The Serve

Seven days to make Bellamy career

Perception is a hard thing to shake. Particularly in rugby league.
How the Melbourne Storm perform over the next seven days will have an enormous impact on how Craig Bellamy is perceived for the rest of his career.

The Storm have been the undisputed kings of the last two years, winning a staggering 44 of 52 matches, yet so far have nothing to show for it. Melbourne could play well yet run into a virtuoso performance by the Eels backs, or the Manly forwards. The Storm could cop a series of bad decisions, ala last years grand final. We live with a system where the best team doesn’t necessarily win, not necessarily because of their own doing.

However if the Storm don’t do the lap of honour next Sunday, Bellamy will sadly slot into the pigeon hole that is current filled by the likes of Brian Smith and Nathan Brown.

Perception is a funny thing.

Graham Murray has coached at the top level in Australia for fourteen seasons, for zero premierships, yet is generally seen as a ‘winner’. Sacked as New South Wales coach after two terrible series, but perception suggests he is a winner, so he’s fine.

Nathan Brown kept a decimated Dragons side in the top eight chase until the final month this season, a herculean performance, yet a newspaper poll suggested 32% of the public believed he was the worst coach in the NRL.

Brown’s dye has been cast.

In this game, you are either a winner or a loser. Phil Gould is a ‘winner’ because of his superb run as Blues coach, as well as premierships with Penrith and Canterbury, yet nobody ever questions his lack of success at the Roosters, with an all-star cast.

Johnny Lang had to win a premiership with Penrith to be seen as a winner, despite a marvellous run at Cronulla with a battling side.

No grey in this business.

Bellamy is a career coach, an innovator and a perfectionist who may have another twenty years ahead of him. He is seen as a brilliant tactician, terrific manager of men, albeit with a tendency to get wound up in tight situations.

If the Storm doesn’t win the premiership next week, Bellamy may need all of those twenty years to change the perception.