"Bellamy will coach his 11th grand final on Sunday when the Storm meet the Brisbane Broncos at Accor Stadium 19 years after he guided Melbourne to a decider against the same team in 2006 (Brisbane won, and have not won another premiership since). The Storm coach's 11 grand finals sets a new record for the modern era, surpassing Wayne Bennett's 10 appearances. Bellamy has done it in 23 seasons, coaching 602 games, while Bennett has coached 960 games over 38 seasons."
"The Storm have never gone more than four years without a grand final appearance under Bellamy's tutelage. In his 23 years at the helm, the Storm have not finished worse than sixth bar the season the NRL forced them into last spo in 2010 for salary cap breaches. The longevity of the Storm's sustained success is almost unprecedented (St George famously won 11 premierships on the trot in the 1950s and 60s and may be the only team that can claim to have achieved what the Storm have)."
Melbourne Storm have maintained two decades of elite performance in the NRL, consistently reaching grand finals under coach Craig Bellamy. Bellamy will coach his 11th grand final, a modern-era record, achieving that mark in 23 seasons and 602 games. Wayne Bennett reached 10 grand finals across 38 seasons and 960 games, while other long-serving coaches combined for far fewer grand final appearances from many more seasons. The Storm have not gone more than four years without a grand final under Bellamy and did not finish outside the top six except for the 2010 season when the club was placed last for salary cap breaches. The Storm's sustained success rivals historic dynasties and contrasts with Penrith's recent four straight titles and Melbourne's smaller Victorian profile.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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