘Fitzy’ was mentioned but it got a bit more attractive when he joined them because I know Fitzy really well. I haven’t worked with him as a coach but I coached him in Origin,” Bellamy said.
“There’s not too many better people that I’ve met in our game than Craig Fitzgibbon. He had so much care for his teammates and the jumper he was playing for when I coached him.
“He had unbelievable pride in getting his job done, a real quality individual.
“The Sharks were very impressive, to be quite honest, Dino (Mezzatesta), their CEO, is a very impressive individual. When they actually bought Craig into the coaching role, that heightened my senses because I know what a quality person he is.
This will be the best five minutes of your day. Maybe second to Dan's presser... but def a podium finish for this vid.
— Melbourne Storm 🆠(@storm) July 27, 2021
Watch Craig announce his contract extension to the playing group: pic.twitter.com/tEVB2Boejo
“Cronulla and the Broncos, both were very attractive offers. I was really impressed by the people at both organisations. Obviously I know ‘Kevvie’ (Walters) really well and I spoke to (News Corp executive chairman) Michael Miller a few times.
“I had been at the Broncos 20 years ago and really enjoyed my time there back then. It was a reasonably hard decision to be quite honest because both clubs had attractive qualities.”
Bellamy is renowned for his unwavering loyalty. He was a one-club player for Canberra Raiders and will now retire as a one-club coach with Melbourne Storm.
Having started at Melbourne in 2003, Bellamy has won five grand finals, three ratified by the NRL. Bellamy has coached in 490 NRL matches for 343 wins, 145 losses and two draws.
“I have always been old school I suppose,” Bellamy said. “During my NRL career as a player, I only played with one team. And I have always been grateful the Storm gave me my chance as a head coach. I have always believed I owed them something.
“I sat down and wrote down the advantages and disadvantages and then came up with an answer. I was to-ing and fro-ing a bit.”
Asked what kept him fresh and focused, Bellamy said: “I’ve got a responsibility to our players. Their dream is to be a successful NRL player and to make a career.
“My job is to help them do that. That’s where my passion and hunger comes from. The other part of my role is to make sure we are all in sync, so we are a team.”
Our coach, our leader, with us until 2026.
— Melbourne Storm 🆠(@storm) July 27, 2021
Details: https://t.co/9vRCxgpU1Opic.twitter.com/7IaHyge6nA
Bellamy may elect to continue coaching after next season but may slip into a new coaching or commercial role at the club. That new role could be part-time, allowing Bellamy to travel between Victoria and Coolangatta, where he hopes to retire.
“The contract is very flexible and I can bail out after any year and if I want to be head coach, I can,” he said. “It could be a part-time role after next season, that’s what I’m looking at, to be honest. It would be helping out at the club in some way.
“Our plan is to move to Coolangatta, my daughter lives up there. I really love it up there. I could spend part of the week in Melbourne and the rest of the week up there.”
Victorians, currently. pic.twitter.com/0qBdXTUkl8
— Melbourne Storm 🆠(@storm) July 27, 2021
Broncos blocked as Bellamy’s future locked in
By Peter Badel and Phil Rothfield
The Broncos have missed out on Craig Bellamy yet again with the Melbourne super coach agreeing to a five-year deal with the Storm.
As revealed by News Corp, the Storm moved to block Brisbane’s poaching attempt by discussing a lifetime deal to ensure Bellamy finished his career with the Melbourne club he turned into a premiership juggernaut.
Now the Storm have officially closed the door on the Broncos, securing Bellamy until the end of the 2026 season in a huge coup for NRL powerhouse Melbourne.
The Broncos have previously failed to secure Bellamy on three occasions and this fourth snub, after Brisbane discussed a possible 10-year deal, is evidence of the champion coach’s commitment to the Storm.
Bellamy said he was excited to have made the long-term commitment and was grateful of the support the club had provided over the last 12 months.
“There have been a lot of moving parts on and off the footy field, but it’s good to have finality on the decision,” Bellamy said.
“I will be the head coach next year and then I will sit down with the club at the end of each year and talk about what role I might play. At some time during this period, I will take on a different role in coaching and in the commercial area.
“This is my 19th year and there have been some wonderful times over that period. Having the comfort in the surroundings and knowing how the club works certainly helped in making my decision.
“I really enjoy working with this group of players and staff. It’s a typical Storm group in that they work hard and have great care in what they do and great care for the club.
“We are obviously feeling for our fans in Melbourne who love their footy and love coming to watch us play which they haven’t been able to do for the last two years. Hopefully, we can get back home in the back part of the year.”
Storm chairman Matt Tripp said the club was thrilled to have Bellamy committed for the long term.
“Craig is one of the most respected and regarded coaches, not just in rugby league but in world sport. We see the influence he has as a coach and as a mentor and leader for our players, coaches and staff which makes him one of the most sought-after people in the game,” Tripp said.
“Craig has shown an amazing ability to adapt over the years, having coached some of the best players the game has seen under very different circumstances and very different football eras.
“He has led the football club through some of the most challenging periods in our short history, particularly in the last two years with the challenges that have been thrown at him as head coach through the COVID pandemic.
“It was important that both Craig and the club took the time to reach this decision, particularly considering the length of the extension and other factors that needed to be taken into account. It was important Craig was given the time over the last 12 months to make the decision that was right for him, his family and the club.”
Bellamy took on the head coaching role with Storm in 2003. Since that time Storm have played in a remarkable 17 finals series, winning the grand final on five occasions and the minor premiership seven times.
The Broncos were hopeful of securing Bellamy as a culture chief to support Kevin Walters but the Storm have won the battle once again.
It is understood Bellamy’s deal would be worth around $1.2 million while he remains as head coach but drop to around the $750,000 mark if he steps back into more of a mentoring role.
Only Wayne Bennett, who has 21 straight years at the Broncos between 1988 and 2008, has had a longer stint in the NRL at the one club.
Personal issues with a serious illness in the family have delayed the decision he had originally hoped to make back in April.
Bellamy won five grand finals, but only three premierships because of the salary cap scandal.
Many now regard him alongside coach-of-the-century Jack Gibson as the greatest coach in the history of the game. Only a week ago Bellamy was still giving little away about his future.
“It’s been a tough four to six weeks obviously with the footy, but there have also been a couple of other things as well,” he said.
“I’d certainly miss some of the characters here, but also you can say what you like about them, but they keep turning up every week and do their best. That’s all we’ve ever asked.”
He was determined that the negotiations and speculation would not have a negative effect on the players.
Bellamy’s decision is a huge lift for Storm’s recruitment planning, given they will lose Dale Finucane, Josh Addo-Carr and Nicho Hynes at the end of this season.
They have both fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen and hooker Brandon Smith coming off contract next season. Both are free to talk to rival clubs from November but are now more than likely to stay. They also have Jesse Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona off-contract at the end of next year.
The big question is who will step in to coach Storm if Bellamy decides to give it away at the end of next season to become director of football.
There is a clause in the contract that he can continue for as long as he wants.
The likes of Jason Ryles or even Bellamy’s son Aaron would be serious contenders.
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