Brad Fittler knows that the next Kangaroos coach is about to experience something unforgettable.
“What’s lost in all of this, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a Great Britain jersey,” said Fittler, the leading candidate to replace outgoing Australian coach Mal Meninga.
“A lot of players are unaware of the significance of Kangaroo tours and the place they have held in the game for a long time. That’s a big part of it.
“I know there’s a lot of stuff going on with eligibility, and Origin is so important to the game. Once Origin is over, talking about Kangaroo tours and their significance in the game will be a pretty important story to tell.”
Fittler recently met with NRL officials about his interest in the Australian job, with an official appointment likely to be made after the second State of Origin game.
Eighth Immortal Andrew Johns has already been approached to join the Kangaroos selection panel as a replacement for NSW coach Laurie Daley, who sat on last year’s panel alongside former Australian captains Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith and Boyd Cordner.
If Fittler gets the coaching gig, it would round out an incredible footballing curriculum vitae that includes two premierships – as well as glory at state and international level – as a player, plus coaching the Roosters and then NSW to series wins with the clipboard.
Fittler’s love affair with Kangaroos tours began when he became the youngest player ever, at just 18, to be selected for one, in 1994. He also toured England with the national team in 1994 and 2001, the latter campaign as captain.
The famous Ashes tours of England will be revived for the first time in more than two decades at the end of the NRL season.
“I was 18. Insane,” Fittler recalled of his first experience as a teenager.
“I remember Wally Lewis doing a fitness test; he had a broken arm. I was watching him throwing himself on the ground, there was [coach] Bob Fulton and [doctor] Nathan Gibbs there with trainers at medicals. He wasn’t passed, so that was pretty much my position.
“I played in the grand final that year when we got beaten by Canberra. I figured they would take the most experienced bloke after they lost him, and they brought a kid in. I was in the right place at the right time.”
League great Brad Fittler.Credit: Getty Images
Fittler’s last coaching job was at the helm of the Blues, where he compiled a 9-9 overall record during his six-year tenure, including three series wins at a 50 per cent strike rate. The champion pivot believes he will be better for that experience if appointed Australian coach.
“Whoever takes the job, you take your experiences and try to be better,” he said.
“That’s always been the motto, try to learn from the past and be better at it. Coaching is very much like that; find out where you struggled, find out your weaknesses and try to improve on them.”
Should he be the successful candidate, there will be pressure on Fittler to ensure Australia remains the No.1 ranked nation.
“I haven’t played a game since I was a kid where I thought we couldn’t win,” Fittler said.
“That’s just part of loving sport, that competitive side of it. I’ve never thought I’m going to lose a game, whether I was playing, coaching or in any staff.
“I’ve never felt that way. It’s up to everyone else to decide odds and expectations.”
The Kangaroos coaching gig would cap an incredible career in which Fittler had achieved every conceivable honour.
“The amazing part is, I’ve never planned any of it,” he said.
“I don’t remember as a kid planning to be a first-grader. I just love the game, being around it, and when opportunities come I’m happy to take it on. That’s been the attitude not only even as an 18-year-old but from when I first started at five.
“I love the game and these opportunities become available at different times. State of Origin is at the forefront of everyone’s mind at the moment, but in a couple of weeks when that fades away, they’ll amp up discussions and make sure there’s enough respect given to the Kangaroo tour.”
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