Smith key to Bellamy move

THE almost unbreakable bond between Craig Bellamy and his champion hooker Cameron Smith is all that is swaying the Storm super coach from signing with the Brisbane Broncos.

Bellamy has revealed he confided in Smith last week about the Broncos’ $5.4 million offer as he wrestles with the prospect of walking out on the Storm, his “family” of 16 seasons.

Asked if he could coach against Smith, Bellamy said: “I did in Origin and that didn’t work out too well for me, did it?

“The futures of both Cameron and Billy [Slater] are a really important part of my decision.”

Both are off contract at the end of the season with Slater undecided whether to play on and Smith likely to sign for two more seasons.

Bellamy has said he will take time out next week with the Storm having a bye to try to make a decision to stop it dragging on and potentially disrupting the Storm’s season.

The following week he plays against Wayne Bennett and the Broncos.

“I’ve had a hectic few weeks and had little time to even think about it,” he said.

“We’ll get this week’s game out of the way before the bye, which will give me time to process it.”

Pressed again on his relationship with Smith and Slater as Storm’s golden era approaches full-time, Bellamy said: “He [Cameron] understands I have to do what’s right for me and the family.

“I’ve been here 16 years and we’ve had some tough times together and some wonderful times.

“The club is like a family to me. It’s really not just the dollar signs. I’ve got to be very clear in what I want to do and there’s no deadline.”

Bellamy says he is uncertain about taking 12 months off at the end of this season to wait for Bennett to finish at the Broncos at the end of 2019.

“I’ve never had a year off,” he said. “You could look at it in two ways.

“It could be refreshing and go to organisations and pick up on things. We usually do that for two weeks. Having a year off, the game evolves quickly so you could lose.”

If Bellamy was to quit, it would be a two-horse race for the Storm job between current assistant Adam O’Brien and former Souths coach Michael Maguire.