Billy Slater’s advice to every NRL club about coaching hot property

The Titans board, on the verge of becoming the first club to make a coaching change in 2025, need only call Billy Slater if they want to know the good oil on the man leads the list of NRL ready coaches.

As Cameron Munster hugged his family members and Josh Papalii shuffled around the Maroons dressing room waving and shaking hands with the masses like the Pope, Billy Slater leaned in for a chat.

“All a club has to do is call me,” Slater told Locker Room.

No, the triumphant Queensland coach wasn’t talking about his own coaching career.

He was talking about the bloke standing a few metres away holding a can of XXXX and with the maroon-coloured blazer on, Slater’s assistant coach, Josh Hannay.

Why the Titans board, on the verge of becoming the first club to make a coaching move by replacing Des Hasler, haven’t called Slater already with questions about Hannay, could be viewed by some as concerning.

The other view is, the Titans have either seen all they need in Hannay.

But have they?

Because it’s not until you talk to Slater, and so too Sharks head coach Craig Fitzgibbon, that you can appreciate why the former Queensland Origin, Cowboys, Sharks and Celtic Crusaders centre and former Cowboys and current Cronulla and Maroons assistant coach, leads the list of ready to go NRL coaches.

(L-R) Josh Hannay and Billy Slater.

In every decision - and there were so many massive calls by Slater - Hannay was part of the decision.

Crucially though, so too did Hannay challenge the Maroons leader before the call was made.

Dropping captain Daly Cherry-Evans and Beau Fermor, making Cameron Munster captain, recalling Papalii and picking Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow over Reece Walsh, selecting bolter Gehamat Shibasaki, it was Slater turning to Hannay before every final decision was made.

In team meetings, Hannay worked with Slater in fixing last year’s losing series issues; which was that they felt Queensland played with too much structure.

Unlike Slater, Hannay in his role with the Sharks, is working every day in the NRL. That coach-to-player understanding of how a playing group needs to build their preparation became key for the series-winning head coach in Slater.

Hannay, the 45-year-old from the Queensland mining town of Moranbah, worked with Slater in shifting the attitude after the Maroons went down 1-0 nil. Players were told they saw a side of Hannay that they would prefer not see again, as he challenged them on their desire for each other, and the jumper.

Maroons assistant coach Josh Hannay sleeping with the Origin shield.

Hannay, too, was key to the Maroons series mantra and theme to their success: “What are they going to say now?”

Along with Slater, the assistant coach worked with the QRL media department to create an emotional pump-up video, which the story goes, left tears in the eyes of the Queensland players.

Having been pipped for the Parramatta job by Jason Ryles, Hannay has stopped short of applying for every previous NRL coaching job, including the Dragons, Tigers, Broncos and Bulldogs.

The Titans despite their history of failure represent a challenge. If the recent Origin series is anything to go by, Hannay isn’t afraid of a battle.

Sharks assistant coach Josh Hannay.

One thing Fitzgibbon knows is, he’s ready.

“We’ve known for a number of years he’s ready,” Fitzgibbon said the morning after Queensland won the series.

“Obviously he was in the firing line for Parramatta last year. I’m not sure which clubs are looking at changing their coaches, but he’s a ready-made coach.

“We’ve got no doubt in our minds.

“We don’t want to lose him. Let’s be honest, I’d rather him stay at the Sharks for as long as possible and holding onto a coach of his calibre is really important for our club.

“He’s a terrific man first of all. He’s a really good guy, he’s really caring, he’s conscientious about what is important.

“I hope no club comes and steals him, but he’s definitely ready.”

Originally published as Billy Slater’s advice to every NRL club about coaching hot property