Craig Bellamy is an outstanding coach. One of the best the NRL has seen.
But the best ever? No, no he’s not.
Many adoring pundits and fans have spruiked the record and achievements of the long-time Melbourne leader, but there are others – perhaps in the minority – who can’t place the crown of best ever coach upon the 59-year-old’s head because, according to them, he hasn’t proven it yet.
Dissenters will sight many reasons to claim that Bellamy isn’t the game’s best ever coach, mainly that he’s been the recipient of some extraordinarily good fortune in relation to players and circumstances.
And although he’s been good enough to take advantage of his favourable situation, the underlying feeling that he’s been in the right place at the right time casts enough doubt on putting his name first on the all-time coaching list.
To take the mantle of best ever coach, Bellamy will have to prove himself elsewhere under different conditions and in different circumstances. Many before him have faced similar questions and have had to put their methods to the test at different clubs.
Here are just a few of the more notable coaches who have proved their coaching credentials by taking on challenges and having success.
Wayne Bennett
The old warhorse from Queensland had a one-town team and oodles of money at his disposal. He has more than proved his credentials over the years, no more so than when he won a comp at St George Illawarra in 2010.
He has won at all rep levels, was part of NZ’s winning World Cup set-up and came back to lift a flatlining Brisbane Broncos outfit to the 2015 grand final, which they only lost in Golden Point.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Tim Sheens
Many have said that anyone could have coached that Raiders side back in the late ’80s and early ’90s that Sheens guided to three premierships. And questions over his coaching ability only grew larger after a disastrous five-year stint at the North Queensland Cowboys.
But the questioners sunk right back to shadows after Shifty Sheens took the Tigers to their maiden premiership in 2005. He broke all sorts of milestones on his way to winning the competition that year while also, remarkably, being way under the salary cap.
Des Hasler
For all his contract shenanigans at two clubs, the mad scientist dominated while in charge at Manly, most notably winning two competitions.
He then proved his coaching credentials after he then went to the Bulldogs and made the finals every year bar his last, while also making two grand finals in the process.
He now has returned to Manly, which had found itself a basket case under former coach Trent Barrett, and has got them competitive, winning and dangerous again.
Phil Gould
After winning the comp in his first year with a very good Bulldogs side, Gus proved he was a coach of high quality when he went Penrith and made back to back deciders, winning the club’s maiden competition in 1991.
He then went to the Roosters and set them up for years of dominance and is regarded as NSW’s best ever coach.
Warren Ryan
Google the man’s CV. Quality achievements by anyone’s measure.
Jack Gibson
See notes above.
Then we get back to Craig Bellamy. He’s coached one team his whole career and has without question been blessed with luck. He’s had two certain Immortals and another NRL great all play 300-plus games for him.
Cam Smith has not only been touted as rugby league’s best game manager, he’s also viewed as good enough to be a captain-coach.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Bellamy has also had the best fullback since Graeme Langlands at his disposal and one of the very best halfbacks of the modern era. Together Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk have formed the best spine ever seen in rugby league.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
But wait, there’s more.
Compare Melbourne’s astonishingly good run with serious injuries to some other clubs have had to endure over the years and it’s enough to make Tigers, Raiders and Panthers fans vomit sacks full of healthy ACL envy.
Then we come to the dark art of salary cap management.
Although Craig had no knowledge of the massive salary cap rorts that were taking place at the time, as a coach he was definitely benefiting from them. During this scandalous time in the game’s history, not one but two competitions were won by a Storm team puncturing craters in the salary cap. It was ordinary to say the least.
And while we’re talking about the ordinary, let’s not forget Bellamy’s awful rep coaching record. It reads like a lopsided tennis match.
So while his stats and achievements confirm that he’s a very good if not great coach, the fact remains that the Melbourne mentor has not been anywhere else other than the Storm and this will always count against him when talking about the best coach ever.
It would be wonderful for him and the game if he has the figs to take on a Titans or Warriors outfit and then have success at those types of clubs.
Doing so would likely cement his greatness and possibly his place atop of the NRL’s all-time coaching tree.
But until then, questions marks will always remain over any claim that he is rugby league’s best ever coach
Mark Gillan
Guest
Easy to work out records speak for themselves Bellamy gets the best out of his players makes a unknown player a known player Other clubs are taking players off the Storm who are the next generation stars eg Scott Drinkwater That’s ok though still Oozing talent coming through Bellamy best coach Cameron Smith best ever player Cooper Cronk although going to the Roosters says Melbourne Storm and coach Craig Bellamy made him the man he is today Billy Slater is the best ever fullback and has turned Cameron Munster into a future superstar in the NRL My opinion is Slater needs to be a coach in the future his knowledge of the game is insane Just listen to his commentary he to thanks Ballemy for making him the man he is today I would rather watch Storm play then State of Origin that is how well drilled this side is Go the Storm keep on keeping on
Ken
Guest
Outsiders rating my coach cus he won’t go anywhere else , lol , what a joke , it’s called loyalty , club supporters rate him the best and that’s all that matters , outsiders will always find something to take away from him , Origin you say ?, wow Mal Meninga must be a better coach cus he obviously won origins , hang on didn’t he coach the raiders to a wooden spoon than resign , must be a great coach using Melbourne Storms big 4 at the time against their own coach ,Fitler an Meninga both failed Nrl coaches but winning Origin coaches . The constant argument he inherited champion players. , like Slater ?never ever made a rep team as a junior before the Storm , Cronk ? Union player who played lock in league ,converted 7 by Bellamy , Cameron Smith ?overlooked by the Broncos as a junior came to the storm .The blind hate is obvious An we will just keep enjoying the success with the juniors we have ready to take over , Sunshine Coast Falcons our feeder club has laid waste to nearly every team in the Q cup apart from Redcliffe where we lost when we had lots of our junior players on Storm duty .This nightmare isn’t going away Storm haters as long as Bellamy is there we will always be successful .
Andrew
Guest
Hi DP - Hasler only won premierships at Manly. Took Canterbury to two grand finals and sadly didn't win either. Great coaching effort though.
neostars
Roar Rookie
Horrible reason. All other coach started flopping so they had to move. Bellamby has excel nearly every year cause he is that good. He is the best coach ever. Close 2nd Bennett.
bbt
Guest
Bellamy is the best coach of all time for one simple reason. He saved an NRL Club, based in Melbourne from folding not once but twice. To appreciate his achievements, check out current events at the Titans. Storm, prior to Bellamy’s arrival were headed in exactly the same direction. Then, having saved the furniture once, in a totally apathetic city, he did it again after 2010. If the Titans cannot succeed in SE QUEENSLAND, what hope did a NRL Club have in Melbourne. VICTORIA now adds to the NRKL coffers as result of Craig Bellamy.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
And many "great" rep coaches were terrible club coaches. Fittler has won 2 origin series' but has a 43% NRL Coaching record and made finals 1 out of 3 years. Fittler took the Roosters to a spoon his last season. Meninga was a rep coaching legend and a horrid club coach. Pearce has a much higher winning % than Bellamy at Origin. Does this even matter?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Take out the 90s when Bennett had the majority of the QLD team and how good a coach is he? Even though the salary cap existed, marquee player concepts didn't exist and the money players turned down to stay in Brisbane wasn't great compared to today when 1 or 2 players at each club can earn around $1M a year.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
The only reason Bellamy won't be held in the same regard as Bennett or Sheens, is his lack of success at representative level. But if he wins a few more premierships, maybe that wont matter.
Peter Piper
Guest
..... and Alexander the Great committed some atrocious Crimes. I
Peter Piper
Guest
"NRL was desperate, very desperate, to succeed in AFL territory" So desperate that the NRL never put any money into Victoria, None into the Storm, gave them no special treatment (unlike the AFL with their start ups), no advertising in fact nothing, zero, ziltch. I challenge you to name one thing that the Storm helped this development club with. On top of that the Storm in Victoria got Virtually zero FTA tv coverage for the first 10 years of its existence. It is a miracle that the club even survived let alone prospered.
Peter Piper
Guest
There are a couple of key reasons why he has not had success at rep level :- 1. We are talking about 1 Origin Series here against a hugely dominant QLD side. 2. He had little say in the make up of the team (Team selected by an NSW selection committee which is why he resigned). 3. Rep level games run a little contrary to Bellamy's coaching style (he is good at developing teams/players over the longer term not short term "camps"). As previously stated, after he finishes with the Storm he may well go on to coach at rep level and prove us all wrong.
Peter Piper
Guest
How many consecutive Grand Finals did Bennett / Gibson take their teams too ? Bellamy currently 3, likely to be 4 in 2019 and counting. And that is after losing Cronk and Slater. Cowboys lose Thurston and fall apart.
The Swan Street Stalker
Guest
Isn’t that a coach is meant to do? Create an environment in which a team can be successful? Isn’t that what they do at any club they coach at whether that be one or a dozen? Your argument doesn’t hold water.
nrlfan
Roar Rookie
lol
Peter Piper
Guest
Having watched Widdop in his early years at the Storm, he was very good then, he just didn't fall away like many others when he left. All due credit to him.
John
Guest
If you as just a viewer of the game find it off putting, imagine how his players who have to deal with him after the match feels. That could explain why players seem like they're more motivated to play and don't seem to have as many consistency issues as other teams do. His coaching box reactions from the previous weeks are probably ingrained in his players minds as a pre-match rocket up the bum.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
That's priceless....
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Quite clearly. Also, the Canberra Raiders lack of success over the last 20 years is also due to Bennett leaving them in a complete shambles after he left them at the end of 1987.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Smith started in 2002, I think Slater in 03 and Cronk on 04. They were relative unknowns when Bellamy arrived
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
No, Widdop definitely got better as soon as he stepped out of the shadow of the big 3. It's quite obvious