Billy’s big call coming
Storm to wait on No.1 man
MELBOURNE coach Craig Bellamy has appealed for Maroons ace Billy Slater not to walk away from rugby league as he fights to prevent the decimation of the Storm’s Big Three.
With just four weeks until the playoffs, the champion fullback remains off-contract and has yet to notify the Storm whether he will ink a 12-month extension the club tabled two months ago.
Veteran halfback Cooper Cronk will be the first domino to fall from Melbourne’s Big Three when he quits the club at season’s end, leaving skipper Cameron Smith to drive their famous culture next year.
Smith and Slater were born on the same day in the same year – June 18, 1983 – and Bellamy is adamant the Maroons custodian has more magic left following his superb fightback from two shoulder operations.
“I think Billy has more in him,” Bellamy said.
“You are a long time retired and if he has 12 months off at his age, there’s no coming back after that.
“I would love Billy to play on and I really hope he does, but at the end of the day he has to make the decision for himself and his family.
“Physically, he has a whole heap in him but he has to make sure that mentally he will be right.
“He has to want to play NRL again next year, you need to do a lot of hard work at this level. He has to go through another pre-season and get through another season (in 2018).
“It’s a profession now but the one thing about Billy is he has always enjoyed his footy and that’s a thing he will weigh up in his mind – is he going to enjoy another year?
“Hopefully he will say yes to that question.”
If Melbourne win the title this season, it could be the fairytale finale for Slater, but the 292-game veteran says his future won’t hinge on a premiership ring.
“Winning the comp drives me every year but it’s not going to determine whether I play on,” Slater said.
“I can’t leave Cam on his own can I? I know I need to make a decision soon. I’ve been doing it for 15 years now and it’s a tough game. If this is my last season, it’s been a great ride and I’ve enjoyed every moment.”