Melbourne have confirmed Craig Bellamy will go around once again after the veteran coach committed to another year at the Storm.
Bellamy’s future has often been at the centre of speculation in recent years due to a unique five-year contract that he inked back in 2022.
This allowed him the freedom to decide on an annual basis whether he wanted to continue coaching or transition into a director role at the club.
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Bellamy has admitted he has been close to retiring on a few occasions in the past, before backtracking on his decision and pledging his commitment to the club he has now been in charge of for close to a quarter of a century.
The 65-year-old has now once again agreed to stay on in a move that will take him into his 24th season with the Victorian powerhouse.
Craig Bellamy commits to coaching the Melbourne Storm in 2026
“I’ve always said that I will only keep coaching if the players, coaches and club believe that I still have something to offer,” Bellamy said.
“As 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.
“I 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.”
Bellamy took the reins of the Storm in 2003 and led them into the finals at the first time of asking.
It proved to be just the start of an illustrious run that has included over 20 finals campaigns, multiple minor premierships and three premierships.
The Storm infamously won grand finals in 2007 and 2009 but later had those titles stripped due to rorting the salary cap.
However, the club managed to recover from the saga under Bellamy’s guidance to lift the Provan-Summons Trophy in 2012, 2017 and 2020.
The seven-time Dally M Coach of the Year, who boasts the best win-loss record of any coach in the NRL, is one of only five men to chalk up over 500 games as a coach in the competition.
And he will now continue to add to his legacy with another season to come under his watch in 2026 as the Storm go in search of yet more silverware.