Gallen’s brutal swipe at Maroons who ‘can’t get a coach’
NSW Blues legend Paul Gallen has delivered a dig at the Maroons as their coaching search continues, with multiple options already ruling themselves out.
Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith have both publicly said no after Billy Slater quit the role while Ben Te’o reportedly won’t enter contention unless approached. Te’o has been linked with an assistant coaching role at South Sydney.
Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith. Getty
Kevin Walters has also ruled out a return, signing on to coach St Helens in the Super League instead.
It’s not all bad news for the Maroons, though, with Darius Boyd declaring his interest while the Rabbitohs have given Wayne Bennett permission to take the job if he’s approached.
While Boyd and Bennett could be in the mix, that didn’t stop Gallen giving a swipe to Queensland as they continue their search.
“What’s going on with Queensland? For a state with so much passion and spirit, they can’t get a coach,” he said on Nine’s 100% Footy.
“... you lose one series and you can’t get a coach. Imagine if you lost eight, Origin would be over. We (NSW) just kept turning up.”
Matt Ballin is another name that has been mentioned for the role, having served as an assistant to Slater, like Te’o.
Boyd has been the figure most vocal in his desire for the job, saying on Wide World of Sports’ QLDER that if the QRL rang him, he’d definitely have a chat.
Smith backed the former tryscoring star to fill the role, having been Queensland’s under 19s coach in recent years.
“He understands what it means to wear that jersey and what it means to play at that level and represent Queensland,” Smith said of Boyd.
“There’s a great opportunity for Darius.”
Slater’s tenure ended with a shock game three loss in Brisbane last month.
