ST George Illawarra are on the lookout for a new coach for 2014 after missing out on signing supercoach Craig Bellamy yesterday. In what could almost be considered a vote of no-confidence in current coach Steve Price, Dragons chief executive Peter Doust last night confirmed Saints were still considering their options for next year's coach.
"Steve was informed of what we were doing when all this started," Doust said. "I understand it can be hard for him. We've known each other for a long time.
"I will say it's a credit to both him and the players how they've handled the off-season. This sort of thing is just part of the landscape in rugby league these days. You've got to look ahead."
Doust had been trying to convince Bellamy to join St George Illawarra since they first spoke last October.
He got the phone call from Bellamy on Sunday evening, revealing he would be staying at Storm.
"We did our best he's made the decision," Doust said.
"We've now got to make a decision on a coach and our players for 2014.
"There is no timeline on it. We'll continue to do our due diligence and evaluate all our options. That doesn't necessarily mean our current coach won't be here next year."
Doust refused to say if he was already talking to other coaches.
Price continues to handle the situation with class.
"The club has been honest and transparent all along," he said last night.
"Craig Bellamy is one of the greatest coaches in history. I can understand why they were talking to him.
"For me, it's business as usual, head down, bum up and try to get a good start to the season."
Veterans Tim Sheens and Brian Smith are available as is Price's assistant coach at the Dragons, Steve Folkes.
Panthers general manager Phil Gould might also be considered in a coaching director's role. Or there is always the possibility of Nathan Brown returning.
Otherwise it would be the untried coaches who were in line for the Wests Tigers job such as Kevin Walters and Matt Parish.
Laurie Daley once worked at the Dragons as a coaching consultant and could be an outside chance if the Blues win the Origin series. Bellamy yesterday revealed it was his emotional attachment to the Melbourne Storm that caused the long delay in finally settling his future.
The offer from St George Illawarra was almost identical in financial terms, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to walking out on the Storm after a decade in Melbourne.
"I feel like a bit of a fan I suppose," he said.
"This is my club.
"I found that attachment just too hard to break to be quite honest."
Obviously the relationship with superstars Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk played a big role in the decision too.
Smith and Cronk had Bellamy clauses in their contracts and could have left if the coach had gone to the Dragons.
"The emotional attachment is very strong, particularly with the players," Bellamy said. "They're really important to me, not only as coach but as a person. I love the club and I love the people in the organisation."
In recent weeks, some suggested the challenge of lifting St George Illawarra out of the doldrums would appeal to the superstar coach.
Even while he was in camp with the Indigenous All Stars last week, the players got the impression he was he was still a 50/50 chance of leaving.
"I know a lot of people would have thought it would have been a bigger challenge for me to go," Bellamy said.
"As a head coach at any elite club it's a challenge every day you go to work.
"There are still plenty of challenges and a lot we want to achieve as a group here at the Storm."
