He may cop some barbs for his pizza eating in the changerooms after each Melbourne game but Jason Ryles deserves a big slice of the credit for the performance of the Storm forwards.
Coach Craig Bellamy gave Ryles a ribbing when asked what the former Kangaroos prop has brought to the side since taking over as assistant coach this season.
"Bad habits," Bellamy said.
"He's always going and getting coffee and he eats a lot of pizza after the game."
Bad habits aside, the recruitment of Ryles to the Storm staff has proved a revelation with the forward pack emerging this season as one of the best in the NRL.
Bellamy said that Ryles had been "tremendous".
"When we bought him here we knew he was a real good fit for our club because he played here and everyone really liked him as a player and as a person," Bellamy said.
"He played at the highest level in our game so there's a lot of good experience he's passed on to our players.
"He's a real strong part of our coaching staff and an important part of the team."
Ryles spent the final two years of a 14-year top-flight playing career under Bellamy's tutelage before moving back to his home town of Wollongong to coach a local league side.
Bellamy believed that he had earned his stripes there.
"A job like that is more than just being a coach ... he learnt a lot. in those two years about the game and about himself."
Known for his sense of humour, Ryles bring some light to Bellamy's intense shade.
"He's got that personality where he can be tough if it's time to be tough but he can also be a real friend to the players," he said.
