NRL 2021: Craig Bellamy hints at shock coaching exit after this season

Master coach Craig Bellamy has given the strongest indication yet on his coaching plans for next year.

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Master coach Craig Bellamy has given the strongest indication yet that he could shock rugby league by walking away from coaching after this season.

Bellamy on Tuesday told The Daily Telegraph he harboured “concerns” about losing his coaching passion and said there were other “hiccups” affecting his decision.

“I’d rather pull up a year early than go a year late,” Bellamy said. “I’d hate to keep going and then be half-interested and not do my job properly.”

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Bellamy’s surprise comments come ahead of Thursday night’s massive match against South Sydney, where he will once again confront Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett.

While adamant he hadn’t reached a decision on whether to continue coaching, Bellamy said he would not run the risk of letting people down by coaching a year too long.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy is still weighing up whether to coach again next season. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Told he still appeared animated, passionate and hungry as a coach, Bellamy said: “With all due respect, that’s probably the thing — I don’t want to go on too long and not be like that.

“I’d hate to keep going and then be half-interested and not do my job properly. That’s my main concern – I don’t want to go on when I can’t give it all I’ve got.

“I expect everybody else to do their job properly — that works for us — and I’ve got to be doing that too. That’s the thing I don’t want to do.

“In the circumstance of letting people down or not letting people down, I’d rather pull up a year early than go a year late. That gets said a lot about players.

“Everybody in our footy club works really hard and we expect them to do their job the best they can. I’ve got to do that as well.

“I don’t want to be going a year longer and not doing that. That’s my mentality when I’m thinking about if I’m going to go on and how long I’m going to go on.

“At the end of the day, I’ve got a role to play and I need to play that role. I don’t need to be in there not doing my job. I don’t want to get to that stage and let everybody else down.

“For me, if I’m going to do the job, I want to be passionate about it and I want to make sure I’m still up for that work ethic to get the job done.”

Asked if there was a fear he could wake one morning having lost his passion, Bellamy said: “I’m not saying it’s going to happen but it could. And that’s one thing I don’t want to happen.

“At the end of the day, it’s the one thing I have always prided myself on, that is making sure I do my job the best I can because that is what I expect of everybody else. I can’t expect that from others if I’m not doing that myself.

“People see me as they see me and I can’t really control that. But, like I say, that’s not really the main point — it’s about the people I’m working with.”

Craig Bellamy hopes to have his future sorted “sooner rather than later”. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Bellamy has four options — remaining at Melbourne as head coach or becoming a coaching director at the Storm, Cronulla or Brisbane.

He may opt to overlook all of them and slip into retirement. Bellamy also said there were other factors impacting his decision.

“With all due respect, that (possibly losing his passion) is not the only issue at the moment,” he said. “It’s far from the only issue. There are a few other issues. It’s part of it but not the only reason I haven’t made a decision yet.

“Mate, there have been a few hiccups along the way.

“We will keep going and see what happens. I would have liked to have nailed it down by now. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”

Asked what the “hiccups” were, Bellamy said: “I really don’t want to talk about them.”

Storm players won’t be lulled into complacency at Stadium Australia given Souths’ growing injury toll.

“Souths have really built up their depth – I reckon their depth is as deep as any in the comp,” Bellamy said.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Craig Bellamy hints at shock coaching exit after this season