Craig Bellamy breathes life into careers destined for the rugby league graveyard
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 7538534829
HOW does he do it?
That is the eternal question surrounding Craig Bellamy. The coach who many believe surpasses Wayne Bennett in the amazing stakes.
For years now, Bellamy has been able to pluck a player from the rugby league wilderness and transform him into a well-oiled machine. Someone who can stand alongside his legions of superstars and contribute just as flawlessly as the blokes on the big bucks.
It’s somewhat of a puzzle how almost every player to have spent time at the Storm under Bellamy has been better for it. And more often than not, they hit their purple patch under his tutelage. Pun intended.
Guys like Ryan Hinchcliffe, Ben Cross and Brett White cemented their careers under Bellamy. They either won premierships or earned representative nods or became solid first graders.
Of course, there are a few players who have failed under his reign. George Rose and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs come to mind.
But in celebration of the way he has brought to life Blake Green, we take a look through the players who were dead and gone before Bellamy came calling.
Adam Woolnough
The former Knights prop was quite literally pulled out of the wilderness — backpacking through South Africa, South America and Britain to be exact, after quitting football and going on an adventure.
Then he ran into his former Newcastle teammate Clint Newton in England, who was at the Storm at the time, and the topic turned to rugby league.
Somehow he was convinced to return to Australia and play for the Storm, where he played 21 games in 2011 before he retired for good.
Blake Green
The ultimate success story. Green dabbled with a few different NRL clubs before he tried his luck overseas, winning a grand final with Wigan and the man of the match award to boot before he took a call from Craig Bellamy.
You see, Bellamy was looking for a half to partner Cooper Cronk and was impressed with the way Green had handled himself over in England. He gave the 29-year-old a second chance he wasn’t expecting and Green has thanked his coach with the best season of his rugby league career.
Bryan Norrie
In the summer of 2009-2010, Bryan Norrie was preparing to sign a contract with Group Nine club Wagga Kangaroos to captain coach the team the following season. He was in town, talking to the club board and being shown around the area, meeting the players. His NRL career was all but over and the deal with the Kangaroos was done.
Then out of the blue he took a call from Melbourne, who were after a big man to bolster their forwards, and they had heard Norrie was a free agent. It doesn’t take a genius to know what he did next.
He played four more seasons in the top grade when he thought it was all over. Amazingly, that’s the effect Bellamy can have on players.
Marika Koroibete
His career was hardly over, but it took some of Bellamy’s magic to uncover the true talent lurking inside Marika Koroibete. He simply saw what no one else could see in the young winger.
Unwanted by the Wests Tigers, Koroibete was snatched up by the Storm and has emerged as one of the most powerful and electric wingers in the game.
Koroibete only played 16 games in four years for the Wests Tigers, so either Bellamy got lucky or he saw enough in limited time to know he had scored a bargain.
Kirk Reynoldson
From a tiny town in Queensland came this Melbourne cult-figure who thrived under the harsh conditions set forth by Bellamy.
Although Reynoldson’s career reached no great heights, Bellamy is credited for turning around the work ethic if the intimidating forward, who went on to play for Newcastle and St George-Illawarra after declining a contract extension with the Storm.
If not for Bellamy’s hand here, would we have ever seen this infamous bushranger in the NRL?
Special mention to: These guys were not saved by Bellamy, but they sure did play their best football with him. He saw value in journeyman Ben Roberts, who played halfback in the absence of Cooper Cronk at stages during 2014. Wingers Steve Turner, Anthony Quinn, centre Beau Champion and prop Clint Newton were all better for their time at the Storm.
Adam Blair earned the title of best forward in the game with Bellamy and spent the next few years at the Wests Tigers trying to live up to the title.
HOW does he do it?
That is the eternal question surrounding Craig Bellamy. The coach who many believe surpasses Wayne Bennett in the amazing stakes.
For years now, Bellamy has been able to pluck a player from the rugby league wilderness and transform him into a well-oiled machine. Someone who can stand alongside his legions of superstars and contribute just as flawlessly as the blokes on the big bucks.
It’s somewhat of a puzzle how almost every player to have spent time at the Storm under Bellamy has been better for it. And more often than not, they hit their purple patch under his tutelage. Pun intended.
Guys like Ryan Hinchcliffe, Ben Cross and Brett White cemented their careers under Bellamy. They either won premierships or earned representative nods or became solid first graders.
Of course, there are a few players who have failed under his reign. George Rose and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs come to mind.
But in celebration of the way he has brought to life Blake Green, we take a look through the players who were dead and gone before Bellamy came calling.
Adam Woolnough
The former Knights prop was quite literally pulled out of the wilderness — backpacking through South Africa, South America and Britain to be exact, after quitting football and going on an adventure.
Then he ran into his former Newcastle teammate Clint Newton in England, who was at the Storm at the time, and the topic turned to rugby league.
Somehow he was convinced to return to Australia and play for the Storm, where he played 21 games in 2011 before he retired for good.
Blake Green
The ultimate success story. Green dabbled with a few different NRL clubs before he tried his luck overseas, winning a grand final with Wigan and the man of the match award to boot before he took a call from Craig Bellamy.
You see, Bellamy was looking for a half to partner Cooper Cronk and was impressed with the way Green had handled himself over in England. He gave the 29-year-old a second chance he wasn’t expecting and Green has thanked his coach with the best season of his rugby league career.
Bryan Norrie
In the summer of 2009-2010, Bryan Norrie was preparing to sign a contract with Group Nine club Wagga Kangaroos to captain coach the team the following season. He was in town, talking to the club board and being shown around the area, meeting the players. His NRL career was all but over and the deal with the Kangaroos was done.
Then out of the blue he took a call from Melbourne, who were after a big man to bolster their forwards, and they had heard Norrie was a free agent. It doesn’t take a genius to know what he did next.
He played four more seasons in the top grade when he thought it was all over. Amazingly, that’s the effect Bellamy can have on players.
Marika Koroibete
His career was hardly over, but it took some of Bellamy’s magic to uncover the true talent lurking inside Marika Koroibete. He simply saw what no one else could see in the young winger.
Unwanted by the Wests Tigers, Koroibete was snatched up by the Storm and has emerged as one of the most powerful and electric wingers in the game.
Koroibete only played 16 games in four years for the Wests Tigers, so either Bellamy got lucky or he saw enough in limited time to know he had scored a bargain.
Kirk Reynoldson
From a tiny town in Queensland came this Melbourne cult-figure who thrived under the harsh conditions set forth by Bellamy.
Although Reynoldson’s career reached no great heights, Bellamy is credited for turning around the work ethic if the intimidating forward, who went on to play for Newcastle and St George-Illawarra after declining a contract extension with the Storm.
If not for Bellamy’s hand here, would we have ever seen this infamous bushranger in the NRL?
Special mention to: These guys were not saved by Bellamy, but they sure did play their best football with him. He saw value in journeyman Ben Roberts, who played halfback in the absence of Cooper Cronk at stages during 2014. Wingers Steve Turner, Anthony Quinn, centre Beau Champion and prop Clint Newton were all better for their time at the Storm.
Adam Blair earned the title of best forward in the game with Bellamy and spent the next few years at the Wests Tigers trying to live up to the title.
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"Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak" Anon
"Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak" Anon
