Melbourne Storm’s coaching carrot part of deal offered to skipper Cameron Smith
CAMERON Smith will be groomed to succeed Craig Bellamy as Melbourne coach, as part of the multi-faceted contract the Storm’s owners have offered to keep the Test captain at the club.
As Smith continues to mull over what is likely to be the final deal of his career, Melbourne’'s powerful ownership consortium have moved to secure their captain by assembling a deal laced with post-football opportunities.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the scope of the club-record $4m-plus contract will involve business mentoring, but also give Smith the ability to parlay his football brain into NRL coaching.
Last week, Bellamy spoke of his plans for retirement, admitting his current deal with the Storm, which expires at the end of 2016, would almost certainly be his final coaching contract.
Smith is a key plank in Melbourne’s succession plan for life after Bellamy.
Mindful of the huge void Bellamy’s eventual departure will leave, Melbourne’s co-owners want Smith to uphold the cultural standards that have made Storm an NRL powerhouse.
Brisbane remain interested in luring Smith for 2015, but Melbourne believe a number of inducements, including consultancy and coaching opportunities, will stave off the Broncos.
“Cameron has been very loyal to us. I’ve never been worried before about losing Cameron. It is in the Storm culture,” said co-owner Gerry Ryan, who with Bart Campbell, Michael Watt and Matthew Tripp purchase the club last May.
“Cameron definitely has coaching potential here. He’s had the perfect mentor in Craig Bellamy and he’s indicated it’s a path he may wish to pursue and we’d support that.
“I know he will make a good coach at Melbourne, no question.
“Now that we are independently owned from News Corp, we are developing a business network and looking at providing opportunities for Cameron in Melbourne after football.
“There are media and business opportunities, but if he so wishes, Cameron can develop and mentor players at this club.
“He would be great in that role.”
Bellamy told The Courier-Mail last week: “I’ll be retiring after this one, I don’t think I’ll be going much longer past this contract.”
A four-year commitment to Melbourne would tie Smith to the club until the end of 2017.
By then, he would be 34, two years younger than Trent Robinson when the rookie coach steered the Roosters to the title last season.
Co-owner Ryan has known Smith since his arrival in Melbourne as a 19-year-old in 2002 and understands the family considerations now confronting the Storm skipper.
“Cameron deserves to make the right decision for his family, but we’re determined to keep him,” he said.
“I’ve watched Cameron go from a young man to a father who has had his three children grow up in Melbourne.
“Barbara (Smith’s wife) has been very supportive of Cameron for a long time down here but we’d like to think as a club we have always been supportive of them.
“We have our financial restrictions, but Bart Campbell is a very good operator and he hasn’t got to where he has without putting some deals together.”
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