Craig Bellamy makes huge call on his coaching future

Craig Bellamy has ended speculation about his future by confirming he will continue as Melbourne coach next year.Bellamy, one of the game’s greatest mentors, has long considered his position on a year-to-year basis. The veteran coach was diagnosed in April with a form of neurodegenerative disorder, further clouding his future.Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy.Getty ImagesHowever, he revealed he will continue in the role during a pre-game press-conference on Friday at HBF Park in Perth, where his side is preparing to take on Manly on Saturday.“I’ll be coaching next year, but yeah, I think that that might be the end,” Bellamy told reporters. “But anyway, we’ll see what happens.”Asked if he was keen to finish up on a brighter note than this year, given his team is likely to miss the play-offs, Bellamy said: “I’d like to, yeah. Like I say, they’re all working hard at the moment, so that’s all we need to do.“And as I said, we still want to try and finish the season on an upward note, you know? So we’ll see what happens. Like I say, as long as we keep preparing well and training well, it gives us a chance to do that.”Bond: Craig Bellamy and Cameron Munster.Getty ImagesBellamy’s decision is likely to result in Storm star Cameron Munster staying put. Munster, who will make an early return from knee surgery against the Sea Eagles after sustaining a cartilage injury, has publicly stated that if Bellamy continues coaching at the club, so will he.Munster, who is contracted until the end of next year, had been granted early permission to negotiate with the PNG Chiefs. However, the Bellamy development will now likely result in Melbourne retaining the Maroons playmaker.Bellamy said the pair share a strong bond.“We have, and it’s been a long one, too, you know?” Bellamy said. “We’ve seen ups and downs, ins and outs, and whatever together. And like I say, he’s been just a wonderful clubman, he’s been a wonderful player, too. But as I said, the care he’s got for his teammates and the care he’s got for our club, I haven’t seen too many players with more care than what Mun has for the Storm.”“He brings a bit of nonsense to training.”Bellamy on Cameron MunsterBellamy said Munster’s early return is a huge boost for the team.“He brings a bit of nonsense to training and around that,” he said. “Like I say, we’ve really missed him. Him and Harry [Grant] obviously have been big losses for us, and then you add Jahrome [Hughes] to it. So him coming back – and he’s probably come back a week early for us – we’re really grateful that he’s decided to play, and I’m sure he’ll do a good job tomorrow night.”Melbourne-Manly clashes are usually a highlight on the NRL calendar, although it’s unlikely either team will contest finals football this year. Bellamy said it has been a difficult season.“Yeah, it’s been a little bit tough, I won’t bullshit there,” he said.“At the end of the day, it is what it is. With all due respect, we’ve had a few injuries, but a lot of other clubs have had that as well. So at the end of the day, we’re just not where we would have liked to have been, you know?“But it is what it is, so we’ve got some teams that are going to be in the finals in the next few weeks, so we need to keep preparing well, and hopefully, we can do a good job for the last four or five games.”Bellamy described the appointment of one of his former Storm players, Matt King, the NSW coaching job as a “great choice”.“Kingy’ played with us, and he was always a player that worked really hard,” Bellamy said. “And again, a bit like Mun, had great care for his teammates.“As a coach, he knows his footy without a doubt. He’s just a really decent human being, a real good bloke, and I’m sure he’ll do a real good job for NSW.”News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.From our partners