Earlier this week, Cameron Munster joked former teammate Cameron Smith may have taken up a Brisbane Broncos coaching gig with an eventual eye towards replacing Craig Bellamy.
Well, if that’s the case, he will have to wait a few more years.
The Storm announced on Friday evening that Bellamy has extended his tenure with the club, with the longtime coach signing a new contract until the end of the 2028 season.
Bellamy, who is already contracted for 2026, will now have coached for an extraordinary 26 consecutive seasons at Melbourne by the end of his deal, having transformed the club into one of the most consistent and professional teams in NRL history.
The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to Bellamy’s success as an NRL coach, with the 66-year-old reaching the finals in 22 of his 23 seasons in charge so far, with the only year they missed out being 2010 when they were stripped of all points for salary cap breaches.
The Storm have also reached the grand final 11 times under Bellamy, winning five times.
“Coaching Melbourne Storm has always been a huge honour. I love this Club and everything it represents, the people, our history and our fans,” Bellamy said.
“I’ve always said I’ll only keep coaching if the club believes I can still contribute. Having that certainty for the next three years is reassuring and I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can continue to grow as a squad.
“I’m also excited to keep working with our coaching and performance staff, who make Storm such a great place to be. We’ve got an outstanding coaching group, who are very capable, and I’m looking forward to helping with their ongoing development.”
The Titans had pursued Bellamy for their head coaching role in 2027 before reaffirming their commitment to new coach Josh Hannay, who is enjoying a profitable week on the Glitter Strip after securing contract assurances from Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Cooper Bai.
Bellamy, meanwhile, has hinted at retiring in previous seasons but has left no doubt over his ambitions for at least the next few years as he looks to take the Storm to another premiership.
Melbourne has now lost in the grand final in back-to-back years, going down to the Broncos in last year’s decider after being outclassed by Penrith in 2024.
Storm Chairman Matt Tripp called Bellamy “one of the greatest coaches in rugby league history” and is confident he can deliver a sixth premiership to the club.
“Craig continues to coach at the highest level, leading an exceptional group of coaches and performance staff who give him every opportunity to focus on developing our players and driving success,” Tripp added.
“Craig’s passion and determination are as strong as ever. He still has the energy and drive to take our team forward and help Melbourne Storm chase another premiership.”
Discussion about this post