NSW Blues to put Brad Fittler’s Origin future on hold until after awards night
The NSWRL board will not make a call on whether Brad Fittler will be retained as Origin coach for at least another five weeks.
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A decision on NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler‘s future won’t be made for at least another five weeks. The NSW Rugby League board will delay a decision until the medal bearing his name is presented at the Blues annual awards night.
The Brad Fittler Medal is an annual black-tie function which celebrates NSW’s best player from the most recent State of Origin series.
The awards night is scheduled for September 4 in Sydney.
Out of respect for Fittler, the NSWRL board are loath to make such a significant call ahead of a night named in his honour.
The NSWRL board are weighing up the prospect of retaining Fittler after losing three of the past four series.
Equally, Fittler has conceded he needs to contemplate whether he wants to continue in the role.
If Fittler is retained, it has been suggested that changes to his coaching staff and a greater level of support may be a prerequisite from the NSWRL board.
If NSW had won the series and lifted the Origin shield in 2023 a clause in Fittler’s contract would have triggered an extension to his contract for a further year.
In the moments after the completion of the 2-1 series, Fittler intimated that his fate could have been sealed if Queensland had secured a 3-0 clean sweep.
He has since stated that he will work with the NSWRL on coming to a resolution in the coming months, including a decision on whether he wants to continue in the role.
“At the end of the day, it’s about what is best for the team,” Fittler told 2GB.
“NSW needs to sit down and work out who is the best person for the job.
“But I need to think about if I’m the best person for the job, I also need to take that into consideration.”
If Fittler steps away from the role, the NSWRL board faces the challenge of finding a ready-made replacement.
A string of potential candidates have been raised including Ricky Stuart, Craig Bellamy, Michael Ennis and Paul Gallen. However, Bellamy has made it clear he isn‘t interested in the job.
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Originally published as NSW Blues to put Brad Fittler’s Origin future on hold until after awards night
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