Smith reveals stance as clear front-runners emerge for Maroons job

Queensland are officially on the hunt for a new State of Origin coach – but there will be no shortage of legends and former players putting their hands up.

After five years at the helm, Billy Slater made the shock call to step away from the Maroons role last week, opening the door for a new era.

The decision comes just weeks after NSW coach Laurie Daley stood down and handed the reins to Matt King for 2027 and beyond.

Slater won three of his five series in charge of Queensland, adding to his already incredible legacy in the game’s toughest arena as a player.

The 43-year-old has indicated he will not move into a coaching role with the Melbourne Storm, despite constant rumours linking him to the club.

Instead, he will focus on his media commitments with Nine and will undoubtedly be back on the commentary team for future Origin series.

In his absence, the attention has turned to who will lead the Maroons into next year and beyond, with some exciting names in the mix.

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Nine.com.au looks at the candidates for the position.

Cameron Smith

The most obvious man to take over as Maroons coach from Slater is his former teammate and right-hand man, Cameron Smith – but the man himself has all-but ruled himself out of the race before it even truly started.

While he has limited coaching experience, Smith is arguably the greatest player of all-time and dominated Origin level for more than a decade.

The champion hooker has spent time with Queensland since retiring, as well as working part-time in a leadership role with the Broncos this season.

Slater made his feelings about Smith fairly obvious and believes he would be the perfect man for the job, should he wish to pursue it.

“You don’t have to convince me,” he told Nine’s The Sunday Footy Show.

“I’ve been part of Cameron Smith’s life since I was 17 years old, I know exactly what he brings to a footy team ... he would do a fantastic job.

“They’ll go through their due diligence and work out who is best suited. I have my views and I will voice them to the right people.”

NSW legend Andrew Johns isn’t as keen about Smith taking over and for good reason, given the future Immortal terrorised the Blues for so many years.

“I don’t want Cameron Smith to do it,” Johns said.

“We know, because we work alongside him, we played against him and you [Slater] played with him, we know how smart he is and how measured he is, but the big one is how much respect the players have for him.”

Smith remains the most capped player in Origin history, playing 42 matches for the Maroons and winning 11 series, including the famous eight-straight, and has already gone on the record admitting he would be open to the job.

However, while sitting on Nine’s 100% Footy panel on Monday night, Smith said it was unlikely he would pursue the coaching opportunity.

“I don’t think so,” the legendary Maroons hooker said.

“I’ve heard comments from Wayne Bennett and I really appreciate the sentiments … but it’s not the role for me at this current time.

“I was lucky enough to be involved in the camp with the players and Billy when he started. There was a reason why I stepped away after 2023, because I couldn’t fully commit to the role. At that point in time, it was as assistant coach.

“Nothing in my life at this point has changed. I haven’t really thought about it that deeply. We were all fairly surprised that Billy made the decision to stand down.

“At this point in time in my life, it’s not the right thing for me and my family.”

Smith did endorse two of Slater’s assistants, who are now the clear front-runners.

Ben Te’o

While Smith was the obvious choice from the outset, Ben Te’o is now perhaps the most logical candidate to coach Queensland into the future.

Te’o joined the Maroons staff this year and is one of the most highly-touted and in-demand young coaches in the sport right now.

He was the mastermind behind Brisbane’s defence in their 2025 premiership season, before falling out with coach Michael Maguire early this year.

The former Maroons enforcer has since been linked with a move to South Sydney under Wayne Bennett, while he is expected to be part of Kevin Walters’ Kangaroos coaching set-up for the Rugby League World Cup later this year.

“He’s an aspiring coach ... if I had to put someone right there right now, I think I’d be going with Ben Te’o,” former teammate Corey Parker told SEN Radio.

Te’o played seven matches for Queensland during his career.

Matt Ballin

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While he doesn’t bring the same legacy from a playing perspective as some of his peers, Matt Ballin is a genuine front-runner for the vacant role.

The former Manly hooker, who played one game for Queensland in 2010 when Smith was unavailable, was part of Slater’s staff for the past three series.

Ballin has long been spoken about as a coach-in-waiting at NRL level, having worked at the Broncos for the past five seasons.

He was linked with the Sea Eagles job earlier this year before Kieran Foran stepped into the interim role and earned the full-time gig.

“Logic would suggest taking guys from within, that have been there with Billy, to continue that path he’s built over the last five years,” Smith said on Monday.

“I’m talking about guys like Ben Te’o and Matt Ballin ... those two guys stand out.”

Johnathan Thurston

Another internal candidate from Queensland’s current coaching staff is an icon of the state, Johnathan Thurston.

Similarly to Smith, he has little in the way of coaching experience, but Thurston would command respect from the playing group in the same way.

Regarded as the greatest playmaker of his generation, Thurston loves everything about the Maroons and would do anything he could to help them win.

Thurston has media commitments with Nine and said following Slater’s exit that he wouldn’t be pursuing it – but never say never in rugby league.

“Never say never. My wife’s going to kill me,” he said on Sunday.

The iconic halfback played 37 games for the Maroons and came up with a litany of clutch, game-winning moments against the Blues.

Kevin Walters

He’s done the Queensland job in the past and had success, so could Kevin Walters be in the running again? Don’t rule it out.

While his current role with the Kangaroos would make it rather difficult, there is no guarantee Walters remains in that job after the World Cup.

“There’s always Kevin Walters as well, I know it’s a little bit strange but he’s the current Kangaroos coach,” Smith, who played under Walters, said on Monday.

“You can’t be Kangaroos coach and Queensland coach, not in this day and age, so he’d have to give that up.”

Walters coached at Origin level for four series, winning two of them, while also leading the Broncos to within a few minutes of the 2023 grand final.

He led the Australian side to a 3-0 series win in the Ashes last year.

Wayne Bennett

This is the most unlikely option on the list, but Wayne Bennett is one of the all-time great coaches and has led Queensland to success in the past.

Bennett had four separate stints with the Maroons, most recently stepping in at late notice for coach them to an unlikely 2020 series triumph during COVID.

Asked about whether he would be keen to replace Slater, the 76-year-old said it would be extremely unlikely given he still has a year to run at the Rabbitohs and both states have firmly moved away from hiring NRL club coaches.

“I am not really interested to be honest,” Bennett told News Corp.

“Obviously, I love Queensland, so if they can’t get a coach, I will consider it, but I don’t think they will have an issue finding someone.”

It’s a similar position to Mal Meninga, who will coach the Perth Bears for the next two seasons, which probably makes him ineligible under the QRL policy.