Queensland Rugby League’s search for a new State of Origin head coach to replace the outgoing Billy Slater has suffered a major setback, after the early favorite for the position, rugby league legend Cameron Smith, confirmed he will not put his name forward for the role.
Smith, who holds the record for the most State of Origin appearances with 42 caps for the Maroons, had received high-profile public backing for the job from Queensland’s most successful Origin coach, Wayne Bennett. The 42-game veteran had previously served as an assistant coach alongside Slater in 2022 and 2023, making him a widely tipped successor to his former Melbourne Storm teammate. But in an appearance on the Fox League program 100% Footy, Smith shut down speculation of a promotion to the top job.
Smith explained that his personal commitments still prevent him from dedicating the full time required for a senior coaching role, a reason that prompted him to step away from his assistant position at the end of 2023. “I’ve heard comments from Wayne Bennett endorsing me and I really appreciate the sentiments, but it’s not the role for me at this current time,” Smith said. “I couldn’t fully commit to the role when I was assistant coach, and nothing in my life has changed since then. At this point in my life, it’s not the right thing for me and my family.”
He also added that the rugby league community was caught off guard by Slater’s decision to step down after five consecutive series in charge of the Maroons. “We were all fairly surprised Billy made the decision to stand down. I thought he would have gone around another 12 months and I said as much to him,” he noted.
Smith’s withdrawal follows a similar announcement from incumbent Australian Kangaroos head coach Kevin Walters, who also ruled himself out of the running earlier after the Queensland Rugby League confirmed Slater’s departure on Friday. Queensland assistant coach and another Maroons legend Johnathan Thurston has also distanced himself from the vacancy, leaving the QRL with a drastically shortened list of plausible candidates.
Smith pointed to two remaining candidates who fit the mold of continuing the program Slater built over the past half-decade: current Brisbane Broncos assistant coach Matt Ballin and former Maroons forward Ben Te’o. Smith argues that promoting from within the existing Origin support staff is the most logical path forward for the QRL. “Logic would suggest taking guys from within that have been there with Billy to continue that path that he’s built over the last five years,” Smith said.
For Ballin, taking the job would require stepping away from his current senior role with the Broncos, a precedent set by incoming New South Wales Blues coach Matt King, who will leave his position at the Sydney Roosters at the end of the year to take over the State of Origin role. Te’o, who has also worked within the current Maroons setup, remains another viable in-house option, while Thurston confirmed he cannot commit to the full-time demands of the head coaching post.
Walters’ situation, Smith added, is also non-viable because of the conflicting time demands of the Kangaroos head coach and Queensland State of Origin roles in the modern calendar. “You can’t be Kangaroos coach and Queensland coach in this day and age,” he said. “The two that stand out are Ben Te’o and Matty Ballin.”