The Storm on Tuesday announced a five-year extension for Craig Bellamy with an assurance he will stay on as head coach until at least the end of next season.

That decision has been 12 months in the making as the three-time premiership winner weighed up offers from rival clubs before making the call to stay at the Storm.

His next order of business is sitting down with Papenhuyzen and Smith to make sure they're not going anywhere.

Papenhuyzen, 23, is off-contract at the end of next year and will be free to speak to rival clubs at the end of the season.

However, an extended lay-off with a nasty concussion has halted contract negotiations for the livewire fullback.

"We obviously like to think Paps will stay with us," Bellamy said on Tuesday.

"He's had other things on his plate and getting himself right to play again has been an issue that has taken some time, and longer than anyone thought.

"We need to keep preparing so he gets some longer minutes each week and hopefully gets back to that form he was displaying before he got injured."

Smith was given permission from Bellamy to seek a permanent No.9 starting spot at rival clubs for next season despite being contracted to the Storm.

The New Zealand representative hooker is being hotly pursued by a number of clubs and is on the wish list of most given he's playing the best football of his young NRL career.

That form, the exit of Dale Finucane, to Cronulla and ongoing injury concerns with fellow hooker Harry Grant, have fuelled reports the versatile Smith is set to stay with Melbourne.

"It hasn't come up over the last couple of months, I'm not quite sure where Brandon is, I know he's on contract for the next couple of years for us, at one stage there he wanted to move but I haven't heard anything more about that," Bellamy said.

"Hopefully I can have a sit down with Brandon and see where he's at.

"Hopefully we can keep him on board. He's an important part of our footy team and part of our organisation, a great guy to have around off the field as well as all the other boys enjoy playing with him."

After 19 years at the club and an astonishing success rate - only missing the finals once due to competition points being stripped - Bellamy said it's developing players like Smith and Papenhuyzen that he takes most pride in.

"I take my position seriously in that I've got a lot of young guys here who have put all their eggs in one basket to be an NRL player and what they deserve is all the help we can provide for them," he said.

Australian Associated Press