Billy Slater has reportedly emerged as the leading candidate to replace Craig Bellamy as Melbourne’s coach, if the veteran Storm mentor decides to join the Titans. The development follows reports this week that Gold Coast put a clause in new coach Josh Hannay’s three-year contract that would see him become Bellamy’s assistant in 2027 if the Melbourne coach opted to take the reins at the club.
Bellamy will enter his 24th season with the Storm next year, marking the longest stint a coach has had at one club in the game’s history. Melbourne bosses have typically let Bellamy take a year-by-year approach to his coaching future, as part of a five-year deal they brokered with him in 2021, which was then extended into next season.
Billy Slater has reportedly emerged as Melbourne’s top choice to replace Craig Bellamy if the Storm coach decides to leave. Pic: Getty
But the Titans are desperate to lure the master coach up north, with Gold Coast CEO Steve Mitchell telling AAP they would welcome Bellamy ‘in any capacity’, be it in a coaching or off-field role. And News Corp have reported that the Titans are ‘expected to know within days whether Bellamy will agree’ to become their new head coach in 2027.
The same report indicates the Storm are resigned to the fact that next season will be Bellamy’s last in charge at Melbourne. It’s understood Storm chairman Matt Tripp met with Bellamy’s management on Wednesday, with News Corp claiming there is an acceptance at Melbourne that Bellamy will see out his contract in 2026, before ending his long and decorated tenure there.
It goes on to say that Storm legend and Queensland Origin coach Slater is at the top of the club’s list of potential replacements for Bellamy. Club greats and former Storm assistant coaches Jason Ryles and Matt King have also emerged as potential candidates to succeed Bellamy, who suffered back-to-back grand final defeats with Melbourne after losing to Brisbane in this year’s decider.
Cam Smith not convinced Billy Slater wants to coach Storm
Slater would undoubtedly be the popular choice for fans as one of the Storm’s greatest ever players. The club legend has also proven himself as an astute coach after leading the Maroons to three Origin series victory in his four in charge – including this year’s stunning come-from-behind triumph.
Fellow Storm legend Cameron Smith said earlier this year that Slater would be the ‘ideal’ person to succeed Bellamy but expressed doubts about whether he would take the job. Slater is on big money as a commentator and analyst with Channel 9, and also runs a horse breeding business with wife Nicole, and Smith doesn’t believe his former teammate wants to become a full-time NRL coach.
Cameron Smith has expressed doubts previously about whether Billy Slater would want to coach the Melbourne Storm. Pic: Getty
“He’s got too good of a set-up with his commentary with Nine. He’s got his business with his horse breeding and is coaching State of Origin as well. And Billy has stated himself that coaching an NRL side is not on his radar,” Smith said at the time.
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Bellamy’s former assistant Ryles also emerged as a potential successor to the Melbourne coach before he decided to take on the job at Parramatta, leading the Eels to an 11th-placed finish this year, in his first season in charge. Ryles still has another three years to run on his Parramatta contract, which would complicate any potential move back to Melbourne.
While King is untested as a head coach, despite gaining plenty of experience as an assistant with the NSW Origin team and under Trent Robinson at the Roosters. King played five seasons with the Storm and also worked closely at Origin level with Melbourne head of football Frank Ponissi, who has been the Blues Team Performance Manager in recent years.
with AAP