The Panthers and Storm coaches were forced to answer questions they shouldn’t have been.
The Brisbane Broncos have officially hijacked NRL grand final week. And it was clear for all to see during the official press conferences with Ivan Cleary and Craig Bellamy on Thursday.
The Panthers and Storm coaches should be focusing on their respective sides ahead of the NRL decider on Sunday night, but instead they’re being asked if they’ll be the next NSW coach in State of Origin. And it’s all the Broncos’ fault.
Rather than waiting a week and announcing Michael Maguire as their new head coach after the grand final, the Broncos did it this week and completely hijacked the build-up to the decider. By confirming Maguire’s appointment on Tuesday, the Broncos created a week of headlines around the embattled NRL club that have taken the focus off the most important game of the year.
Maguire’s decision to join the Broncos means the NSW Blues are on the hunt for a new State of Origin coach, and the issue has arguably become a bigger talking point than Sunday’s grand final. Cleary and Bellamy have both been floated as potential options, even though the NSW hierarchy have always been hesitant to employ a full-time NRL coach in the Origin role.
Bellamy was asked if he’d consider becoming the Blues’ next coach at the Dally M ceremony on Wednesday night, and again on Thursday at the grand final press conference. And it was also put to Cleary on Thursday.
Should the Broncos have waited to announce new NRL coach?
But why are the grand final coaches being forced to answer questions related to anything else other than Sunday night’s game? It feels like a massive distraction from what should be a massive build-up to the Panthers and Storm blockbuster, and borderline disrespectful.
Maguire was immediately linked to the Broncos job after Kevin Walters was sacked last week. The Broncos would have been keen to avoid a week of speculation about who the next coach would be, but they should have waited until after the grand final to announce it.
There’s a growing sense that the hype around this year’s grand final hasn’t been the same as previous years. Maybe neutral fans are sick of seeing the same teams win, as no club outside of the Panthers (2021-2023), Storm (2017 and 2020) and Roosters (2018 and 2019) have won a premiership since the Sharks back in 2016, eight years ago.
Craig Bellamy slaps down calls to return as NSW Origin coach
But there’s no doubt the Broncos hijacked the conversation to an extent, and the dramas engulfing the club have become a bigger story than the grand final. In terms of the next NSW Origin coach, Bellamy was emphatic that it won’t be him.
The Storm coach led the Blues from 2008 to 2010, but only won two of nine games and admitted he found it difficult juggling both roles. Cleary stated he had “no idea” if he could do both jobs, while Bellamy said: “They’re not going to have a coach who is coaching an NRL side coaching Origin. I think they think that is too hard, and I think that as well.
“I have been there and done that. It’s too hard. It’s hard on your club when you’re in Origin, because everyone else has to do your work as well.
“And then you’re worrying about your club when you’re in Origin. Well, you shouldn’t be doing that. You shouldn’t be doing Origin if you’re doing other things. I have made that decision and I will stick with that.”
