Wayne Bennett turns up the heat on Brisbane bosses following failed bid to poach Craig Bellamy
BRISBANE coach Wayne Bennett has turned up the heat on the Broncos after the club’s campaign to poach Craig Bellamy from Melbourne came up short.
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STAYING PUT: Brisbane won’t get Bellamy
WAYNE Bennett has turned up the heat on Brisbane bosses by tabling a blueprint for the future after Melbourne rival Craig Bellamy agreed to a $5.1 million extension with the Storm.
Brisbane’s succession plan for Bennett is in tatters, with News Corp exclusively obtaining a leaked Melbourne email which confirms Bellamy has inked a three-year extension to stay at the Storm for life.
Bellamy has informed the Broncos of his decision. The super coach advised Storm players and football staff on Saturday night as a preamble to the club making an announcement before Melbourne’s clash against Newcastle.
Now Bennett has upped the ante, with the NRL’s greatest coach revealing after Brisbane’ 20-16 defeat of Cronulla that he has tabled a formal proposal to Broncos CEO Paul White.
Bennett refused to divulge the contents of his proposal but the 68-year-old almost certainly craves another term at Red Hill after telling the board last month he wants to coach Brisbane in 2020.
Asked whether Bellamy’s decision to stay loyal to the Storm had given him relief and certainty at the Broncos, Bennett pulled no punches.
“Not really, no,” said Bennett, who is off-contract at the end of next season.
“I’m not sure about that (getting clarity about his future at the Broncos), I can’t answer that question, it’s not for me to answer.
“I have put a proposal to our chief executive, it is now up to him to take it to the board and I’ll see what happens.”
Asked what the proposal contains, Bennett said: “It’s a waste of time having a board meeting if I tell you now.
“But I’ve put a proposal talking about a few things so we’ll wait and see.
“We have to make sure at the club that everyone knows what’s going on and when that is done, that will be the relief.
“That (coaching Brisbane in 2019) was never in dispute … being here next year was never in dispute.”
Storm hierarchy declined to comment but it can be revealed Melbourne have got their man in Bellamy.
A leaked internal email reads in part: “Craig Bellamy has accepted terms to continue as head coach for a further three seasons (end 2021).
“A long-form agreement will need to be finalised in the coming weeks.
“Given he’s informed the Broncos of his position, there will be an announcement early tomorrow afternoon, prior to our game against Newcastle.
“He is informing football staff and players.”
Bellamy’s decision is a massive blow for the Broncos, who last month secretly approached the 58-year-old with a view to him replacing Bennett at Red Hill, either next season or in 2020.
The Broncos board must now make one of their toughest calls as an executive — reappoint Bennett on the cusp of his 70th birthday, or sack the coaching icon who has delivered all of Brisbane’s six premierships.
During his tenure, Bellamy has led the Storm to seven grand finals and four premierships, two of which were stripped due to the club’s salary-cap scandal in 2010.
Bennett was privately convinced Bellamy, who started at Brisbane in 1998 as a trainer, would take the Broncos offer, but his decision to stay loyal has given Bennett some bargaining power at Red Hill.
The Broncos tabled a four-year, $5.6 million offer to Bellamy, but the former Brisbane assistant has agreed to another term with the Melbourne club he first joined in 2003.
Should the Broncos choose to move on from Bennett, his former assistant and Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters shapes as one possible successor.
Originally published as Wayne Bennett turns up the heat on Brisbane bosses following failed bid to poach Craig Bellamy