Other Clubs in 2026

[jodragon40]

We don’t platform our players very well I feel, right now the strength of our team is the middles and hooker combo?

We don’t try and direct play from hooker it’s just 4 hitups and a kick with the occasional ball out the back in shape in the red zone with 2 of the least threatening spine players at 1 and 6

I’m interested to see how Mick Ennis adapts and develops the attack, listened to him after the manly v Newcastle game and he was very political especially towards manly and very careful with his choice of words. I’ve got a feeling he’ll end up back there next year or he’d like to be the HC there

I disagree I thought we are developing different attacking structures and not what you are suggesting. We scored two beautiful tries with players in motion placing the Storm defence in two minds.

Atkinson executed two amazing passes for tries. I thought we faught our way back into that game and if we hadn't clocked off in the last 20 seconds before ht we would have been in front.

There is no way that score reflected the closeness of that game. Errors, injuries and the lack of possession in the last 20 minutes against one of the favourites to win the competition finally caught up with us.

Yes we have our limitations but I can see the improvement.

 

[Dragon David]

I'm just wondering (which hurts) can anyone think of a player we have bought over the last 10 years that has improved being with us on their previous clubs.

Tariq Sims from 2016 maybe? Although born in Gerringong, he started his career playing for the Cowboys, then went to Newcastle then the Dragons where he played the most games (123 from 2016-2022) and I think he excelled with us over a few seasons, not all.

 

[Justadragon]

I disagree I thought we are developing different attacking structures and not what you are suggesting. We scored two beautiful tries with players in motion placing the Storm defence in two minds.

Atkinson executed two amazing passes for tries. I thought we faught our way back into that game and if we hadn't clocked off in the last 20 seconds before ht we would have been in front.

There is no way that score reflected the closeness of that game. Errors, injuries and the lack of possession in the last 20 minutes against one of the favourites to win the competition finally caught up with us.

Yes we have our limitations but I can see the improvement.

Unfortunately Jo our limitations far exceed our good qualities. We cant defend against speed and have none ourselves.

 

[Ryan]

Had a second half shocker.

Typical for one of our halves.

 

[Dragon David]

We often wonder how it is that the Melbourne Storm performs so well each and every year with Bellamy being their Head Coach since 2003.

Before exploring how Bellamy has been able to achieve so much success, I want to start by saying that we all know that the NRL stripped them of their 2007 and 2009 championship titles after the club was found guilty of systematic salary cap cheating amounting to $1.7m over five years from 2006-2010. The governing body also took away three minor premiership titles from 2006-08 and ruled the club could not accumulate any competition points for the entire 2010 season. It also included the taking away of their World Club Challenge of 2010 win. The club was fined $1.6m and returned their prize money.

Craig Bellamy, admitted news of the deception had come as a shock to him and his players. He said: "This is an absolute shock to myself, to our football staff, to our players. Personally I am heartbroken. But this football club has great character and values. We will not walk away from this challenge. We will stick tight together as a group and fight our way back from this." And fight their way back they have done exceedingly well. Those words spoken by Bellamy have stood the test of time to this day.

This is how I see Bellamy bringing yearly success for the Melbourne Storm -

Firstly The Spine -

The Melbourne Storm's spine since 2006 has been defined by extreme stability, featuring arguably the greatest "Big Three" in NRL history (Slater, Cronk, Smith) followed by a seamless transition to a new dominant spine of Papenhuyzen/Grant/Munster/Hughes in 2025 and in 2026 of Fa'alogo/Grant/Munster/Hughes . Since 2006, the Storm have featured in 11 grand finals, missing the finals only once (2010 - ladder points deducted), due largely to their elite spine investment. The club rarely signs big-name stars, relying on developing their spine internally.

Craig Bellamy views the rugby league "spine"—comprising the fullback, two halves, and hooker—as essential because they act as the team's primary playmakers, decision-makers, and defensive catalysts. His coaching philosophy focuses on "high standards" where the spine must lead the team’s attacking, defensive structure, and overall consistency.

Secondly The Nobodies to the Somebodies -

Craig Bellamy, transforms "nobody" or overlooked players into "somebodies" through a combination of ruthless, high-intensity training, a clear, simplistic system, and profound individual care that makes players feel valued, both on and off the field. His approach focuses on building mental and physical toughness, demanding that every player works hard and understands their specific role in the team.
Here is how Bellamy turns "nobodies" into "somebodies" for his team:

1. Simple, Defined Roles
Bellamy focuses on ensuring every player understands their role in the team, leaving no ambiguity. He makes "nobodies" believe that their specific, often overlooked job is the most important role in the team, fostering pride and responsibility.

2. High-Intensity "Storm" Training

• Hard Work Over Talent: Bellamy believes that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
• Perfection in the Basics: His training focuses heavily on perfecting simple, repetitive drills to ensure high-intensity execution in games.
• Accountability: Dropping the ball at training or making errors leads to immediate, required penalties (like push-ups), forcing players to be mentally switched on.

3. Personal Connection and Care

• Individual Attention: Bellamy invests significant time in learning about his players as individuals, including knowing their partners' names.
• Balance of Toughness and Care: While he is known for being hard on players and demanding high standards, players report feeling that he believes in them immensely, which drives them to succeed.
• "The Phone Call" and "The Conversation": He uses short conversations to make a lasting impact, ensuring players feel valued beyond their on-field production.

4. Non-Negotiable Standards

• Ownership and Respect: Players are expected to take ownership of their roles and respect the club, for example, by not swapping jerseys because they have worked too hard for them.
• Consistency: He insists on high standards every day, which builds both mentally and physically tough athletes.
• Discipline: He enforces team discipline in areas like timekeeping and team-focused activities, such as eating together.

5. Creating a "Hard Labour" Mindset
Bellamy sometimes includes manual labour in pre-season training, serving as a reminder of the alternatives to professional rugby league, which helps instill a "grit" that makes players fight harder on the field.

6. Successful Examples

• Cooper Cronk: Originally a fullback or lock who did not make the top squad, Bellamy shifted him to halfback, directing him to practice passing and kicking more than anyone else, turning him into a superstar.
• Other Examples: Players like Nick Meaney (journeyman) and others have thrived under his coaching after being overlooked elsewhere.

In essence, Bellamy’s "superpower" is creating an environment where players are empowered, disciplined, and personally supported to exceed their own expectations.

Bellamy has ensured that, following the Clubs loss of Premierships and so on from 2006 to 2010 due to salary cap breaches, he has stuck firm in vowing to fight back and gain the recognition of his application to coaching successful teams in the years ahead. In basic terms, he has done it by hard work.

 

[Morgan]

We often wonder how it is that the Melbourne Storm performs so well each and every year with Bellamy being their Head Coach since 2003.

Before exploring how Bellamy has been able to achieve so much success, I want to start by saying that we all know that the NRL stripped them of their 2007 and 2009 championship titles after the club was found guilty of systematic salary cap cheating amounting to $1.7m over five years from 2006-2010. The governing body also took away three minor premiership titles from 2006-08 and ruled the club could not accumulate any competition points for the entire 2010 season. It also included the taking away of their World Club Challenge of 2010 win. The club was fined $1.6m and returned their prize money.

Craig Bellamy, admitted news of the deception had come as a shock to him and his players. He said: "This is an absolute shock to myself, to our football staff, to our players. Personally I am heartbroken. But this football club has great character and values. We will not walk away from this challenge. We will stick tight together as a group and fight our way back from this." And fight their way back they have done exceedingly well. Those words spoken by Bellamy have stood the test of time to this day.

This is how I see Bellamy bringing yearly success for the Melbourne Storm -

Firstly The Spine -

The Melbourne Storm's spine since 2006 has been defined by extreme stability, featuring arguably the greatest "Big Three" in NRL history (Slater, Cronk, Smith) followed by a seamless transition to a new dominant spine of Papenhuyzen/Grant/Munster/Hughes in 2025 and in 2026 of Fa'alogo/Grant/Munster/Hughes . Since 2006, the Storm have featured in 11 grand finals, missing the finals only once (2010 - ladder points deducted), due largely to their elite spine investment. The club rarely signs big-name stars, relying on developing their spine internally.

Craig Bellamy views the rugby league "spine"—comprising the fullback, two halves, and hooker—as essential because they act as the team's primary playmakers, decision-makers, and defensive catalysts. His coaching philosophy focuses on "high standards" where the spine must lead the team’s attacking, defensive structure, and overall consistency.

Secondly The Nobodies to the Somebodies -

Craig Bellamy, transforms "nobody" or overlooked players into "somebodies" through a combination of ruthless, high-intensity training, a clear, simplistic system, and profound individual care that makes players feel valued, both on and off the field. His approach focuses on building mental and physical toughness, demanding that every player works hard and understands their specific role in the team.
Here is how Bellamy turns "nobodies" into "somebodies" for his team:

1. Simple, Defined Roles
Bellamy focuses on ensuring every player understands their role in the team, leaving no ambiguity. He makes "nobodies" believe that their specific, often overlooked job is the most important role in the team, fostering pride and responsibility.

2. High-Intensity "Storm" Training

• Hard Work Over Talent: Bellamy believes that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
• Perfection in the Basics: His training focuses heavily on perfecting simple, repetitive drills to ensure high-intensity execution in games.
• Accountability: Dropping the ball at training or making errors leads to immediate, required penalties (like push-ups), forcing players to be mentally switched on.

3. Personal Connection and Care

• Individual Attention: Bellamy invests significant time in learning about his players as individuals, including knowing their partners' names.
• Balance of Toughness and Care: While he is known for being hard on players and demanding high standards, players report feeling that he believes in them immensely, which drives them to succeed.
• "The Phone Call" and "The Conversation": He uses short conversations to make a lasting impact, ensuring players feel valued beyond their on-field production.

4. Non-Negotiable Standards

• Ownership and Respect: Players are expected to take ownership of their roles and respect the club, for example, by not swapping jerseys because they have worked too hard for them.
• Consistency: He insists on high standards every day, which builds both mentally and physically tough athletes.
• Discipline: He enforces team discipline in areas like timekeeping and team-focused activities, such as eating together.

5. Creating a "Hard Labour" Mindset
Bellamy sometimes includes manual labour in pre-season training, serving as a reminder of the alternatives to professional rugby league, which helps instill a "grit" that makes players fight harder on the field.

6. Successful Examples

• Cooper Cronk: Originally a fullback or lock who did not make the top squad, Bellamy shifted him to halfback, directing him to practice passing and kicking more than anyone else, turning him into a superstar.
• Other Examples: Players like Nick Meaney (journeyman) and others have thrived under his coaching after being overlooked elsewhere.

In essence, Bellamy’s "superpower" is creating an environment where players are empowered, disciplined, and personally supported to exceed their own expectations.

Bellamy has ensured that, following the Clubs loss of Premierships and so on from 2006 to 2010 due to salary cap breaches, he has stuck firm in vowing to fight back and gain the recognition of his application to coaching successful teams in the years ahead. In basic terms, he has done it by hard work.

Post of the year. Flanno is severely handicapped by his unconditional loyalty to one player. I don't expect him to be as good a coach as Bellamy but he could very easily be much better than he is now if he just dropped one player and forgot all about him in a professional sense.

 

[Dragon David]

Post of the year. Flanno is severely handicapped by his unconditional loyalty to one player. I don't expect him to be as good a coach as Bellamy but he could very easily be much better than he is now if he just dropped one player and forgot all about him in a professional sense.

You are right there Morgan. A head coach cannot succeed where favouritism is given especially to a family member who isn't performing well because that limits his ability to get the best out of his spine. Going by Bellamy's doctrine which is a philosophy built on extreme work ethic, discipline, and high standards, designed to "earn the opportunity" rather than deserve it. As the long-time coach of the Melbourne Storm, his system aims to turn disciplined, hard-working players into champions rather than relying solely on high-priced talent. Shane Flanagan cannot apply Bellamy's doctrine being Kyle's father and has been restrained from actually getting the right player in the position that Kyle should not be in.