Melbourne Storm’s football director, Frank Ponissi, has confirmed that coach Craig Bellamy remains fully committed to completing the 2026 NRL season, despite recent news that the iconic mentor has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disorder.
Bellamy did not attend the usual post-match press conference following his team’s seventh consecutive loss to the Dolphins on Friday night. Instead, Ponissi and captain Harry Grant addressed the media.
Ponissi revealed that Bellamy had decided not to speak publicly that evening, regardless of the outcome. “He was never coming in tonight – win, lose or draw,” he said. “This has been the most challenging week of his life, and he and his family are still coming to terms with the diagnosis.”
“He’s been through a lot with his family, so we gave him the chance to focus on them rather than the game,” Ponissi added. “But in terms of how he coached tonight, you wouldn’t have known anything had happened. It’s remarkable. He’s completely focused on the team and fixing what’s going wrong.”
Since the news of Bellamy’s health concerns emerged on Thursday, there has been an overwhelming show of support for the long-serving coach. Ponissi noted that Bellamy, who has led the Storm for 22 years, has been “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of messages from fans and colleagues alike.
Bellamy signed a contract extension in February, committing to the club until the end of 2028. Ponissi emphasized that the coach will see out the current season and has already begun planning for next week’s match against the Tigers.
“I have absolutely no doubt that the fire is still in his belly,” Ponissi said. “It’s been tough for him over the last few weeks, but he’s as committed as ever. You just had to be in the dressing room to see the passion and dedication he has. He doesn’t like where we are now, and neither do we. He’s working just as hard as he always has.”
“We’re all hurting and frustrated, but we’re not giving up. He wants to focus on coaching and getting us back on track.”
This is the longest losing streak of Bellamy’s coaching career. The Storm were leading 10-0 at halftime in their 28-10 defeat to the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, marking the fourth time in seven losses that they took a lead into the break.
For Grant, this run of form is also unfamiliar. He appeared dejected after missing a crucial opportunity to turn the game around. However, he stressed the importance of following Bellamy’s example.
“It’s part of the journey. It’s raw and real, but at the end of the day, it’s life and the cards have been dealt,” Grant said. “There are two parts to it—on the field and off the field. Right now, we need to fix things on the field to ease some pressure off the field. It’s a whole club matter, and I think everyone understands the need to respect Craig’s privacy and keep moving forward, just like he is.”
“Support from the rugby league community is strong, and we’re all looking to move on. He’s focused on next week and righting the wrongs. As a playing group, we need to back him up by working hard in training and translating that into performance.”
Michael Maguire, the Broncos’ coach and former assistant under Bellamy, shared his thoughts: “Craig and I have had some great times together. You care about the people you’ve worked with throughout your career. Knowing Craig, I know he’ll be fine—he’s a fighter. He’ll get through this and keep coaching.”
