NRL club coaches won’t be ruled out of NSW’s search for a new State of Origin coach after Laurie Daley was sacked on Friday.
The NSW Rugby League has previously remained steadfast in their opinion that a full-time coach should preside over the Blues since a Brian Canavan review into the team’s poor record after the 2010 series.
At the time, it urged NSW to follow Queensland’s model of a non-NRL coach to lead the team in a bid to close the gap between the two states.
But after 11 series losses in 12 years, NSWRL chairman Dr George Peponis said the Blues won’t put any roadblocks in place to finding the best coach.
“We’ve won one series in seven years (since Canavan’s review),” he told AAP.
“We need to go back and re-look at all of that now. And see who the best candidate is and who can bring us success.
“We need to get the best person for the job, whoever that may be.”
Such a change in tactic could open the door for Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy to return to the Blues’ top job.
If interested, he would join a list of likely contenders including Brad Fittler, Craig Fitzgibbon, Geoff Toovey and Dean Pay.
Current and former assistants Danny Buderus and Shane Flanagan have previously ruled out their interest, as has immortal Andrew Johns.
Possible replacements weren’t discussed on Friday, but the board will likely open the lines for applications before interviewing a shortened list of candidates.
“We don’t want this to drag on for months and months and months,” Peponis said.
“We will get on with it.”
Friday’s decision not to renew Daley’s contract came after a month-long review into the Blues’ 2017 Origin capitulation.
A number of other measures — including camp length, location and support staff — are also under the microscope, but won’t be finalised until a new coach is appointed and consulted with.
Daley took over the Blues in 2013 from Ricky Stuart and coached them to their drought-breaking 2014 series victory, but maintained a modest 6-9 record at the interstate level.
He had remained coy on his future in the wake of last month’s 22-6 series-deciding loss but on Friday his decision was made for him.
“I understand that the business is results-driven and I respect the decision of the Board to go in another direction,” he said.
“I will always support NSW and I wish their team and their coach every success in the future.”
Peponis said they wouldn’t be putting a broom through the Daley era.
“He has put some good processes in place, and we won’t dismantle all of that,” he said.
“But there does need to be some changes and they’ll be made in consultation with the new coach.
“It’s a result driven business and I think the people of NSW want a result.
“They are sick of losing.”
