What’s the Buzz: The key figure in the NRL coaching merry-go-round revealed as Chris Orr

There is currently just one coaching vacancy in the NRL after the Eels sacked Brad Arthur. And the man who manages five coaches reveals how he deals with landing them all a top job.

Chris Orr is the NRL’s busiest player agent with the most difficult juggling job in rugby league.

He’s managing five NRL head-coach hopefuls, all of them competing against each other for the next available job.

It was actually six before Broncos assistant coach John Cartwright got a gig in the UK Super League with Hull last week.

Three of Orr’s men have been axed in the past 12 months – Brad Arthur (Eels), Jason Demetriou (Rabbitohs) and Justin Holbrook (Titans).

Then there’s John Morris, axed from the Sharks in 2021, and the highly regarded Josh Hannay, an assistant to Billy Slater in Origin and Craig Fitzgibbon at the Sharks.

So who does he push for each job? Surely it’s a difficult task having to look after all of them.

With five head coach hopefuls on his roster, Chris Orr is arguably the NRL’s busiest player agent.

“It’s actually not,” Orr said, “They’ve all got different attributes and qualities.

“Depends on what each club wants. What style of coach? What strengths? What philosophies?

“It’s the same as a manager looking after four halfbacks. You do your best for each of them.

“At the end of the day it’s not my decision, it’s the club’s.

“I present them all equally and then there’s the interview process.”

Orr went through all of his contenders:

JOSH HANNAY

“He’s massively deserving of a job. Ask Billy Slater or Craig Fitzgibbon how highly they regard him. They give him a massive wrap. He comes with different philosophies on coaching.”

JASON DEMETRIOU

“I still say he was hard done by at Souths. He got upgraded, extended and then sacked. They’ve had $4.5 million worth of players sitting on the sidelines injured. He’s a very good coach.”

JUSTIN HOLBROOK

“A great candidate for any job. I’m not sure he’s looking to move at this stage because he’s enjoying it at the Roosters with Trent Robinson, but his name’s getting thrown up. He is highly respected.”

JOHN MORRIS

“Look at his record at Cronulla before they got rid of him. He made the top eight two years in a row. He’s had a lot of experience now. He’ll be a very successful head coach.”

BRAD ARTHUR

“Brad’s a career coach. He’s liked all around the game. A real player’s coach. His recent results haven’t been as good as he wanted, but he’ll be judged on what he achieved over a decade.”

Orr met with Parramatta officials last week in regards to a replacement for Arthur.

He knows in this business there will be other opportunities for all his men.

That no job has a higher turnover rate than an NRL coach.

Originally published as What’s the Buzz: The key figure in the NRL coaching merry-go-round revealed as Chris Orr