Kevin Walters in box seat for Kangaroos gig after NRL’s call to not allow NRL coaches to take job rules out Wayne Bennett
The NRL has slammed shut the prospect of an NRL coach leading the Kangaroos, ruling out Wayne Bennett’s hopes of leading the Australian team and paving the way for Kevin Walters to take charge.
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The NRL has slammed shut the prospect of an NRL coach leading the Kangaroos paving the way for former Broncos and Queensland mentor Kevin Walters to take charge of Australia.
It is understood the ARL Commission has opted against changing the rules which would have allowed an NRL coach from coaching Australia at the same time.
The decision was made at a commission meeting before State of Origin III last week which rules out Wayne Bennett’s hopes of leading the Kangaroos again.
Bennett wanted to take charge of Australia for the end of year Ashes series with the Kangaroos yet to announce a replacement for Mal Meninga.
Meninga had to give up the coaching duties when he decided to take on the Perth Bears job.
This has left Walters in the box seat to take over.
Walters coached Brisbane to a grand final and also had success at Origin level – winning his first two series as Queensland coach.
Walters applied for the Perth Bears job and was interviewed by members of the ARL Commission before they gave the job to Meninga.
He confirmed he wanted to coach Australia.
“One of my goals, one of my dreams was to coach Queensland,” Walters said on Triple M recently. “(One was to) coach in the NRL secondly and the third one and probably the biggest goal was to one day maybe coach Australia which was a dream and (I was) not thinking more about it at the time.
“It would be a huge honour to coach Australia. I’d certainly like to sit down with people and have a chat about what the situation is and what they are looking for…I’d be very interested in that role.”
Walters, who has worked for Fox League this year since being dumped from the Broncos at the end of last year, has also been linked to the Gold Coast coaching job.
Cameron Smith had been considered an option for Australia but it is understood the Commission want a coach with experience at the top level.
Brad Fittler had the job but knocked it back. Walters had a decorated playing career which included 12 Tests for Australia.
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Luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton has been slowly taking more interest in the sporting world in recent years, including rugby union.
France national captain Antoine Dupont is among their ambassadors in a stable that includes some of the biggest names in world sport.
Think Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and French swimming sensation Leon Marchand.
It’s elite company but Australia’s own cross-code star Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i looks to be on their radar as his profile grows in the lead-up to the British and Irish Lions tour.
Sua’ali’i travelled to Melbourne to watch the FI Grand Prix as a guest of Louis Vuitton earlier this year. He then did a GQ photo shoot kitted out in Louis Vuitton’s finest threads.
Three days ago, Suaalii posted a video on social media which appeared to hint at a partnership with the French brand.
It’s exciting times for Sua’ali’i. Stay tuned.
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Rugby league’s latest video game has hit the ground running. Sport Confidential can reveal that Rugby League 26 has had the biggest pre-sale for any game in 2025, a huge boost for the code as they launch their latest foray into the world of gaming after a long break.
This column was given the chance to road-test the game on Wednesday at Rugby League Central alongside South Sydney hooker star Brandon Smith and NRLW star Rueben Cherrington.
The game was an instant hit with Smith, although he suspects the designers may have been too kind when it came to his Rabbitohs teammate Cody Walker.
“Cody Walker, he’s about a three out of 10 on a good day,” Smith joked.
“He was looking pretty damn well in the game. So I think they probably messed up Cody’s a bit.”
As for his own likeness, Smith said: “I thought they got my look spot on – the chiselled jawline and that.”
As for the game itself, Smith was impressed.
“Mate, it’s a great game,” he said.
“For me, it’s just about playing rugby league on a video game and being in one. I remember when the old games came out …. it was just a cool thing. So it’s awesome just to be a part of something like this.”
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St George Illawarra back rower Jaydn Su’A has become the latest big name to appear on the radar of rugby union.
Su’A, who played rugby at Anglican Church Grammar School alongside Kalyn Ponga in Queensland, is believed to be in the sights of Japanese and French rugby clubs.
R360, the privately-backed organisation threatening to invade rugby league, is also understood to be aware of Su’A’s history in the rival code.
The 27-year-old has another year remaining on his deal at the Dragons and then an option in his favour for the year after.
It means he has the right to leave at the end of next season. The Dragons can ill-afford to lose him given he has arguably been the most consistent player over the past couple of years.
They may have a fight on their hands.
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Wayne Bennett has revealed that he wasn’t told about St George Illawarra’s plans to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of their 2010 premiership win at their game last weekend and remains in the dark about why he and others were overlooked for the occasion.
Bennett, who coached the Dragons to their last title, was among a host of faces who missed the occasion, which was held to celebrate a title win that remains a source of great pride for the seven-time premiership winner.
“I never got an invitation,” Bennett told Sport Confidential.
“It’s not that we didn’t turn up because we didn’t want to be there. We didn’t know it was on a lot of us. Other guys were in the same boat.
“No one seems to know where it came from, how it happened. Still no-one has talked to me. Three years ago we all went to the races here in Sydney.
“We came from all over Australia to be there.”
The drama surrounding the 2010 celebrations is a reminder of the job freshly-minted Dragons chief executive Tim Watsford is facing as he takes control of the club.
Watsford is highly-regarded in rugby league circles and is intent on returning the Red V to their former glories. It’s a big job and the weekend was a reminder of how much work needs to be done.
Just four players who played in the grand final turned up to the celebration on Saturday night. And all are employed by the club in a range of capacities. Dean Young (assistant coach), Ben Creagh (board member) Michael Weyman (ground announcer) and Jason Nightingale (ambassador and partnership manager) were the four of the 17 who rocked up. Dan Hunt, who was part of the 2010 squad but missed the grand final through injury, was also presented to the crowd. Winger Brett Morris was at the game but is on the Roosters coaching staff so opted against being recognised.
A host of the 2010 players live in Queensland including Darius Boyd, Neville Costigan, Jeremy Smith and Nathan Fien – who is part of the Dolphins coaching staff – which also made the timing trickier.
Captain Ben Hornby had prearranged travel commitments given South Sydney – where he is an assistant coach – is on the bye. A couple of other players said they were coming but were late scratchings.
This was unlike the 10-year reunion where 12 of the 17 players – plus coach Bennett – attended Randwick racecourse for what they players believed was a far better organised reunion. A host of other squad members also attended the 10-year celebration.
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FLASHBACK
The Bulldogs thought they were kickstarting their rebuild on this day five years ago when they landed Nick Cotric. The Canberra flyer agreed to a three year deal to join Canterbury with the 21-year-old one of the most sought after players on the market.
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Chevy Stewart is on the radar of several clubs with the Raiders fullback potentially part of a salary squeeze at Canberra.
The Raiders’ decision to give Kaeo Weekes a rich long-term deal to be Canberra’s starting fullback has left rival clubs circling Stewart.
Stewart, a Cronulla junior, arrived at the club at the centre of a tug of war for his services. The 20-year-old played three games last year but is yet to play first grade in 2025. Stewart played Australian Schoolboys and NSW under-19s.
He is contracted until the end of next year.
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The Melbourne Storm have poached one of the game’s most promising young playmakers from Newcastle.
Sport Confidential can reveal that the Storm have secured classy five-eighth Cooper Votano – younger brother of NSW under 19 star Connor Votano – has agreed to terms from next season.
Cooper Votano was the star of the Knights’ side that qualified for the grand final in the Harold Matthews Cup this season, where they lost to the Warriors.
Votano gives the Storm another insurance policy as they prepare for life after Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster.
The club also has Jonah Pezet in their system as the heir apparent to Hughes at halfback. Munster is off contract at the end of 2027 but shapes as a target for the cashed-up Perth Bears as they look to make a big splash when they enter the competition.
The Storm will once again be under siege from the expansion teams and Votano provides cover should Munster decider to chase the big dollars that could become available as the premiership adds 18th and 19th teams in coming years.
Originally published as Kevin Walters in box seat for Kangaroos gig after NRL’s call to not allow NRL coaches to take job rules out Wayne Bennett
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