Craig Bellamy won't make an announcement on his coaching future before Melbourne's NRL season-opener on Thursday night, saying some personal issues have delayed a decision.
The veteran coach had planned to settle his future before round one against South Sydney at AAMI Park, with Brisbane and Cronulla both publicly declaring their interest in him as a coaching director.
The Storm are desperate to retain Bellamy in a similar role if he decides to put an end to his head coaching reign at Melbourne after 19 seasons.
"There's been some issues that I've had to deal with that have slowed up the decision-making process so that's the way it is at the moment," Bellamy told AAP.
"I'll do whatever is best for me and the family - I'm just really grateful for what the club's done here for me.
"I don't want to string it out but there's a couple of things that have happened that have put that decision in the background a bit but hopefully it will happen in the next few weeks."
Bellamy didn't expand, however it was revealed during the 2020 finals that his wife Wendy hadn't been well.
The 61-year-old has said this season will likely be his last and a call on his future could be eased with his long-time assistant Jason Ryles back in Melbourne and an obvious candidate as his replacement.
Ryles left the Storm after their premiership victory last October to work as a skills coach under England rugby union head coach Eddie Jones.
However due to COVID-19 Ryles returned after three months and his family opted not to relocate in January, with the former Test prop working for Jones remotely.
While it's still planned for Ryles to join the England camp later this year, the Storm have time to convince him to stay in Melbourne should Bellamy leave.
Halfback Jahrome Hughes, who signed a three-year deal last week, hinted that Bellamy would step down and that the next Melbourne coach would come from within the Storm family.
Hughes didn't get an answer on Bellamy's future before committing to Melbourne, but sought reassurance.
"I didn't need to know who was going to be coach, I just wanted to know if they were going to be from inside these walls or had worked with Melbourne before," Hughes said.
"That's a big thing because I trust in the club and the people around here and it's one of the big reasons I wanted to stay.
"We don't know who the coach is but if they get the person they want to get I trust fully they are going to do the job and I'm going to be happy playing under them."
Australian Associated Press
