Melbourne fans are dreaming of Slater taking over the role Bellamy has held for 22 years.
Cameron Smith has revealed Billy Slater is the “ideal” person to eventually replace Craig Bellamy as Melbourne Storm coach, but he doesn’t think Slater will do it. Bellamy has been Storm coach since 2003, and has been making a call on his future on a year-by-year basis for the last little while.
The 65-year-old will eventually call it quits and walk away from the role he’s cherished for over 20 years, leaving the Storm to decide who should take over. Bellamy’s son Aaron has been touted as a potential replacement, and has been working alongside his father for the last few years.
The dream of every Melbourne Storm fan would be for Slater to take up the role, with the club legend currently serving as Queensland coach in State of Origin. But speaking on SEN radio on Tuesday evening, Smith said he doesn’t believe Slater will want to become a full-time NRL coach.
Slater has been linked to the Parramatta Eels and Brisbane Broncos jobs in recent times, but has stated he has no intention to give up his current lifestyle. As well as leading the Maroons in State of Origin, he’s on big money as a commentator and analyst with Channel 9, and also runs a horse breeding business with wife Nicole.
Cameron Smith doesn’t think Billy Slater wants Storm job
The current situation allows him to spend more time at home with Nicole and their two kids than a full-time NRL coaching role would. “I think the ideal person that the club would want would be Billy Slater,” Smith said on SEN. “He’s shown that he’s very capable, but I just don’t think it will happen.
“He’s got too good of a set-up with his commentary with Nine. He’s got his business with his horse breeding and is coaching State of Origin as well. And Billy has stated himself that coaching an NRL side is not on his radar.”
While Slater previously said he had no interest in the Eels and Broncos roles, the general chain of thought is he might make an exception if the Storm job became available. Slater played 323 games for the Storm and is one of the club’s favourite sons.
Billy Slater not interested in giving up current lifestyle
Speaking last year he said: “I am all in for the Queensland job and if I’m not coaching Queensland, I’m not coaching anyone else. It’s not so much the pressure of the NRL job. I’m not worried about that. But it’s a huge commitment being an NRL coach – it’s an 11-month of the year, seven days a week job.
I’ve been in and around the NRL environment for over two decades now. I understand what those NRL coaches put into it and it’s all in. Where I am at with my life and my family, I don’t foresee myself in the near future ever becoming an NRL coach. Maybe that changes down the track – you never say never – but I’m here to do my part for Queensland. I’m happy in this role and if I’m not the Queensland head coach, well, I’m not a coach.”
Smith said the Storm will be weighing up whether to replace Bellamy with someone in-house or go a completely different direction. “They could get someone to come back who has been with the Storm organisation and knows what the organisation is all about,” he said. “Or they say ‘the Craig Bellamy era is over’ and bring in a new coach with no ties to the Storm. I’m not too sure which way they’ll go.”
