- Club slumped to a heavy defeat to the Dolphins in Brisbane
Craig Bellamy won’t quit his post and is committed to coaching on for the rest of the NRL season and turning around the Melbourne Storm’s fortunes.
That was the heartwarming news about the legendary coach relayed by Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi after Melbourne’s 28-10 loss to the Dolphins on Friday night in Brisbane, a club record seventh defeat in a row for last year’s grand finalists.
Bellamy, 66, has been diagnosed with an unspecified neurological degenerative condition, news which was made public by the club on Thursday.
Ponissi is Bellamy’s loyal and long-serving lieutenant and he fronted the post-match press conference after the Dolphins loss alongside captain Harry Grant.
Ponissi said Bellamy would not have attended the presser ‘win, lose or draw’ but was emphatic when asked if the coach was intending to see out the rest of the 2026 season.
‘Absolutely no doubt. The fire is in the belly,’ Ponissi said.
Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi fronted the media after the club’s loss to the Bulldogs on Friday night
Ponissi stood in for Bellamy, who coached the match after a very serious health announcement this week
Ponissi said Bellamy had the full support of the club despite the horror run of results
‘It’s been hard for him the last few weeks, but he is as committed as ever.
‘You just had to be in that dressing room now to see the passion he’s got and the commitment. He doesn’t like where we are at the moment. None of us do.’
Ponissi had just spent 10 minutes with Bellamy in the sheds at Suncorp Stadium and shed light on his mindset.
‘He was leading the discussion and thinking about next week and Wests Tigers already,’ Ponissi said.
‘He has been through a lot with his family but in terms of the way he coached tonight … he is quite remarkable.
‘It is tough but he is purely about the team and trying to fix where we are going wrong and trying to get a win. He is already working on next week. That’s what we love about him.’
Bellamy and his family have been overwhelmed by the support he has received within the club, externally and all around the world.
‘ He is exceptionally grateful for all the support,’ Ponissi said.
Bellamy looked lost for answers in the sheds after the match, as the losses keep piling up for the Storm
Ponissi said Bellamy will remain in charge of training and matches for the foreseeable future
‘Now he just wants to focus on coaching and getting us back winning.
‘None of us are happy with (seven straight losses). We are embarrassed, frustrated, disappointed … all those emotions rolled into one.
‘He works as hard as he has ever done before and he’s got a great group of assistants and wonderful football staff.
‘We certainly won’t throw in the towel. We will work even harder looking for that first win and once we get that first win we can hopefully get on a run.’
The Storm are in 16th position on the ladder.
Grant said the Bellamy health news was ‘a bit raw and a bit real’ but he added that the coach was looking ahead in a ‘business as usual’ mode.
For four-time premiers the Storm, that means winning footy games, not losing them.
‘He is looking forward to next week and righting some wrongs and as a playing group we have got to buy into that and back him up by working hard at training and turning that into a performance,’ Grant said.
