Coach Craig Bellamy is hoping his Melbourne Storm contract extension will help persuade star halfback Cooper Cronk to follow suit.
Bellamy has signed up through to the end of 2018, his 16th season at the helm of the Storm.
With Australian skipper Cameron Smith locked in through 2018 and champion fullback Billy Slater till the end of 2017, the Storm's focus now is on retaining the off-contract Cronk, keeping together a quartet that has conjured so much success over 13 seasons together.
It's widely speculated that Cronk has been weighing up a possible move to Sydney.
"Cooper's his own man," said Bellamy.
"Everyone nowadays makes decisions based on what's best for them and their families ... but hopefully it does play a part with me staying but I don't know whether that will be the case or not.
"It would be only very fitting for him to finish his career here."
Bellamy insisted Melbourne was still the only club he wanted to coach, with his excitement at seeing younger players come through coupled with enjoyment of his relationship with the club's big three - Smith, Slater and Cronk.
By the end of 2018, 56-year-old Bellamy should sit fourth for most games coached in the NRL, behind only Wayne Bennett, Tim Sheens and Brian Smith.
He has an impressive winning percentage of 66 per cent from 341 matches and has led the Storm into 12 finals campaigns in 13 seasons with five grand final appearances for three wins, although two titles were stripped for club salary cap breaches.
Bellamy admitted it wasn't until the recent pre-season trials that he realised he still had the passion to extend his contract by two years.
"When the two trial games came around I had butterflies in my stomach, so I'm thinking that I still have got that hunger," he said.
When those butterflies disappeared he would know it's time to leave the game, but he stopped short of declaring that 2018 would be his last season.
He famously asserted that 2016 would be his swan song after a tough 2014 campaign - a comment he now regrets.
"I'd never make that statement again, to be quite honest," he said.
"We all go through difficult times and that was one for me ... but I really enjoyed last year.
"I think the time will come for me when I haven't got that passion and energy ... hopefully I'll know when it's time."
Share
