Billy Slater twist amid Brisbane Broncos rumours

Craig Bellamy’s latest comments regarding his future will cause one of the biggest coaching changes in NRL history.

One man linked heavily with replacing Bellamy at the Melbourne Storm is Queensland Maroons head coach Billy Slater.

Slater is of course a Storm legend having represented the club on 319 occasions.

In his time at AAMI Park, Slater scored 190 tries and became one of the greatest fullback’s in rugby league history.

During his impressive stint as Maroons coach, Slater has been constantly quizzed about taking an NRL job, with Melbourne the obvious fit.

But links earlier in the season with the Brisbane Broncos threatened to throw that off, as reports suggested Slater could replace Michael Maguire.

Despite Brisbane CEO Dave Donaghy throwing his support behind Maguire following the rumours, the links between Slater and the Broncos have not gone away.

However, an update from Storm coach Bellamy on Friday afternoon might have finally settled the rumours on where Slater will end up next.

“I’ll be coaching next year, but yeah, I think that might be the end,” Bellamy said, who has been in charge at Melbourne since 2003.

“I’d like to finish next season on a stronger note. Like I say, they’re all working hard at the moment, so that’s all we need to do.

“We still want to try and finish the season on an upward note, you know? So we’ll see what happens.

“Like I say, as long as we keep preparing well and training well, it gives us a chance to do that.”

With Bellamy to leave at the end of 2027 and Slater hinting at one more year as Queensland coach, it appears the stars may align for Slater to takeover from the supercoach in 2028.

READ MORE: Billy Slater tells the Broncos his stance

Bellamy’s future with the club could also determine Cameron Munster’s as well.

Munster has been linked with a big-money move to the PNG Chiefs for 2028, citing Bellamy’s future as a determining factor in a previous interview.

“I don’t want to say too much about it,” Munster said last week. “I’m not sure what his (Bellamy’s) coaching future looks like. If he stays, I’ll stay, so there’s a bit of pressure on your back, Craig.”