Ahead of his 250th NRL game as coach of Melbourne, Craig Bellamy has put negotiations about his long-term future at the club on the back-burner.

In his 10th year at the Storm, he says he’s in no rush to extend his contract which expires at the end of 2013.

With his proven credentials as the leading club coach in the game – his side only suffering one loss in 13 rounds this season – Bellamy is certain to be a target for other teams hungry for success.

The 52-year-old said he couldn’t see himself in Storm colours until old age – in the Alex Ferguson mould at Manchester United soccer club – and wasn’t sure how long he would remain in Melbourne.

“I’ve got nothing in my head about how much longer I’m going to be here – things will unfold in their own time,” said Bellamy ahead of the Storm’s clash with the Wests Tigers on Friday night at AAMI Park.

“I haven’t thought too much about it and I don’t particularly want to start thinking about it now.

“We’re at a very important part of the season so … probably at the end of the season.”

He said when he did decide to move on from the Storm, he hoped someone who had come up through the Melbourne system would take over the reins.

Bellamy rated the 2007 squad, who were stripped of their premiership for salary cap breaches, as the best he’d coached but said the current crop could surpass it.

“This side has been wonderfully consistent so you’d like to think it’s up there.

“We’ve got some young players in this side so I’d like to think there’s a fair bit of improvement.”

Asked if he would have had the same success if he’d spent the past 10 years at another NRL club, Bellamy said it was a tough question to answer.

He said he’d been blessed by the talent and calibre of players during his tenure.

“It’s been a mostly enjoyable ride here and we’ve had a lot of success over the years.

“I’ve been very honoured and very lucky to be involved with the calibre of player we’ve had here and, even more important, the calibre of person.

“More than likely, I couldn’t have done that at another club.”

Bellamy wasn’t planning any special celebrations for the milestone and hoped the players treated it like any other game.

“I don’t think milestones for coaches are that important … our mentality doesn’t change this week.

“The players will all have a role to play and a certain job to do and that’s what’s expected.

“That won’t make any difference on whether it’s my 250th game or my 10th.”