Storm Bolstered By Sharp
Appointment

Melbourne Storm?s 2004 Telstra Premiership hopes have been strengthened following former Manly head coach Peter Sharp?s decision to join the club as an assistant coach.

Sharp, who left Manly in September this year after five years with the Sea Eagles, has joined the Storm as an assistant to coach Craig Bellamy along with Dean Lance.

After enjoying a stellar National Rugby League debut season this year, Bellamy was keen to appoint a second assistant in a bid to ease the heavy workload on himself and Lance.

?I really enjoyed this year but I just found myself flat out all the time and sometimes everything you?d like to do you just don?t have time to carry out, so hopefully with Peter here we?ll be able to do that,? Bellamy explained.

?I want to make the point that Dean is still here, we just felt the need for two assistant coaches - you see some sides that have three or four.

?Even the clubs that have one assistant coach also have a reserve grade coach that is fulltime, so he?s another assistant coach which is a luxury we don?t have here because our reserve grade club is in Brisbane.?

Sharp left the Sea Eagles this year after a tumultuous season, but says he was eager to remain in coaching in some capacity.

?I was keen to stay in coaching so to get a chance with a club like Melbourne which is very stable with a lot of good coaches and a lot of good players is great,? Sharp said.

Just like Bellamy and Lance, the former Manly head coach has made the move to Melbourne without his family in order to be with the Storm.

?I don?t mind a bit of change, I was quite looking forward to moving to Melbourne,? Sharp added.

?I think the Storm had a great season this year and through various reasons they unearthed some great kids which is excellent for the future, I think the club?s in terrific shape going forward.

?I?m here to help Craig and Dean and take some pressure off them and if I can help the team play a bit better then I?ll be happy.?

Bellamy believes his most recently appointed aide will bring a swag of new ideas to the club, after coming through the ranks in a very different way to the former Brisbane Broncos assistant.

?I think Peter?s path to first grade coaching has been different to my path in that the coaches that we learnt under were fairly different,? Bellamy said.

?I learnt under Tim Sheens and Wayne Bennett whereas Peter learnt under David Wait and Brian Smith who are different coaches, so hopefully he can bring something to us and I?m sure we?ll bring something to him.?

Sharp joins the Storm after 117 games as Manly head coach and having won reserve grade premierships with Newcastle (1995) and Parramatta (1997).