Craig Bellamy is often regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the NRL. Bellamy’s notoriety as the hard but fair leader of the seemingly unstoppable force that is the Melbourne Storm is legend. However, outside of some fiery post-game press conferences and some intense (albeit, retrospectively entertaining) all-time blow ups in the coaches’ box, there is still mystery surrounding the secret of Bellamy’s success and just who the man behind the legend is.
Stan’s original series Revealed, Craig Bellamy: Inside the Storm follows Bellamy and the Melbourne Storm through the 2024 NRL season; from the famously painstaking pre-season army camps to the team’s epic winning streak that took them all the way to the Grand Final. However, as the team’s success brings energy to the club, the unmade decision of whether Bellamy will continue on as coach after a 500-plus game, 21-year tenure, looms.
With insights from players, staff, family, and Bellamy himself, the curtain that has hidden the private life of the Storm coach for so long is pulled back just enough to allow audiences to see the more personable side of Bellamy. It’s not a complete expose, which would be unnecessary for the story that’s being presented for this documentary.
One thing that is apparent immediately are the strong bonds Bellamy shares with everyone around him, whether they are his family or an emerging NRL talent. The way Bellamy interacts with his grandchildren is enough to see the tough exterior dropped to reveal a softer centre. That care extends to his team. He can also put his players through the ultimate ringer; working the athletes to extreme levels to find their fullest physical potential. Kindness and care are not mistaken for weakness but are part of a pivotal layer of the respect that Bellamy gives to those around him.
Revealed also shows that Bellamy’s unrelenting desire to win is not just talk but is an all-encompassing foundation of who he is. The intensity of his reactions from the coaches’ box, or the gruelling physical tasks he puts the players through are backed up by scenes of the 65-year-old Bellamy in the club gym lifting weights and pounding the stair master until he reaches complete exhaustion. Bellamy’s ethos is to do the work in front of his team – if he can do it, then so can they.
Craig Bellamy: Inside The Storm makes for interesting viewing for those who are entrenched in the lore of the NRL, the Melbourne Storm, and the infamy of Craig Bellamy as one of the greatest coaches of all time. It plays less as a tell-all, and more of an explanation behind the success, feeling authentic to who Bellamy is as a coach and, most importantly, as a person.
Revealed: Craig Bellamy – Inside the Storm is streaming exclusively on Stan from March 9.
