Craig Bellamy and Ivan Cleary are reportedly the key targets to replace Michael Maguire as NSW Blues Origin coach, but conjecture surrounds the key contenders and their availability.
Gorden Tallis revealed on NRL 360 that Bellamy actually asked his Queensland players at the Storm if they would mind him coaching against them when Brad Fittler stepped down from the job.
“I heard that Craig Bellamy was asked last year before the last series,” Tallis said on NRL 360.
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“He asked some of his Queenslanders at the Storm, is it OK if I maybe coach against you?
“So was that a package deal with someone?”
The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio floated the possibility of a stopgap Blues coach in 2025, before Bellamy takes over in 2026, if he retires from club coaching.
“I think at that time, remember this was only 12 months ago the Blues were on a search for a new coach, and when you think of going to the top of the tree you go to Craig Bellamy,” Riccio said.
“And I firmly believe that will happen again with the possibility of maybe not this coming series due to Bellamy’s focus with the Storm.
“But I think absolutely for 2026 I think Bellamy will be a target and whether they go a stopgap coach just for one series to get to Bellamy.”
Tallis pointed to the Blues’ greatest coach as a possible stopgap solution for 2025.
“You know who I would love to see coach again? Phil Gould,” Tallis said.
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Braith Anasta revealed a list of potential candidates that may be considered if Bellamy can’t take the role.
“Laurie Daley, Ivan Cleary, Ricky Stuart, Michael Ennis and Phil Gould is our potential list,” Anasta said.
“I got told Trent Barrett was interested in the role today. Paul McGregor is another one.”
However, Paul Crawley believes of the candidates there are not many in the prime of their careers to take it on.
“Laurie did a commendable job in tough times,” Crawley said.
“He was coming up against the greatest Queensland side of all-time. My concern for Laurie would be the same concern we had for Freddy, that he has been out of coaching for a while.
“Ricky Stuart was approached last time. He couldn’t do it because they have got a young squad coming through at the Raiders and it is the same this year.”
“Gus has put up his hand and said, no he won’t do it. He said he would rather slam his hand in a door.”
Riccio believes the Blues need someone with personality and fire and brimstone if they can’t land Bellamy or Cleary.
“Matt King and Brett White were both the assistants to Madge and did a great job,” Riccio said.
“But I love an agitator at Origin time, which is why Ricky Stuart always goes to the top of my list.
“Michael Ennis knows how to be an agitator.”
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However, Crawley believes the Blues need experience at NRL level if they can’t get one of the heavyweights.
“He hasn’t coached a team at the top level yet,” Crawley said of Ennis.
“McGregor is a good call. McGregor has great knowledge. He’s been a 150-game coach, former player. He’s been in the system.
“When you look through that list, if you can’t go and get a Craig Bellamy or an Ivan Cleary, or Ricky said he won’t do it, I reckon you’ve got to go for an experienced coach.
“And on the list that I’ve seen so far, I reckon he’d be a good choice.”
Anasta agreed following a winning series would be tough for an inexperienced coach.
“It’s a big job for an inexperienced coach, especially the pressure now coming off a winning series, and Michael Maguire, what he was able to do and transform that team into,” Anasta said.
Gould may have ruled himself out, but he has thrown his support behind Ivan Cleary being appointed Blues coach.
Cleary has emerged as one of the competition’s best coaches in recent years after leading Penrith to three successive premierships (2021-2023) a tally that could be extended to four should his side topple the Storm in Sunday’s Grand Final.
Gould, who is New South Wales’ most successful coach, said Cleary would be an ideal candidate to lead the Blues in 2025.
“I can’t see why not,” Gould said on his podcast Six Tackles with Gus.
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“The set up there [at Penrith] is pretty much plug-in and plug-out. I think if Ivan Cleary didn’t turn up to work for a week, the whole thing would keep functioning.
“I think it should be an aspiration and I don’t think he should have to retire from club coaching to be a representative coach, given his record.”
“I think those great coaches like Cleary and [Craig] Bellamy could honestly coach Origin, but it’s a distraction for their club. I think it would be second nature for Cleary or Bellamy to step in and do that job and I think it would be the best course of action.”
Current rules mean NRL coaches cannot mentor both club and Origin sides, with former clipboard holders such as Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart and Wayne Bennett having navigated that task in the past.
Gould said those rules needed to be amended to ensure the Origin arena had access to best coaches available regardless of club duties.
“I don’t know why they changed that and why at some stage they worried about it,” he said.
“I actually found it easier to coach the rep team when I was a club coach. You’re in the rhythm of training and preparing, you know the players from the other teams, you know the referees … you’re already locked in to 90 per cent of what you’re gonna be doing.
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“What I found when I wasn’t full-time coaching, it was like having three grand finals thrown at you in the middle of the season with little preparation to do it.”
Gould said Origin coaches should be appointed via invitation instead of multi-year contracts to avoid such situations as the Blues find themselves in after Maguire walked away in light of an NRL opportunity.
“I’ve never really thought they were long-term contracted positions,” he said.
“For me, they were always series by series and you were invited back to do it again.
“I was never given a one-year, two-year or five-year contract with any representative job and I don’t know why they do that.
“It should be by merit and it should be by invitation each and every year.”
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