Hagan Maroons shock
By Michael Crutcher and Dean Ritchie
July 15, 2004
QUEENSLAND could be forced to blood another State of Origin coach next season if Michael Hagan's Newcastle Knights do not arrest their NRL slump.
Hagan ... Newcastle his first priority.
Hagan has admitted his chances of returning as Maroons coach hinge on the Knights burrowing back into finals contention, starting with Sunday's home clash with the Broncos.
While guiding the Maroons for the first time this year, Newcastle lost five of its six matches and dropped out of the top eight.
Hagan will assess his Origin and club workloads later this year before deciding whether to take on the Queensland job again.
"I have to be invited back (by the QRL) first but Newcastle is my first priority from a coaching point of view," Hagan said. "The club has been very good to me and I want to return that. I owe them a fair bit to at least discuss the situation.
"It's important that we finish the year off well because that will have a bearing on that (Queensland) decision."
Knights chairman Michael Hill has given early support to Hagan continuing as Queensland coach but admitted the club would review his roles later this year.
The QRL would be forced into a scramble if Hagan did not return.
The only other Queensland NRL coaches Wayne Bennett and John Lang have expressed their reluctance to take on the job, leaving the door open for another contender.
QRL managing director Ross Livermore will speak with Bennett, the league's director of coaching, later this year before meeting with Hagan.
"There is no doubt he would be invited to coach again but he has to have the time to do it and his club have to let him," Livermore said. "Michael's told me he will have a look at it after the season.
"We're very mindful of the demands on coaches who have club and Origin commitments.
"NSW have been lucky because Phil Gould has been free of that in the last few years. They've got (Sydney Roosters coach) Ricky Stuart next year, so that will be different."
Hagan has cleared his head since Queensland lost the deciding Origin match in Sydney eight days ago, taking time out during the Knights' bye last weekend.
"I'm feeling pretty good and hoping I can come out the other side," he said. "We've got five of our last eight games at home, so we have the opportunity to turn things around."
