Craig Bellamy (rugby league)

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Craig Bellamy

Personal information
Full name	Craig Bellamy
Date of birth	3 October 1959 (1959-10-03) (age 48)
Club information
Position(s)	Coach
Current club	Melbourne Storm
Youth clubs
Years	Club
1977–1978	Oberon
Senior clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (points)
1982–1992	Canberra Raiders	148 (175)
Professional clubs coached
2003–	Melbourne Storm
Representative teams coached
2005–2007 2008–	Country New South Wales
* Professional club appearances and points counted for domestic first grade only.

Craig Bellamy (born 3 October 1959 in Portland, New South Wales) is a former rugby league player and the current coach of the Melbourne Storm and New South Wales team.

[edit] Biography

[edit] Playing career

Bellamy played for Oberon in the Country Rugby League as a teenager before moving to Macquarie United in the Newcastle competition in 1979.

The Canberra Raiders signed Bellamy in their debut season, 1982. He played the majority of his career in the centres but was also used as a utility player, appearing at times as fullback, winger, five-eighth and lock.

Bellamy played in the 1990 Grand Final for the Canberra Raiders as a reserve. He spent 1991 with Turvey Park in the Wagga Wagga competition before returning to Canberra for one last year in 1992. Bellamy also had a stint playing in England for Leeds in the early 90's.

[edit] Coaching career

In 1995, Bellamy coached the Canberra Raiders' President Cup team to a premiership win.

Prior to joining the Storm in 2003, Bellamy was performance co-ordinator and assistant coach to Wayne Bennett at the Brisbane Broncos. In 2002, Bellamy coached the Broncos when Bennett was on State of Origin duty with the Queensland Maroons. Forced to field a team full of young players due to the regular side's representative commitments, the 'Baby Broncos' upset the Wests Tigers.

The Tigers were a leading candidate to sign Bellamy as their coach for the 2003 season, although he ultimately joined Melbourne after Mark Murray was sacked. The Storm have not failed to miss the finals in Bellamy's five seasons at the helm, and qualified for the 2006 National Rugby League grand final, where Melbourne finished as runners-up to the Brisbane Broncos, and the 2007 grand final, in which the Storm defeated the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 34–8 to become the premiers of the NRL.

In April, 2008, Bellamy signed a five year contract extension through to 2013 with Melbourne despite interest from the Brisbane Broncos.^[1] This signing means that Bellamy will become the first 10 year coach in the Storm's history.

[edit] Representative coaching

Bellamy has coached the Country Origin team since 2005. He has one win, in 2006, from three games.

Bellamy was considered a leading candidate to coach the Queensland Maroons in 2006, but his selection was opposed by many former players, including Arthur Beetson,^{[citation needed]} and was ultimately vetoed due to the fact he was not a Queenslander, despite Graeme Lowe, a New Zealander, holding the position in the early 1990s.

Bellamy was an assistant to Wayne Bennett for the Australian Test team during the 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament, and was often seen 'running the water' to players on the field. After the New South Wales Blues' poor showing in the 2007 State of Origin series, Bellamy was appointed as coach for 2008.

[edit] References

• Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd, page 32. ISBN 9781877082931. 

[edit] Footnotes