Bellamy to retire after 2016

[Big Pete]

Well, we have our Bellamy dump thread. If there is one topic that rivals Bennett or Karmichael Hunt on here, it's Bellamy.

2 cents worth.

Compared to other great coaches, there are a lot of knocks that can be made against Bellamy and due to our rivalry with the Storm, I can understand the hostility. Still, I rate him as one of the best of all time and believe his ability to get the most out of his players and take them from an inconsistent team to the benchmark was fantastic, especially when they had to deal with the salary cap dramas.

While this news (which is actually old, Craig revealed this sometime last year) will deny Bellamy the chance to rival Gibson or Bennett as one of the best of all time, I don't think he really cares. His legacy will be tied to his work with Melbourne and it will stand the test of time, just like Slater, Smith & Cronk will be fondly remembered.

 

[Cult]

He's only won one premiership and he's being rating amongst the best? Please.

 

[Big Pete]

No.

But one of the best of his generation?

Sure.

 

[Allo]

Probably on doctors orders too before his blood pressure explodes and he has an aneurysm in the coaches box which would happen should they go to shit post-Smith/Slater/Cronk. Dude goes insane in there

 

[jarro65]

One of the best in this generation for sure.

I would've liked for him to have had the chance to coach us instead of Hook

 

[Dexter]

Instead of focusing on the big three and what they bring we could focus on how he bought out the best in some pretty ordinary players, evidenced by the number who have left the Storm chasing cash and produced squat after they left.

There are plenty of reasons I dislike him but from a football perspective he is one of the best in recent times.

 

[Cult]

Instead of focusing on the big three and what they bring we could focus on how he bought out the best in some pretty ordinary players, evidenced by the number who have left the Storm chasing cash and produced squat after they left.

There are plenty of reasons I dislike him but from a football perspective he is one of the best in recent times.

Doesn't the fact that they're not playing well currently, without the big 3 but still with the knowledge that Bellamy bestowed upon them, prove that it was in fact the big three who made them the players they are?

 

[Dexter]

Doesn't the fact that they're not playing well currently, without the big 3 but still with the knowledge that Bellamy bestowed upon them, prove that it was in fact the big three who made them the players they are?

What Bellamy did was implement structures that enabled the big 3 to do their thing. Obviously without the big three things would be different but a coach still has to use the available players. Last I checked there were 17 in a squad.

 

[Kimlo]

The big 3 have had amazing success without Bellamy in the rep arena, so it's not like his structures are what enabled them to perform.

 

[Dexter]

Well, yes you are arguing my point somewhat @broncospwn. You don't need his structures at rep level because of the quality of the rest of the team but at club level you do to get the most out of lesser ability.
Enabling the big three to perform was never going to be a problem but how to use them best within a squad is where he has performed so well.
Players like Brian Norrie for eg who were on the scrap heap and playing country league have been so good for them.

 

[Morkel]

Well, yes you are arguing my point somewhat @broncospwn. You don't need his structures at rep level because of the quality of the rest of the team but at club level you do to get the most out of lesser ability.
Enabling the big three to perform was never going to be a problem but how to use them best within a squad is where he has performed so well.
Players like Brian Norrie for eg who were on the scrap heap and playing country league have been so good for them.

And I'll say it again, they work well for the Storm because they each need such limited skill sets. They don't need players like Fifita or Graham or Burgess, who have varied skill sets and contribute beyond a simple forward's role. Everything comes from Smith, Cronk & Slater. You can praise his efforts for identifying the simple strengths required for each plug-in role, but let's not pretend he makes players better than they really are, or create combinations that no other coach could.

 

[Morkel]

With the big 3 on decline, if he was able to do what his acolytes say he can, he'd be able to develop a plan B, and formulate an alternate game plan. He's been living off the 'molest the ruck, control the tempo' game plan for almost 10 years now, and with these new rules, even he I'd having trouble finding a way to bend the rules to his advantage.

It could be argued that with the new rules and the ageing roster, he'd need time to develop a new plan and a roster to suit. But it seems to me he doesn't want to try. I'll maintain that he is so scared of losing that he'll find any way to cheat. Quitting when he's on top, avoiding a true test to see if he really is a winner or just the beneficiary of a dream trio, sounds like the easy way out to me.

 

[Ari Gold]

Whilst Bellamy hasn't, IMO, shown the coaching adaptability like Des Hasler has, I do feel that he doesn't get enough credit for doing so well with the Big 3. It's all well and good to say look how good they are, Bellamy has it easy, but the fact that Bellamy has managed to develop them so well is in and of itself a massive achievement. Bellamy is fantastic at ensuring young, highly rated talents, and even not so highly rated talents reach their potential. He also oversaw Inglis' development as well as Folau's. Just look at how much Griffin has fucked up Hunt's development -- it's not easy to develop players into superstars, particularly spine players.

In fact, I reckon about half of the best spine players in the game right now were developed by either Hasler or Bellamy.

 

[Dexter]

And I'll say it again, they work well for the Storm because they each need such limited skill sets. They don't need players like Fifita or Graham or Burgess, who have varied skill sets and contribute beyond a simple forward's role. Everything comes from Smith, Cronk & Slater. You can praise his efforts for identifying the simple strengths required for each plug-in role, but let's not pretend he makes players better than they really are, or create combinations that no other coach could.

I have never said he does things no other coach could. I have said he has done a good job at the Storm and is a very good coach, I'm not sure where you gleaned that other stuff from Morks.

Credit where it's due, the big three were nothing more than emerging talent when he went to the Storm and he had no idea how good they would be but he wasn't scared of losing then, it makes no sense to draw a conclusion that he is now. He's been coaching a long time, maybe he has had enough, it happens you know.

 

[Bull Shark]

The big 3 have had amazing success without Bellamy in the rep arena, so it's not like his structures are what enabled them to perform.

that's right, his structures enabled the melbourne storm to win an incredible number of games over the last decade and chalk up some phenomenal records along the way, like their record at home over a four or five year period and that absolutely freakish 95<% rate at which they won when leading at halftime ....

Even if you want to completely dismiss the salary cap rorting years, what he did after that was over proved his worth beyond doubt ... if you think I don't know what I'm talking about just go and watch the 2012 grand final again ... A more clinical, relentless, well drilled, water tight performance from a rugby league team I have not seen ...

 

[Bull Shark]

Oh, and I'll give anyone any odds they want that Craig Bellamy will never coach again if / when he ups stumps at the storm in a year or two ...

He'll be back for sure imo

 

[CaptainHook]

Even if you want to completely dismiss the salary cap rorting years, what he did after that was over proved his worth beyond doubt ... if you think I don't know what I'm talking about just go and watch the 2012 grand final again ... A more clinical, relentless, well drilled, water tight performance from a rugby league team I have not seen ... [/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR]

I agree up to a point. The 2012 decider was a well deserved victory. The Storm were far too good not only on the day but for their entire finals campaign.

Bellamy, unfortunately, will always have an asterisk next to his name. The salary cap scandal is too much to ignore as he had a team that was assembled illegally for a long period of time. As smarter men than me have said, money doesn't make footballers better players but it does make them leave. Since they are now playing under the same rules as everyone, they have not looked quite the same team that dominated all others for years. They went out in straight sets last year against lesser talented but more determined opposition. Early signs this year are not looking good but I'll reserve judgment for 2014 until later in the year.

 

[1910]

Bellamy created the ‘big three’ from ISC players, he went to the Storm without them and certainly didn’t know he was going there getting three absolute great players. He completely revamped that club from what he took over which was a shambles. They missed the finals in 2002 and 2001 the two years before he got there and sacked two coaches in two years before him.

The players he has taken from ISC and made NRL is phenomenal. He was a rookie coach in a league waste land, he's cleaned the place out, used the ISC and turned the sport around in a whole state.

His big test is to reinvent the Storm, you can’t wrestle anymore and the team has not evolved as well as it should, maybe they thought the rule changes wouldn’t have such an impact. Players are also ageing.

They've great development and great young players. He's got plenty to work with still and even post big three if he wanted to do it all over again he could take up the challenge.