Melbourne Storm star Jesse Bromwich’s hopes premiership coach Craig Bellamy re-signs
CRAIG Bellamy’s future remains uncertain with Brisbane having tabled what is said to be the richest contract in franchise history. But Melbourne players are desperate for the coach to stick around.
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MELBOURNE Storm enforcer Jesse Bromwich has launched an impassioned plea for premiership coach Craig Bellamy to re-sign with the club.
Bellamy’s future remains uncertain with the Brisbane Broncos having tabled what is said to be the richest contract in franchise history to lure the Storm icon out of Melbourne.
Bellamy and former mentor, Broncos coach Wayne Bennett, contracted until the end of 2019, will face off on Sunday at AAMI Park.
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Bromwich was emphatic when asked if the contract stalemate had any impact on the players.
“Not for myself personally, I can’t speak for everyone else,” Bromwich said.
“I’d love Bellyache to stay, he’s been here for a very long time and all the boys love having him around.
“You got to give him space and respect whatever he does because he never comes in and, I guess, try to force us into a decision when we’re off contract, so I don’t see why we should do that to him.
“We’ll support him whatever he does, but I really hope he stays.”
Storm chief executive Dave Donaghy strongly denied speculation last week that Melbourne had given the premiership mastermind a deadline to decide his future.
Reports surfaced during the build-up to Origin that Bellamy was close to signing a three-year extension at Storm, valued at about $1.7m a season.
Bellamy and Bennett headlined a sports luncheon in Toowoomba last week where the Storm mastermind vowed he would not be coaching the Broncos in 2019.
“If I am not coaching Melbourne next year, I will not be coaching the Broncos,” Bellamy said.
“No, Wayne is going to coach there (Brisbane). He has a contract for 2019 so there you go.”
Meanwhile, Storm is sweating on the fitness of Origin triumvirate Cameron Munster, Felise Kaufusi and Josh Addo-Carr after Wednesday night’s MCG showdown.
Storm accepted a one-game ban offered to Will Chambers for dangerous contact with Blues hooker Damien Cook, while Billy Slater (hamstring) was ruled out of Sunday’s blockbuster after being a shock withdrawal for the Maroons.
Broncos James Roberts and Andrew McCullough must also be cleared medically to line up against Storm after the bruising Origin series-opener.
“You just prepare for the best Broncos team you can, prepare like all the Origin boys are going to back up, same as us, we prepare like all our boys are going to back up,” Bromwich said.
Munster got through his second Origin game unscathed, barring a knock to the face early in the contest that impacted his vision for the remainder of the match.
Originally published as Melbourne Storm star Jesse Bromwich’s hopes premiership coach Craig Bellamy re-signs