Queensland Origin coach: Billy Slater, Wayne Bennett, Mal Meninga could form Maroons dream team
With Paul Green stepping aside, Queensland have one Maroons legend set to take over as coach, with two others in line to mentor him.
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Storm legend Billy Slater is on the verge of clinching the Queensland Origin job as part of a coaching dream team that could include a senior mentor such as Wayne Bennett or Mal Meninga.
News Corp can reveal a subcommittee has recommended Slater as the preferred candidate to the Queensland Rugby League board, who will decide whether to formally appoint the Maroons fullback icon as Paul Green’s coaching successor.
It is understood the QRL will unveil Queensland’s new coach by Friday as part of a strategic plan involving a cultural program to fix the Maroons’ coaching crisis and develop the next generation of mentors.
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The QRL is concerned about the Maroons’ dearth of future coaches and the installation of Slater, backed by a senior advisor, is viewed as the first step in cultivating fresh blood.
Slater has yet to engage in formal negotiations with the QRL, but it appears the job is his if he wants it.
QRL bosses are open to a three-year contract for Slater, who would be offered the option of senior support from an Origin coaching icon such as Bennett or Meninga during his embryonic years as a Maroons mentor.
Slater almost secured the Maroons post this season after a QRL faction pushed for the 31-game Origin great, only for Maroons powerbrokers to opt for the experience of premiership coach Green.
But Green’s reluctance to commit to Queensland for the long haul has again opened the door for Slater, who is poised for the Maroons hot seat just three years after his NRL retirement from the Melbourne Storm.
QRL director Darryl Van de Velde declined to comment on Slater’s prospects, but said Queensland hierarchy must develop fresh coaching talent to prepare for life after Bennett and Meninga.
“It’s important for State of Origin that we develop the next generation of coaches,” he said.
“It was embarrassing what happened last year, we were well beaten, and we need some mentoring for our coaches from people who understand the culture of Queensland in the Origin arena.
“That knowledge can’t be lost on us because it has kept us in the hunt for a long time against NSW.”
Bennett was touted as a potential saviour after his 2020 series-winning heroics in his fourth term as Queensland coach.
But Bennett, who turns 72 in January, has no interest in succeeding Green, although the QRL believe he may be open to a coaching-director’s role helping Slater cut his teeth as an Origin coach.
Meninga, who won a record nine of 10 series at the Queensland helm, is another mentoring option, but the ARL Commission is unlikely to allow the Australian coach to hold duals with the Maroons and
Bennett confirmed he will not be coaching the Maroons in 2022.
“I am not interested, I’ve moved on from that,” he said.
“The bottom line is I won’t be seeking the job, I won’t be applying for it and I haven’t even been approached to coach Queensland again, so that’s the end of it for me.
“I am focused on Souths this year. I don’t have a job next year at this point in time. But the one certainty is I won’t be coaching Queensland.”
Sources close to negotiations say QRL chiefs are highly impressed with Slater’s football intellect and grasp of modern-day coaching concepts. His former Storm teammate Cooper Cronk is now a member of the QRL board and would not oppose Slater’s coronation as Queensland coach.
For all his remarkable playing gifts, being handed the Queensland coaching reins would represent one of the biggest challenges of Slater’s footballing life.
The 38-year-old has limited coaching experience, but Queensland players lapped up his brief visit to Camp Maroon in June when Slater provided counsel for a number of rookies, including teenage sensation Reece Walsh.
Current Maroons assistant Neil Henry has been flagged as Slater’s right-hand man, while former Origin playmaker Scott Prince is highly regarded for his work in Queensland’s rugby league programs.
Slater is one of Queensland’s greatest Origin servants, playing a pivotal role in the Maroons’ golden decade of dominance as Meninga’s dominators charged to nine series wins in 10 years.
Slater’s legendary teammate Cameron Smith has ruled out making a play at the position.
But the former Queensland, Storm and Australian captain says fellow Maroons great Billy Slater could be the man to replace Green.
“I could certainly see him (Slater) in there as head coach because he’s a guy who has always wanted to make a difference,” Smith told SEN.
“He always wanted to make a difference as a player, and I can see those same attributes as a coach.
“I think in the next two to three weeks we’ll probably find out a lot more. But I’d say he is the name that keeps getting thrown around.
“I’ve spoken to him at the very beginning of this year about his interest in coaching Queensland, and he said if it comes up he’d certainly consider it.
“He’s very passionate about the Queensland side, he’s a selector, he’s heavily involved already.”
Inside the meeting that ended Green’s Origin dream
Paul Green walked into a meeting with the Queensland Rugby League on Tuesday intent on finishing the job he started earlier this season.
At the same time, Green was eyeing off a return to the NRL, having been given a reminder of the volatility of the coaching ranks in recent days as speculation raged over the future of Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire.
The two desires ultimately couldn’t work together. The QRL decided at a meeting last week that Green — or any coach for that matter — couldn’t have their cake and eat it as well.
They wanted someone who was committed to Queensland. Someone who had no immediate interest in a return to the NRL. Someone who would help the state recover from the embarrassment of losing two games on home soil, as they did this season.
Green, to his eternal credit, was open and honest with the QRL. He told them he couldn’t guarantee he would remain in charge if an NRL club came knocking.
Sources close to Green confirmed that he told the QRL he wanted to be an NRL coach again and that was his priority, particularly with positions likely to become vacant in coming months.
The Tigers are the tip of the iceberg. Green has interest in coaching an expansion side if a 17th team is added. St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Canterbury could all be on the lookout for new coaches at some point next season.
Green would have interest in any or all of those jobs and made that clear to the QRL. With that, his time as Queensland coach was over, sending the Maroons back to market in their search for their third coach in less than a year.
Green suffered a drama-charged 2-1 series loss this season, with the Maroons rocked by a number of scandals including the Ronaldo Mulitalo eligibility saga and the Jai Arrow Covid breach affair.
Origin legend Wayne Bennett is the obvious frontrunner but he insists he is not interested and his desire to coach an expansion team would rule him out under the QRL’s revised job description.
Mal Meninga is committed to the Kangaroos and the ARL Commission is unlikely to allow him to do the two jobs, having relaxed the rule late last year only because the Australian team had no commitments.
That leaves Billy Slater, the man who Green initially beat to the post. Fences will need to be mended given the way things unfolded last year but if approached, chances are Slater will take the job given his passion for the state.
He may yet have former teammate Cameron Smith as his sidekick given the Melbourne legend only last week said he would be willing to help out in the right circumstances.
“After much consultation and discussion post the Origin series, both the QRL and I have decided to move in different directions,” Green said.
“The basis for this is simple, the QRL wants to ensure that they have certainty around the Origin coach not wanting to pursue an NRL head coach job, and while I could give them that certainty for the 2021 series, I cannot guarantee that this would be the case in the future.
“We all understand the dynamics and volatility around NRL club head coach roles and ultimately, that is where I see myself when the right opportunity opens up.
“I agree with the QRL’s desire for stability in the Origin coach job and to that end, I felt compelled to be transparent with my broader plans and thus this decision. I have loved every minute of this job as it is every Queenslander’s dream to coach this team.
“While we didn’t win the 2021 series, I feel that the future is very bright for the Queensland team and wish them and the new coach the very best for 2022 and beyond.”
At the heart of the differences between Green and the QRL was the former Cowboys coach’s view that the Origin job could not be treated as a part-time appointment.
It is understood Green made a formal presentation to the QRL board recently where he expressed a desire to have more input on the Maroons’ structures, including their development and grassroots pathways.
Green was concerned with Queensland’s playing depth and infrastructure compared to the Blues, who have four times the eligibility options of the Maroons. Green was keen to have more of a say in direction and health of the Queensland Origin system.
Conversely, the QRL wanted greater commitment from their coach than year-to-year stints. Green and the QRL had a mutual option for the 2022 campaign, with the premiership coach having made it clear when he joined Camp Maroon of his ambitions to eventually return to the world of NRL coaching.
The QRL wants at least a two or three-year deal for their next coach and will look for a successor who is prepared to drive Queensland’s program for an extended period without coveting an NRL gig.
Under Green, the Maroons suffered one of the worst campaigns in their history. They were flogged 50-6 in Green’s debut and the Maroons surrendered the Origin shield in Game Two before producing a face-saving victory in the Game Three dead rubber.
QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher thanked Green for his services over the past eight months.
“We understand and respect Paul’s ambitions to return to NRL coaching at some point, and we wish him every bit of success in the future,” Hatcher said.
“In my opinion, Paul went through the most exceptional circumstances in the history of Origin, with issues around injuries, Covid-19 and player eligibility, and the way the team was able to finish off the series with one of the great Origin victories is testament to his leadership.”
Hatcher said a board-appointed committee would continue to work through the process of appointing a new Maroons head coach.
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