Laurie Daley at centre of NRL feud with Wests Tigers

NRL legend Laurie Daley has been locked out of a coaching position as the raging feud between the NRL and Wests Tigers escalates.

**FILE** A Wednesday, July 12, 2017 image reissued Friday, August 25, 2017 of NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley looking on during State of Origin Game 3 between the Queensland Maroons and NSW Blues, at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Laurie Daley's tenure as NSW State of Origin coach is over after the NSW Rugby League opted against renewing his contract. The Blues have lost won just one series since Daley took over in 2013, and the NSWRL confirmed on Friday they would seek to employ a new coach. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Laurie Daley’s decision to withdraw from a coaching position at the Wests Tigers has now been revealed as a result of a dramatic slap down from the NRL.

The former NSW State of Origin coach last week revealed he passed on a coaching consultancy role alongside new Tigers coach Michael Maguire because of his ongoing role as host of Sky Sport Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast program.

However, The Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday revealed the NRL shut down the Tigers’ coaching move because of the potential conflict of interest with his radio show’s links to racing and gambling.

Sky Sports Radio is owned by Tabcorp, with Daley providing rugby league tips in one segment of the show.

Daley has continued in his media role, despite his ongoing NRL commitments as coach of the Indigenous All Stars and as a member of the Australian Kangaroos panel of selectors.

They said what?

The Sydney newspaper reports the Tigers are privately furious about the NRL’s decision not to register Daley as a club-based coach.

According to Fairfax, Daley said “I would have like to have been involved, most definitely. But I understand their (the NRL’s) decision and I fully endorse and support it. It’s the right thing to do.”

It comes as the Tigers continue to fight the NRL over the salary cap punishments handed down in December which saw the club smashed with a potential $750,000 fine, a potential $639 salary cap reduction for 2019 and the deregistration of former chief executive Justin Pascoe.

The penalties were the result of a non-disclosed financial arrangement reportedly promised to Robbie Farah when he left the club to join South Sydney in 2016.

The latest NRL decision to blunt the Tigers swoop for Daley has further angered the joint venture club.

Laurie Daley and Terry Kennedy at the Big Sports Breakfast Studio.

Daley had been tapped on the shoulder by long-time friend Michael Maguire to guide the development of the club’s halves — Benji Marshall, Josh Reynolds, Luke Brooks, and Tyson Gamble.

Meanwhile, Daley last week was left immensely disappointed by black-listed former NRL star Ben Barba’s North Queensland incident — and the life ban that resulted from it.

Daley had just one day earlier said he was excited about Barba’s return to Australia and urged him to make the most of his career lifeline.

“It’s a big game for a lot of people and also Benny because he can come back and put the stuff that happened to him behind him and pull on the shirt and represent his family and his culture.

“And show that if you do make a mistake, there’s always a chance to bounce back.”