Craig Bellamy confirms new two-year deal with the Melbourne Storm
CRAIG Bellamys remarkable coaching tenure at Melbourne Storm will continue until at least the end of 2018 with the premiership coach last night inking a new two-year deal.
As revealed by the Herald Sun, Bellamy has signed off on the contract extension. The new deal was confirmed at an announcement on Friday.
It wasnt such a hard decision to make, but I took the pre-season because I wanted to be sure that I still had the hunger and passion to go on with the job, Bellamy said after the Storm officially confirmed the two-year contract extension.
Thats been a really important part of what Im about.
I have always been passionate and hardworking, so I wanted to make sure doing the pre-season that I was still all that and when the trials came around I had butterflies in my stomach before the games, so I am thinking I still do have that hunger.
Bellamy was adamant he wanted the issue sorted before Monday nights season-opener against St George-Illawarra at AAMI Park.
The new deal will take Bellamy through to a 16th season, cementing his place among the greatest rugby league coaches of all time.
The two-year activation, which was an option in Bellamys existing contract, means he is likely to finish at Storm in the same season as skipper Cameron Smith, who is also contracted until 2018.
While speculation has been rife that Bellamy would stay on, Smith this week admitted his long-term coach had been coy on what he intended to do.
I remember the last time I was off contract, he actually spoke to me a few times about what he was thinking and what my thoughts were, Smith said.
I get the feeling hell stay and I believe just by seeing him around the place that he has plenty to offer and he still looks hungry every team he comes to training.
I, and the rest of the players, would love to see him go on for another two years, but this stage he hasnt given anyone any indication.
Bellamy already owns the title of longest current reign of any NRL coach at their current club.
The 57-year-old has been at the Storm helm since 2003, winning the 2012 premiership after its 2007 and 2009 titles were stripped as a result of salary cap breaches.
In that time Storm has missed the finals only once, in 2010, when the side played for no competition points.
Even that season, when Bellamy thought about walking away from the game, Storm still recorded enough wins to make the finals on its own merits.
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