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Ricky Stuart is returning to the State of Origin hot seat
RICKY Stuart will sign a two-year deal today as the first full-time coach of the NSW Origin team.
Stuart is the last NSW coach to win a series against Queensland when his Blues won in 2005.
Ever since, the Maroons have dominated and Stuart must now arrest a five-year losing streak.
Consequently, Stuart, 43, is taking on one of the highest-pressure jobs in the game.
The former Test coach is greatly respected by the players and it appears now he will also have greater powers than any other Blues coach before him.
After the NSWRL commissioned the NRL research board chairman and former Roosters chief executive, Brian Canavan, to pick over the failed 2010 NSW Origin campaign, it was mooted that the number of selectors would be reduced from the present four. To date the NSW coach has never been a selector. Previously if the four selectors were deadlocked, NSWRL chairman Colin Love had the deciding vote.
Start of sidebar.
But it's understood Stuart will be one of two selectors -- the other vote coming from the newly created chief adviser position. For the past five Origin campaigns, the four NSW selectors have been Bob Fulton, Laurie Daley, Bob McCarthy and Geoff Gerard. Daley resigned in July this year after the third game.
Fulton's name has been linked to the adviser role as has former NSW coach Phil Gould.
Gould has already said his Origin days are over after he became the Blues' most successful coach, leading NSW to 14 wins from his 24 matches in charge.
Stuart took over from Gould and helped NSW to a hat-trick of series wins.
Stuart was sacked by the Roosters in 2006 and moved to Cronulla in 2007. He was given a release in May this year from the final year of his contract.
Since then the three-time premiership-winning player has been a free agent.
Stuart has made no secret of the fact he wants to coach another NRL club -- his third. That desire reportedly was one of the points that needed negotiation before Stuart agreed to return to the Blues. It is understood if an NRL position opens up for the 2012 season, Stuart has the option in his Origin contract to ask for a release.
And with seven coaches off contract next year -- Wayne Bennett (St George Illawarra), David Furner (Canberra), Tim Sheens (Wests Tigers), Cronulla (Shane Flanagan), John Lang (South Sydney), John Cartwright (Gold Coast) and Matt Elliott (Penrith) -- there could be some options opening up.
Another two NRL coaches could be precariously placed if their teams have performance lapses again -- Ivan Henjak (Brisbane) and Neil Henry (North Queensland).
clicky sticky
RICKY Stuart will sign a two-year deal today as the first full-time coach of the NSW Origin team.
Stuart is the last NSW coach to win a series against Queensland when his Blues won in 2005.
Ever since, the Maroons have dominated and Stuart must now arrest a five-year losing streak.
Consequently, Stuart, 43, is taking on one of the highest-pressure jobs in the game.
The former Test coach is greatly respected by the players and it appears now he will also have greater powers than any other Blues coach before him.
After the NSWRL commissioned the NRL research board chairman and former Roosters chief executive, Brian Canavan, to pick over the failed 2010 NSW Origin campaign, it was mooted that the number of selectors would be reduced from the present four. To date the NSW coach has never been a selector. Previously if the four selectors were deadlocked, NSWRL chairman Colin Love had the deciding vote.
Start of sidebar.
But it's understood Stuart will be one of two selectors -- the other vote coming from the newly created chief adviser position. For the past five Origin campaigns, the four NSW selectors have been Bob Fulton, Laurie Daley, Bob McCarthy and Geoff Gerard. Daley resigned in July this year after the third game.
Fulton's name has been linked to the adviser role as has former NSW coach Phil Gould.
Gould has already said his Origin days are over after he became the Blues' most successful coach, leading NSW to 14 wins from his 24 matches in charge.
Stuart took over from Gould and helped NSW to a hat-trick of series wins.
Stuart was sacked by the Roosters in 2006 and moved to Cronulla in 2007. He was given a release in May this year from the final year of his contract.
Since then the three-time premiership-winning player has been a free agent.
Stuart has made no secret of the fact he wants to coach another NRL club -- his third. That desire reportedly was one of the points that needed negotiation before Stuart agreed to return to the Blues. It is understood if an NRL position opens up for the 2012 season, Stuart has the option in his Origin contract to ask for a release.
And with seven coaches off contract next year -- Wayne Bennett (St George Illawarra), David Furner (Canberra), Tim Sheens (Wests Tigers), Cronulla (Shane Flanagan), John Lang (South Sydney), John Cartwright (Gold Coast) and Matt Elliott (Penrith) -- there could be some options opening up.
Another two NRL coaches could be precariously placed if their teams have performance lapses again -- Ivan Henjak (Brisbane) and Neil Henry (North Queensland).
clicky sticky