Melbourne Storm players reveal how they prank master coach Craig Bellamy

A number of Melbourne Storm identities have revealed how they keep Craig Bellamy on his toes by staging regular pranks at the expense of the master coach.

Be it retired club legend Cameron Smith, larrikin five-eighth Cameron Munster or game day trainer Ryan Hinchcliffe, the chance to wind up the legendary mentor is a constant source of amusement for those within the club’s inner circle.

Bellamy, 62, who will coach Melbourne for a remarkable 500th career NRL game on Thursday night when his team tackle South Sydney at AAMI Park, enjoys the banter – most of the time.

A fitness fanatic who can be found in the club’s gym at 5am up to six days a week, he is often left fuming when his clothes mysteriously ‘disappear’ following a workout.

Or he is left shaking his head at the audacity of Munster, who prides himself on dakking his coach ‘in front of everyone’ as often as possible. 

But Bellamy wasn’t born yesterday.

Larrikin five-eighth Cameron Munster always keeps Bellamy on his toes – but the two are close

Coach Craig Bellamy (pictured right) with superstar Greg Inglis after the 2009 NRL grand final

He double knots his shorts at all times, making Munster’s attempt to get under the skin of the man they call ‘Bellyache’ that little bit tougher.

Previous Melbourne stars such as Greg Inglis used to routinely wind up the boss.

So too 1999 premiership winner Matt Geyer, these days on the club’s coaching staff.

Be it hiding Bellamy’s shoes or replacing his chocolate sauce with the BBQ variety when he orders vanilla ice cream on away trips, the hijinks are constant. 

And probably a major season why the club has been so successful for so many years.

Nothing beats hard work, but Bellamy knows his players aren’t robots – having a laugh at the right time is important. 

He also isn’t perfect – Bellamy often pronounces names incorrectly, and his use of swear words is legendary.

Hinchcliffe recalled one occasion back in 2009 a rival NRL coach stating he ‘wanted to be a thorn in Melbourne’s side.’

Moments before kick-off a few days later, Bellamy looked to fire up his team by declaring ‘they wanna be a thorn in our side? Righto, well, how about we be the pineapple up their arse.’

The players couldn’t believe what they heard, and once centre Will Chambers began laughing hysterically, he copped one of Bellamy’s legendary sprays, according to News Corp.  

But despite his hard-nosed nature, Bellamy can be compassionate.

When Jason Ferris replaced his NRL career with time behind bars following gambling and alcohol issues, his Canberra Raiders President’s Cup coach from 1995 was quickly on the phone, checking in.

Bellamy then offered to visit Ferris at his lowest ebb in jail – a gesture the journeyman halfback won’t ever forget.

His greatest fear is footballers not realising their potential – so much so he hated players heading out for a big night after a loss.

He also spots character traits others often overlook – with Melbourne the constant beneficiaries. 

At NRL level, Cameron Smith was only ever coached by one man in his career – Craig Bellamy

The proof is in no-frills players such as Bryan Norrie, Brenko Lee and Tom Eisenhuth.

Unwanted by other NRL clubs when they arrived at AAMI Park, the trio went onto become key Storm players.

In Lee’s case, he won a premiership ring in 2020.

Bellamy doesn’t have a secret recipe for success – but being respectful and humble is a good start.

Egos aren’t tolerated at the Storm.

Former Socceroos hardman Kevin Muscat  – who became a Bellamy confidant when coaching A-League squad Melbourne Victory – sums up the Storm supremo best.

 ‘When Craig walks into a room…he’s got an aura about him and he commands respect with the way he conducts himself,’ Muscat said.

‘His directness and approach in getting a message across to his players really struck home for me.’