NRL 2020: Melbourne Storm rule out releasing coach Craig Bellamy to take up Brisbane Broncos role
Melbourne Storm have slammed the door on Brisbane’s bid to poach Craig Bellamy, claiming not even $20 million would tempt them into releasing their super coach to replace Anthony Seibold.
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Brisbane’s hopes of poaching Craig Bellamy to replace Anthony Seibold have been crushed after Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp declared not even $20 million would entice the Storm to release their super coach.
News Corp can reveal the Broncos’ dream of luring Bellamy to Red Hill for the 2021 season is dead and the Storm are intent on ensuring the NRL’s best coach never works for another club.
The Broncos pursued Bellamy in 2018 as they plotted a succession plan for Wayne Bennett, only to miss out on his signature as he committed to Melbourne.
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Broncos chairman Karl Morris confirmed he was ready to speak to Bellamy about a potential return to Brisbane following the axing of Seibold on Wednesday.
“Craig Bellamy is contracted to the Storm until the end of next year and Matt Tripp will have plenty of money to pay him anything to stay,” Morris said.
“If Craig wants to return to Queensland, of course we would be prepared to have a conversation with him. We’d be mad if we didn’t have that chat, but he’s not off-contract anyway so I don’t see the Storm losing him.
“We will start the process next week and I’d like to think we can have a new coach in place by November.”
But that coach won’t be Bellamy.
Bellamy, 60, is contracted to the Storm until the end of the 2021 NRL season and Tripp said there was no chance Melbourne would let him go.
“Absolutely not, if the Broncos came to me and said ‘here is a cheque for $20 million to release him from his contract early’ I’d tell them to go look elsewhere,” Tripp said.
“That’s how strongly I feel. For the Melbourne Storm this is not about money, it’s about sustaining success and that happens by having the right people in the right roles. That starts with Craig.
“If they think cash is going to buy him out of a contract they should think again. They can do their best and knock themselves out, but as far as I’m concerned he will be coaching the Melbourne Storm until at least the end of 2021.”
Next year will be Bellamy’s 19th season at the helm of the Storm juggernaut and he has indicated it is likely to be his last as a head coach.
With family in Queensland, Bellamy has admitted a return to the Sunshine State is appealing when he exits Melbourne and the Brisbane Bombers expansion bid team have targeted him for a coaching director role if they receive admission to the NRL.
But the Storm are ready to offer Bellamy a role which will allow him to continue working for the club while spending more time in Queensland.
“Either way, if he is a senior coach or in a different role, I hope he will remain part of the Melbourne Storm for many years to come,” Tripp said.
“If it means tailoring a role for him to be closer to family then I’m open to that. We would work our way through that.
“At the moment there is no talk of that, our focus is on the task at hand and another finals campaign. We will worry about that stuff postseason.
“It’s going to take at least 12 months to plan for life after Craig if he chooses not to be head coach beyond 2021.
“At some stage over the summer we will sit down, have a chat and work out what’s best for Craig and the Melbourne Storm.
“We would love him to stay on beyond 2021 in any capacity that he could provide value.”
Originally published as NRL 2020: Melbourne Storm rule out releasing coach Craig Bellamy to take up Brisbane Broncos role