The talk out of Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night was that Mal Meninga’s announcement as the inaugural coach of the Perth Bears was imminent, pending an agreement on the contract value.
Attention will quickly turn to what that would mean for the Australian team and most of the 34 players who took to the field for game one of the series in Brisbane.
This column has been told that the NRL does not want Meninga to coach Australia at the end-of-season Ashes series in England, instead wanting him to focus on building the Bears’ roster for their 2027 debut.
The Bears can’t sign a player until November 1 – that’s the same date as the second Test against England at Everton Stadium, a new 53,000-seat ground in Liverpool.
The third and final Test of the series will be played a week later in Leeds, meaning Meninga would be preoccupied during a busy period for the NRL’s newest franchise.
Instead, the NRL will move to appoint a new Australia coach with an eye on the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Mal Meninga’s days as Kangaroos coach may be coming to an end.Credit: NRL Photos
The three names currently in the mix are former NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler, ex-Kangaroos captain Cameron Smith and former Broncos coach Kevin Walters.
“I wouldn’t consider it unless I was formally asked,” Fittler said. “I don’t know if Mal has the job or that he can’t do both.”
Meninga has been the Australian coach since 2016.
More selection headaches on the way
An NRL scheduling decision caused a stir in the lead-up to game one of Origin, forcing both teams to delay the announcement of teams.
Blues and Maroons fans at Origin I.Credit: SMH/Getty Images
The teams are usually announced around 6pm on a Sunday. But the scheduling of the women’s Origin game on a Thursday night resulted in the NRL scheduling the Tigers-Rabbitohs game for 6.15pm on Sunday night.
There will be another delay for game two due to round 14 not finishing until 6pm on a Monday. It will impact Blues coach Laurie Daley the most. He will have to wait until the King’s Birthday game between the Eels and Bulldogs before selecting his team. It will come 24 hours later than is normally the case.
Mitchell Moses (Eels), Stephen Crichton and Max King (Bulldogs) all featured in game one. Others in the mix for game two selection include Matt Burton and Jacob Preston.
Crowds milling outside Suncorp Stadium for Magic Round in Brisbane.Credit: Brisbane Economic Development Agency
Magic Round set for 2032 Brisbane extension
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys caught up with Queensland premier David Crisafulli after touching down in Brisbane on Wednesday afternoon.
The main item on the agenda was the future of Magic Round. It’s locked in at Suncorp Stadium until the end of 2027, and they are now closing in on an extension to keep it in Queensland until the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
Yeo’s leadership wows Blues
There’s been a common theme out of the Blues camp this week, and that is the impressive leadership qualities of skipper Isaah Yeo.
Those in the NSW camp have been blown away by his development as a leader, with players and staff hanging off his every word.
Albanese the star of chairman’s suite
The chairman’s suite at Suncorp Stadium was the place to be on Wednesday night. The NRL hosted prime minister and proud New South Welshman Anthony Albanese. Aussie boxing champion Jai Opetaia was also spotted.
Ticket sales are strong for the Origin match in Perth.Credit: Getty
Perth’s Origin game tipped to be a sell out
The second State of Origin game in Perth is heading towards being a sell-out. There were only a few thousand tickets left for the match at Optus Stadium on June 18 as of kick-off on in game one.
Reynolds goes cold on Caxton venture
Former Blues legend Josh Reynolds talked up a big game on Sky Sports Radio in the lead up to the Origin opener, claiming he was preparing to walk through Caxton Street with his Blues jersey. Talk out of the press box on Wednesday night was that he backed out.
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Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.
