Inside the Melbourne Storm’s and Craig Bellamy’s endless quest for excellence
As if Parramatta needed more motivation, inside the walls at the Melbourne Storm they still flaunt their 2009 grand final triumph over the Eels, despite having their title stripped.
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THIS is the behind-the-scenes tour of the Melbourne Storm that will leave the Eels fuming.
Ahead of the Parramatta’s sudden death NRL semi-final showdown against the Storm, JAMES PHELPS travelled to Melbourne to uncover the secrets of the minor premiers.
What he found was jerseys and pictures adorning the walls that depict the Storm’s 2009 grand final win over the Eels. Celebrating a decider that now carries an asterisk due to Melbourne’s systematic salary cap cheating.
The 2007 and 2009 premierships — taken from the Storm and given to no-one — are still a sore point. Something the club has spent a decade getting away from by chasing more, legitimate, success.
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WE are wedged between a future Immortal and arguably the most controversial man in rugby league on the Melbourne Storm bench.
“Oh, you are with the paper,’’ Melbourne wrestling coach John Donehue says.
“I am not the devil you know?’’
The Storm are beating the Cowboys 24-16 in their final regular season clash of the year.
After three dogged refusals, Cameron Smith is finally dragged from the field.
“We still got it?’’ Smith said.
“The best for? The best against? The best differential?’’
A man wearing a headset nods.
“You beauty,’’ Smith said.
The rugby league great is soon hoisting the JJ Giltinan Shield as the Storm are crowned minor premiers for the fourth time.
The Daily Telegraph was last week invited to Melbourne for an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at rugby league’s greatest team.
In an access-all-areas pass that included a sideline pass to their captain’s run, a tour of AAMI Park, and even a spot on the Storm bench, The Daily Telegraph attempted to uncover the secrets of the Storm.
Welcome to the Melbourne machine.
THE FACILITY
There are four replica NRL premiership trophies on display in the Storm reception room. Yes, four.
A replica of one of the two trophies that were stripped for salary cap cheating sits awkwardly between the three legitimate gongs.
“Oh, they are chained down,’’ a Storm staffer says.
“We can’t get rid of it.’’
It’s difficult to escape the shadow cast by the illegitimate titles. There are 2007 and 2009 jerseys scattered around the office. They hang on walls next to pictures of players spraying champagne and crying tears of joy.
We are politely asked not to take photos of anything featuring the premierships that were sensationally stripped.
The two premierships taken from the Storm and given to no-one — forever an asterisk — appear to be both a source of pride and shame. They won’t take down the jerseys or the throw away the replica trophies — nor will they acknowledge them.
They are certainly a source of motivation.
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Despite predictions of doom and gloom after losing Cooper Cronk and then Billy Slater, the Storm this year produced the best statistical season in 60 years of rugby league.
Melbourne celebrate their remarkable success with pictures and painted walls.
A full-time staff of 69 work in the office space located under the stands of AAMI Park. A hefty door leads to a state-of-the-art gym, a pool and recreation room that the Storm share with the Melbourne Victory and the Melbourne Demons.
Craig Bellamy runs his empire from an office with an open door.
“One team,’’ reads the gigantic banner on his wall.
“One family.’’
That family consists of 69 full-time employees. Some - like his defensive coach Donehue — have been with Bellamy since the master coach began with Melbourne in 2003. Others — like his son and development coach Aaron Bellamy — since they were born.
“Oh he is nothing like his Dad,’’ says Ryan Hoffman, the 265-game Melbourne veteran now the football administration coordinator.
“Chalk and cheese. Aaron is as laid back as the come. A surfy dude from the coast.’’
Bellamy runs his empire from an office with an open door. He works up to 90 hours a week.
“That would be underestimating it,’’ Hoffman says.
“I reckon that would be more like time in the office. He is always working. Probably does when he is asleep.’’
The slogans around the office are not secrets.
“We want people that care about the organisation,’’ Bellamy said.
“Care about their teammates. That is very important to me and everybody knows that. You need to take pride in what you do but also understand it is part of a collective. We are all here together. When it comes to footballers I sign people not players.’’
THE TRAINING
The Fox is dancing to Daft Punk when the NRL immortal in waiting finally arrives.
“Yewww,’’ Cameron Smith yells.
Addo-Carr doesn’t break beat, the fastest man in rugby league skipping his way across the freshly cut turf.
A portable speaker has turned the AAMI Park outer into a disco.
“Work it harder,’’ Daft Punk demands.
“Make it better. Do it faster. Makes us stronger.’’
The last to arrive, Smith slaps skin with Addo-Carr before sitting down to tie his boots.
“Notice the play list?’’ Storm recruitment manager Paul Bunn says as he points to the DJ rig that is now belting out Takin’ Care of Business by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
“All about winning.’’
And soon the Storm are taking care of business — the Fox now dancing past defenders as Smith directs and demands.
The Melbourne machine is up and running.
Better. Faster. Stronger.
Sun belts down on the AAMI outer as we arrive for the Storm’s final regular session of the year.
It’s called the “captain’s run’’ – a game simulation of “opposed’’ where the top-side takes on the reserves in an all-out game of grab.
What you first notice is the very public park the Storm use for all their field sessions.
The Victory are training on an adjacent field as joggers, dog walkers and pram pushes all share the manicured green with the Storm.
“Everyone thinks we are some secretive organisation,’’ assistant coach Jason Ryles says.
“But nothing could be further from the truth. Have a look around. Anyone can come and watch us train. Everything we do is completely in the open.’’
There is nothing stopping an NRL rival from video recording the Storm train.
“There is no point,’’ Ryles continues.
“Everyone knows what we are going to do. Everyone knows how we play. It is a matter of stopping it.’’
It is in this very public place that the Storm conduct their wrestling drills.
“We certainly practice a lot of our contact,’’ Bellamy admits.
“But it is all about being within the rules. You see other clubs doing the same exact thing and not drawing any criticism.’’
The Storm were one of the first to employ a wrestling coach with mixed martial arts expert John Donehue joining part-time in 2003.
Every club in the NRL has followed suit.
“(All the attention) is dug up by people at other clubs I would imagine,’’ Bellamy said.
“The people reporting it and talking about it need to go and have a real good look at the game because you won’t find much difference in defensive tactics between all the teams.’’
There is no wrestling on the field today. Just perfection.
Passes whiz through the air like laser-guided missiles as Melbourne practice a shift. Gigantic bodies hurtle into holes as they attack an edge.
“It isn’t a cool trait but the big thing from me is to have consistent players,’’ Bellamy says.
“I need to know what I will get out of them each week and I want to get the same thing regardless of the situation. I want them to play the same way regardless of whether they are winning, losing, playing at home or away, in the hot or the cold.
“You are what your actions are and you build habits by repetition. That repetition needs to be good repetition.
“Otherwise you will learn bad habits. That come down to attention to detail and the things we call one-percenters.’’
THE TORTURE TEST
Toughness is a Melbourne must. Each new recruit must pass a pre-season torture test. Wearing a 20kg back-pack at all times and sent out on 3am runs, the hopefuls are kept awake for three days. Bellamy is a constant menace, springing from the dark, all surprise, shouting, and spit flying sprays.
“You had enough?’‘ he screams.
“This is nothing. What sort of person are you.’’
Those that fail to prove themselves as Melbourne are gone.
THE COACH
As game time nears, a Melbourne fan bravely drapes his homemade banner over the railing. He smiles as he looks down to make sure the purple sheet is positioned directly over the coach’s box.
“Have a look at that,’’ a Storm official calls out. “That’s new.”
“Beware,’’ the sign reads.
“Bellyache below.’’
Assistant coach Ryan Hoffman shakes his head and chuckles.
“I’ll take him up on his warning.’’
The gates at AAMI Park have just opened, Bellamy won’t be sitting under the sign — swearing, slamming and screaming — for another hour.
“I’m lucky Rylesy is up there with him and not me,’’ Hoffman says.
“He translates all his messages and radios them through to me.’’
For 80 minutes a week Bellamy is a rugby league lunatic. His ranting and raving in the coaching box has become legendary.
“He is only like that during the game,’’ Hoffman continues.
“He is very calm and collected the rest of the week.’’
Bellamy rivals Wayne Bennett as the NRL’s greatest coach.
The 57-year-old has won almost 70 per cent of his 450 games.
“He just works harder than everyone else,’’ Hoffman says.
Bellamy is modest about his 5am starts and 90-hour working weeks.
“I can’t say we work harder,’’ Bellamy says.
“I haven’t been in another NRL organisation so I don’t know how hard anyone else works.’’
Bellamy is the man that built Melbourne. Since joining in 2003, he only missed the finals the year Melbourne were not playing for points. Much of their success has come thanks to Bellamy’s meticulously mapped-out game plans.
“I don’t plan football like I used do,’’ Bellamy said.
“Going back 10 years, I definitely micromanaged. Planning every play, that sort of stuff.
“And in the past, I expected everyone to play a position the same way. I wanted a half to play a certain way and a prop to play a certain way.
“I am a lot more aware of what players’ strengths are these days and using their strengths to mould our game plan.’’
Again, Bellamy credits his people.
THE MATCH
The players charge onto AAMI Park at 7.22pm.
“See,’’ says a Storm official.
“7.22pm. Not a minute before or later. It is exactly 7.22pm for 8pm starts. Team meeting is at 7.17pm, they leave the sheds at 7.20pm and they hit the field at 7.22pm. And get your phone out and time the warm-up … it will go for exactly 21 minutes.’’
And it does.
They players kick, pass and catch the 17 brand new Steedens – all pumped exactly to 8psi – that were meticulously stacked on the side-line at 7pm. They hit, bump and drive their shoulders into the eight crash pads that were placed around the 30m line. And they sprint and step around the eight blue cones after they stretch.
“It has been the same warm-up for ten years,’’ said Ryles.
“Nothing changes around here unless it has to.’’
The players leave the field at 7.43pm as promised.
The Melbourne machine is military precise.
While he might not script every on-field play, everything else in Melbourne is regimented.
Training days and times are always the same. They catch the same flights to away games.
“I demand that their preparation is right,’’ Bellamy said.
“We are here for one purpose and everyone has to do their job properly.’’
The Sunday Telegraph is taken to the Melbourne bench at halftime.
“Oh you are with the paper?’’ Melbourne wrestling coach John Donehue says.
“I am not the devil you know?’’
Turns out he isn’t.
Softly spoken and every inch the gentleman, Donehue simply smiles when I tell him I was responsible for outing him as the “mystery man who has revolutionised rugby league with his controversial wrestling techniques’’ back in 2007.
“You wrote that story?’’ he said.
“You started all this? Ha. I used to get on OK with the media. I used to do interviews and all that sort of stuff. But I had to stop when it all got a bit silly. We are not the bad guys we are made out to be. It is all above board and with-in the rules of the game. Nothing we do is a secret.’’
The Melbourne machine is on the march. They lead the Cowboys 12-4 after Nelson Asofa-Solomona crashes over in the 36th minute to help his side avoid a halftime spray.
“He (Bellamy) wants them to get into the grind,’’ Donehue says as he joins the bench.
“They are looking for the easy option tonight.’’
Softly spoken and every inch the gentleman, Donehue is certainly no devil.
“I used to get on OK with the media, he says.
“I used to do interviews but stopped when it went over the top.’’
Jesse Bromwich is itching to get on.
“Ready?’’ he asks when Hoffman finally gives him the nod.
“I’ve been ready for f...ing ages.’’
Football manager Frank Ponissi stands up after the Storm score to make it 24-16. He looks toward the coach’s box.
“We did it,’’ he shouts.
“Minor premiers with the best for and the best against.’’
Bellamy manages a smile.
“Did you find your magic bullet?’’ Ryles says after the match.
No — only hard work and a coach who inspires good people to perfection.