Craig Bellamy has taken Billy Slater up on his offer to help out at the Melbourne Storm after the NRL legend was spotted in the dressing rooms before their loss to the Bulldogs on Friday night. But former teammate Cooper Cronk doesn’t think it necessarily means Slater is the next Storm coach in waiting.
Bellamy’s future as Storm coach remains uncertain due to an unspecified neurodegenerative disorder, and Slater said in May that he’d happily help out whenever he’s needed. The Queensland State of Origin coach is yet to fully recommit to returning to the Maroons role next year, and many believe he’ll eventually take over from Bellamy at the Storm one day.
Cooper Cronk played down the significance of the vision of Billy Slater. Image: Fox League
On Friday night, Slater was spotted in the Storm rooms talking with spine members Sua Fa’alogo, Tyran Wishart and Hayden Watson. With Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes ad Harry Grant all out, Slater was imparting some words of wisdom on the young players.
But when asked about it after the game, fellow Storm legend Cronk moved to play down the significance. Cronk said he believes Slater isn’t interested in a full-time NRL coaching job and prefers the flexibility of the State of Origin role combined with his job at Channel 9.
Billy Slater was spotted in the Melbourne Storm sheds. Image: Fox League
“I don’t think he wants to do it, I don’t think he will do it,” Cronk said. “I think the Melbourne Storm would love for him to do it. Coaching is 24-7, 365 days. He did that as a player for 16, 17 years.
“I think Melbourne Storm would love him to do it. Personally he’s never said this to me, but I just don’t think he would.”
Kevin Walters went the other way, saying: “He’d be the obvious choice wouldn’t he? He’s got his racehorses and he’s coaching Queensland but that (vision) looks to me like the next Melbourne Storm coach right there.”
Cooper Cronk says Craig Bellamy should coach on
Bellamy is under contract until the end of 2028 and Munster said last week that he’ll re-sign past 2027 if Bellamy stays. And Cronk said his advice to Bellamy would be to keep going.
“If he asked me now, I would tell him to coach on,” Cronk said. “I would say because of his condition, I think he loves the energy, I think he loves helping young people. He’s obviously still good at it. The players still respect him. But the Melbourne Storm will look after him.
“I would say to him personally, stay involved, get the stimulus, do the things you’re good at. And maybe the Melbourne Storm put a succession plan in. Maybe they start ushering someone through next year.”
