One of rugby league’s longest-serving coaches, Brian Smith, could be in the frame to take over at the NSW helm for State of Origin despite being out of the game for more than a decade.
Smith has not coached at NRL level since his stint with the Roosters came to an end in 2012 but his name has been linked to the vacancy at the Blues with the NSWRL board set to discuss who will replace Michael Maguire at a board meeting later this week.
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, Smith will be considered by the directors along with former Blues coach Laurie Daley, ex-St George Illawarra mentor Paul McGregor, Manly legend Geoff Toovey and fellow former NSW players Matt King, Michael Ennis, Trent Barrett and Danny Buderus.
Smith took St George to two grand finals in the early 1990s, was runner-up at Parramatta in 2001 when they were runaway minor premiers and also fell one win short of a premiership in 2010 during his final club stint at the Roosters.
The 70-year-old was tossed up as a potential option at the Eels earlier this year when the club was looking at options to replace Brad Arthur before deciding to sign Storm assistant Jason Ryles.
Daley will need to walk away from a lucrative wagering partnership if the NSWRL board opts to target the Canberra great as the next Blues coach after Maguire negotiated an early release to join NRL side Brisbane.
Blues coach between 2013 and 2017, Daley recently claimed last week not to have seriously considered his ambitions of mounting a return to Origin.
But he and former NSW assistant McGregor are both understood to have support from sections of the eight-person NSWRL board as the Blues look to maintain winning form into 2025.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
It is unlikely any current NRL head coaches will push for consideration.
Daley memorably led the Blues to their drought-breaking 2014 series win after NSW had lost eight years running to a historically dominant Queensland side.
It was to be his only series victory before being sacked in 2017.
The 55-year-old will be forced to choose between the NSW role and his current job as a radio host on the TAB-owned Big Sports Breakfast, and pundit for TAB if he gets the nod from the Blues powerbrokers.
In late 2022, Manly were blocked in their attempts to hire Daley on to the coaching staff, given the NRL code of conduct prohibits club officials from participating in gambling, including as an employee of a betting agency.
The Roarhttps://https://ift.tt/XnOzsvY from the past bolts from the blue to enter NSW Origin coaching race
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