Melbourne Storm head coach Craig Bellamy has confirmed he will remain in charge of the club for 2026.
Bellamy is currently on a year-to-year deal with the Storm, where he will decide by the middle of each season whether he is going to remain in charge the following year, or move into a back room role.
Despite reports during each of the last two seasons he would give the head coaching role away, that is yet to occur, and he has now revealed he will remain in charge of the club in 2026.
โI've always said that I will only keep coaching if the players, coaches and club believe that I still have something to offer,โ Bellamy said.
โAs mentioned last season, my focus remains on developing our players and helping them learn and grow together as a team. Our squad is in a stable position and I'm looking forward to the improvement we can continue to make.
โI also want to ensure by making this decision that I'm not holding back any of our coaches, who continue to play a massive role in the improvement of this team. We have a great coaching group, who are very capable of stepping up and coaching at senior level.โ
The coach is heading into the fifth year of his five-year deal signed in 2022, and it means he would need a new contract to continue on beyond 2026.
Reports in News Corp suggest that won't be happening, with Bellamy keen to move back to Queensland, where he could land a role with the Gold Coast Titans.
Despite that, Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp paid tribute to Bellamy, who is heading into his 24th season as coach of the Storm, where he has wound up in 21 finals series.
โCraig remains hugely committed to his role and continues to coach to a very high standard. We're delighted that he will remain Head Coach in 2026 and have no doubt he will continue to drive our standards on and off the field," Tripp said.
โHe leads an excellent group of coaches and performance staff, providing a great support base, and giving Craig the best opportunity to focus on his coaching and developing our players.
โWe know Craig is as determined as ever to achieve further success, he has the energy and experience to drive Storm forward this season and build on our strong start to the year.โ
Bellamy will coach the 600th game of his NRL career in Round 26.
