Melbourne Storm coaching great Craig Bellamy is reportedly leaning toward extending his tenure as head coach, putting to rest recent speculation that he could walk away from the club after the 2026 NRL season.
Having led the Storm since 2003, the 66-year-old has recently been linked to a shock move to the Gold Coast Titans, with reports suggesting the veteran coach could take charge and replace Josh Hannay after just one season at the helm.
However, according to Code Sports, talks between Bellamy and Titans officials have reportedly broken down, leaving Melbourne confident they can retain their coaching maestro for at least another season.
Bellamy is reportedly keen to continue in his head coaching role beyond his 2026 contract, potentially extending his extraordinary 23-year tenure at the helm of the Storm.
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The Storm are equally determined to keep hold of their greatest asset, with chairman Matt Tripp reportedly pushing to retain Bellamy at the helm through 2027 before transitioning him into a coaching director role in 2028.
While Bellamy’s eventual successor remains undecided, former Storm stars Matt King and Billy Slater have both been floated as potential candidates to step into the top job when the veteran coach finally steps aside.
Bellamy’s coaching legacy is simply unmatched in the modern era.
Since taking charge, he has transformed the Storm into a dynasty, guiding them to five premierships (two later stripped amid the salary cap scandal) and maintaining Melbourne as a dominant force for more than two decades.
Under Bellamy’s watch, the Storm have featured in 10 grand finals, including back-to-back appearances in 2024 and 2025, where they fell just short against Penrith and Brisbane respectively.
After being linked to a potential Titans switch, Storm star five-eighth Cameron Munster told News Corp that Bellamy deserves to finish his storied career on his own terms.
“He has done everything he can at the club for 23 years as a head coach so to go out on his terms would be pretty special. A lot of other coaches don’t get that opportunity,” Munster said.
“For him to say, ‘I’m going to leave on my terms’, is testament to him and how hard he has worked. But at the same time he would be sorely missed.”