NRL

Nothing lasts forever.

After their 36-22 loss to the Bulldogs at AAMI Park on Friday night the Melbourne Storm’s 16-year NRL finals run has almost certainly come to an end.

Read more Football

Storm coach Craig Bellamy cut a disappointed but philosophical figure after the match, saying he was ‘a bit pissed off’ that last year’s runners up are set to miss the Top 8 for the first time since the infamous salary cap scandal season of 2010.

“At the end of the day, it is what it is,” Bellamy said after the match.

MORE: ‘Going to be the norm’ — Why Phil Gould is predicting a wild five-year ride in the NRL

“I think my grandkids have got a couple of teddy bears, so I might go home and punch the s— out of (the teddy bears), I don’t know,” he joked.

“We’ve sort of been rocking and rolling on the edge (of making the finals) there for probably a month…. it’s going to be disappointing not being there.”

Given the 66-year-old was just 50 the last time the Storm didn’t play finals, what will he do come September?

Read more Football

“It will be interesting to see how I handle it when the finals start and we’re not there,” he admitted.

“I don’t know, I’ll just go for a walk at 3 o’clock every afternoon or 7.30 at night, I’m not quite sure.

“Obviously it is disappointing, we’re always priding ourselves on how we perform during the season so we are there at the end.

“Unfortunately, this season there’s been a few things out of our control that have contributed to it — but at the same time I don’t think our defence has been up the standard we expect and we want.”

Read more New Zealand Shuts Greyhound Racing, Launches NZ$60M Transition And Rehoming Program

The Storm face Manly at Perth’s HBF Stadium in NRL Round 23.