Overlooked Bellamy legacy cemented by wild Origin double act
Melbourne might be in the midst of their worst season under Craig Bellamy, but his remarkable coaching legacy is still being cemented.Bellamy is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in rugby league history, winning three premierships with the Storm over a storied 23-year tenure, which will continue for one more season before he finally steps away.AdvertisementHe’s won 415 of his 609 games in charge, giving him a higher win percentage as a coach than Wayne Bennett, Jack Gibson, Phil Gould and Ivan Cleary.But perhaps the most impressive part of Bellamy’s career is his coaching tree - whether it be assistants or former players - who have gone on to find success.The term “coaching tree” is used heavily in American sports, particularly in the NFL, where each team has a plethora of assistants for specific reasons.It’s often seen as the mark of an elite leader if their disciples become successful head coaches at other franchises and in Bellamy’s case, it’s no different.The most notable of Bellamy’s coaching disciples is Michael Maguire.The pair were first teammates at Canberra and then reunited at the Storm in 2004 - Bellamy’s second year in charge - when Maguire became an assistant.He spent six seasons at the club working under Bellamy before moving overseas to become the head coach of Super League club Wigan.AdvertisementSince branching out on his own, Maguire has found an unbelievable amount of success as a head coach, both at club and representative level.Maguire won a Super League title with Wigan in his first season, before coming back to Australia and coaching the Rabbitohs to glory in 2014.After his stint with South Sydney was cut short in 2017, he would go on to coach Wests Tigers and then the New Zealand national side, overseeing their shocking 30-0 upset over the Kangaroos in the 2023 Pacific Championships final.He then spent one year coaching the NSW Blues, leading them to a come-from-behind triumph in the 2024 State of Origin series over Queensland.AdvertisementAdvertisementHis success at rep level saw Maguire land another massive NRL job, signing with the Broncos, where he led the club to a drought-breaking title in 2025.If he was the only notable member of Bellamy’s coaching tree, that would still be a fair notch on the Melbourne mentor’s belt - but the list goes on and on.Kevin Walters worked with Bellamy for three seasons and was part of the club’s 2012 premiership, before moving on and becoming the Maroons head coach.AdvertisementHe spent four Origin series in charge, winning two of them, before taking on the Broncos top job and leading them to within a few minutes of victory in the 2023 grand final.Walters now serves as the Australian head coach, taking over last year.Other coaches who worked as understudies to Bellamy include Brad Arthur, Adam O’Brien, Anthony Seibold, Stephen Kearney and Dean Pay.Arthur is clearly the best of that bunch, spending a decade in charge of the Eels, making the finals on five occasions, including a 2022 grand final loss to Penrith.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe man who replaced him, Jason Ryles, worshipped at the Church of Bellamy as both a player and coach before landing at Parramatta.Ryles played his final two NRL seasons at the Storm before making the transition into coaching, having two separate stints working under Bellamy.The former Blues and Kangaroos enforcer isn’t the only player-turned-coach who was heavily-influenced by Bellamy’s teachings either.AdvertisementBilly Slater, one of the club’s favourite sons, spent his entire 319-game NRL career with the Storm and Bellamy, becoming one of the game’s all-time greats.Just a few years after retiring, Slater became the Queensland head coach and has gone on to show incredible poise, tactical nous and calmness under pressure.Slater has won three of his five Origin series in charge and has now been heavily linked to the Storm job, whenever Bellamy decides to step away.Next year, Slater will come up against a former Storm teammate and another one of Bellamy’s pupils, Matt King, who was this week announced as NSW coach.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile he never worked on Melbourne’s coaching staff after hanging up the boots, King spent five seasons at the Storm - the first five of Bellamy’s tenure - becoming one of the NRL’s best wingers and a fixture at rep level in the mid-2000s.Long-time Storm football manager Frank Ponissi has watched King’s rise from an unlikely first grade player to an Origin coach over the past two decades.Ponissi has also seen King’s work first-hand with the Blues for the past few years as the team’s performance manager, and believes he is up to the task.Advertisement“He’s got wonderful foundations. We talk about doing an apprenticeship, you don’t get too many better, as a player and as a coach,” Ponissi told nine.com.au.“We talk about ‘are they ready?’ You couldn’t be more ready in all seriousness. He’s now done three Origin series as an assistant coach under two different coaches.“He’s absolutely ready for the role. A wonderful apprenticeship, foundation, to do the role, and the players have massive respect and regard for him.“He’s incredibly passionate about the Blues jersey. When he talks about the jersey and being part of the Blues, he just oozes that passion.AdvertisementAdvertisement“I reckon he’s got a real presence - he can really get his message across. There’s no doubt he’s a players’ coach, he’s got a really strong relationship with the players.”Bellamy, watching on from afar as another one of his students forges their own path, will no doubt be doing so with a smile.“He’s really proud of Kingy getting that role,” Ponissi said.Advertisement“When the news came through, he was ecstatic, as we all are. He was pretty fond of him as a player down in Melbourne, so, he’s really pleased with Kingy.”
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