After 23 years of Bellamy’s Storm dynasty, there’s now a red-hot replacement option — Crawls

What we know for certain in the wake of Hull KR’s historic Super League grand final triumph is that Willie Peters is ready to be an NRL head coach.

The question now is not if, but when/where, the 46-year-old gets his crack.

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The four options most likely to come up sooner rather than later are Wests Tigers, Manly, Cowboys and Dragons. Although I will throw in a left field contender that might not be as silly as it sounds: the Melbourne Storm.

How I arrived at the Storm as a possible destination for Peters we will get back to shortly.

First, if I was framing a betting market heading into the next NRL season, the Tigers would be favourites, just ahead of the Sea Eagles and Cowboys.

While there is no suggestion Benji Marshall is in any additional danger on the back of the weekend’s Super League grand final result, if the Tigers were to get off to a rocky start next season, we all know how the game works.

Peters has previously been linked to both the Tigers and Manly.

It’s no secret Peters has a close relationship with Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson from their time together at the Rabbitohs.

Peters’ name was also thrown up midway through this season when the Tigers were going through a slump of six straight losses.

In the end, Benji did enough to save his job — for now.

But three straight defeats to finish the season 13th on the ladder certainly upped the pressure on Benji to start fast in 2026.

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Peters also worked as an assistant at the Sea Eagles previously, and has been linked to a possible return, potentially as the man to take over from Anthony Seibold.

There has been suggestions Seibold may be looking long-term to take on a position as a Phil Gould-like head of football.

But my understanding is Seibold doesn’t want to give up coaching any time soon, and if he isn’t coaching at Manly, he will seek a job elsewhere.

Manly owner Scott Penn has also assured Seibold he is under no pressure whatsoever going into next season.

However, results will still be crucial after all the drama that surrounded the club this year.

The Cowboys could be another club where there may be an opening before too long if Todd Payten doesn’t turn things around.

The recent appointment of Justin Holbrook at Newcastle and Josh Hannay at Gold Coast has taken those clubs out of the equation.

The Dragons are another club treading water, although Shane Flanagan was surprisingly given an extension late in the season, despite the Dragons finishing 15th.

However, a left field option could be that Peters holds off for the meantime and is patient enough to position himself as the best available candidate to take over from Craig Bellamy, if the champion Storm coach decides to retire after next year.

There have been indications 2026 may be Bellamy’s last.

If that’s the case, they will want the next best to take over, and someone who has not only proven himself capable of leading his own team, but who also has the potential to be the next super coach.

Unless Billy Slater was to put up his hand to coach the Storm, Peters could be an unlikely but genuine option.

What is certain is that Peters’ stocks have only soared on the back of the incredible job he has done with Hull KR, and at some point soon a club will come knocking.

The comprehensive 24-6 grand final win over Wigan came after claiming this year’s Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield (for the minor premiership).

Peters was considered one of the standout candidates for the Knights job following Adam O’Brien’s exit.

But Peters chose to withdraw from the interview process well before Holbrook was announced.

Peters is managed by NRL 360 host Braith Anasta.

At the time, Anasta explained on 360 why Peters didn’t want the interviewing process to become a distraction ahead of Hull KR’s charge to the finals.

Anasta also hinted that he didn’t feel Peters needed to go through the interview process simply so he could blow his own trumpet.

The suggestion was if a club is interested in signing Peters, they only need to look at how he has turned Hull KR around to know what he is capable of.

“I think if you actually do your research on Willie and looked at what he has done over there and what he has achieved … you talk about credentials, you can’t compare them,” Anasta said.

“He has taken a team from last to first, won coach of the year last year, he is going to get coach of the year this year … and he is competing against assistant coaches. He’s taken a club that is a working-class town who live and breathe rugby league.

“Their memberships have doubled, their crowds have doubled.

“For him and where he is right now, he is a chance of winning Super League this year.

“Us going through a process where we don’t know where we are going to land, with a number of candidates, can distract the process of winning a premiership back there.

“We just don’t think it is worth it.”

It’s fair to say Anasta’s assessment has been proven to be spot on.

And Peters probably won’t need to apply for the next job that comes along, because clubs will be fighting over him before too long regardless.

Peters will also get an opportunity to add to his resume when he takes on an assist role under Kevvie Walters for the Kangaroos upcoming Ashes Tour.

WHERE DOES JWH STAND ALONGSIDE GREATEST EVER PROPS?

A week after Payne Haas was being compared to the great Glenn Lazarus as arguably the best prop of the modern game, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves again showed why his record stacks up alongside the best of them.

After winning three premierships with the Roosters, the now 36-year-old enforcer completed an incredible 17-year career playing the toughest position there is in the game with an impressive performance in Hull KR’s win over Wigan.

People forget Waerea-Hargreaves started at Manly way back in 2009, going on to play 316 NRL games, 33 Tests for New Zealand and 23 games for Hull.

For mine, Immortal Arthur Beetson was and remains the greatest of all, and old-timers will tell you that goes without saying.

But JWH retires with his name up alongside the great props of the last 40 years including Lazarus, Steve Roach, Ian Roberts, Paul Harragon, Mark Carroll, Shane Webcke, Petero Civoniceva, Sam Burgess, Matt Scott, Jesse Bromwich and Haas.

While Hass is clearly the greatest metre eater of all, as far as intimidation goes, JWH is up alongside Burgess as arguably the most feared since the turn of the century. Which is also why he would have held his own in any era.

Only Lazarus won more comps (five), at three different NRL clubs.

KANGAROO BOLTER ‘IN BEST 17’

For all the talk of the players who have withdrawn from the Kangaroos tour to England, Kevvie Walters still has a hell of a job selecting his best 17.

For starters, do you go Reece Walsh or Dylan Edwards at fullback?

Who are the starting halves with Nathan Cleary, Cameron Munster, Tom Dearden and Mitch Moses?

Throw in young Ethan Strange on the back of his effort in the Prime Minister’s XIII win over PNG.

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As Andrew Voss said in the Fox League commentary, Strange just has to be in the best 17, somewhere. Voss even suggested he could start at centre.

Given Strange can play in the halves and fill a role at dummy-half, it will be hard leaving him out.

Walsh must get first crack in the No. 1 jersey and Cleary and Munster start in the halves.

If Parramatta had played finals, Moses would be pushing Cleary and Munster, but you couldn’t put him in ahead of them at this point.

Dearden was also State of Origin player of the series and would also make a great utility option on the bench, but Strange offers more versatility.

It will be interesting to see what team starts, and finishes, the tour.

I have little doubt a few surprises could eventuate over the course of the three-Test series.

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