NRL’s coaching circus is damaging the game

I’M IMAGINING all the NRL coaches sitting around a kitchen island bench right now.

Rain is splashing on the windows and distant thunder rumbles in the background.

It’s almost exactly like that scene from The Godfather: Part III but it’s not a weary Michael Corleone traipsing about.

It’s all 16 NRL coaches rising in unison, their voices drowning out the thunder as they say “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”.

A month or two ago I was concerned, just like Michael Corleone, that some secret back-room deal had been struck.

A deal that would take Melbourne Storm’s godfather Craig Bellamy away from my beloved club and into the hands of our enemy the Brisbane Broncos.

Those were simpler times – words were supported by swift action, deals were openly struck – and most importantly Bellamy stayed at Melbourne.

Things are different now though – just about every coach has been linked with every vacant, and supposedly soon to be vacant, position.

Bellamy, with the ink on his new deal now dry, is the only man who isn’t in the mix.

Now it’s a straight up circus and the monkeys are causing absolute havoc after breaking free of their cages.

Anthony Griffin has been sacked, Trent Barrett has a foot out the door, Bennett and Darius Boyd are boycotting barbies and from the look of things a game of coaching musical chairs is about to start.

And no matter how you look at it the situation is absolutely ridiculous.

As an English Premier League supporter I’ve seen some pretty crazy things when it comes to coaching moves but the current NRL situation tops anything I’ve seen there and that is not a good thing.

Less than a month out from finals and no-one is talking about the actual game.

Instead we’re talking about plots, sub-plots and rumour, and they wonder why fans don’t feel connected to the game.

It’s time the NRL got its act together before it loses fans.