Melbourne Storm’s replacement for Craig Bellamy as Brandon Smith fires fresh shot at old club
In order to find the best candidate to succeed the super-coach, the Melbourne Storm have approved Craig Bellamy to take on a new position in 2025.
Bellamy will serve as a special advisor to Laurie Daley and the NSW State of Origin team in the upcoming season, and the Storm are more than willing to accommodate it.
Bellamy has approached his future year by year, and Storm chairman Matt Tripp hopes to meet with him in January to talk about his 2026 goals. Bellamy’s future after 2025 is currently uncertain.
However, Bellamy’s job with the NSW Blues will result in short absences at the Storm in 2025, which Tripp thinks will be beneficial because their assistants will need to fill in.
When Craig eventually decides to leave the Storm permanently, Marc Brentnall, Ryan Hinchcliffe, and Bellamy’s son Aaron are all believed to be in the running to succeed him as head coach.
Regarding Bellamy’s new position with NSW, Tripp told the Daily Telegraph, “I think it’s a good thing.” “I believe it’s a fantastic chance for the young coaches to imagine what life would be like without him in the future. For him, I’m glad (Bellamy). Clearly, it’s a fantastic outcome for the Blues.
Bellamy will be leading the Storm for the 23rd time in 2025, and Tripp acknowledged that he likely won’t know until later in the year if the coach will return in 2026.
“We always have our first conversation in January,” Tripp stated. “I’ll give him some time off during Christmas, and then maybe he’ll return and give it some thought. He seems to be in a decent place.
