Blues to decide Origin coach next month

November 24 looms as D-Day for NSW with the Blues set to announce their next State of Origin coach from four final applicants.

The NSW Rugby League board met on Tuesday morning to finalise a job description for Laurie Daley’s replacement and discuss interested applicants for the position.

NSW Rugby League chief executive David Trodden confirmed front-runner Brad Fittler was one of the final quartet, while John Cartwright, David Furner and Michael Maguire are also rumoured to be in the running.

“Between now and the next meeting we will interview the people who have expressed an interest, with the view to make a decision at the next board meeting which is on the 24th of November,” Trodden told AAP.

“The challenge now is to go back to them with the specific job description and selection criteria to run that past them before an interview process starts.”

The requirements for the position are largely unchanged from Daley’s tenure, after the board last month opted to stick with coaches who have no official links to NRL clubs.

If Cartwright or Furner were handed the positions they would have to step down from their assistant roles at Manly and South Sydney.

The board will also sound out candidates on the matters of camp length and locations, as they aim to address culture concerns from the Blues’ 11th series loss in 12 years in 2017.

However the new coach will still be able to play an active role in the media for the majority of the season, crucial given Fittler’s long-standing agreement with the Nine Network.

“As long as during the State of Origin period the concentration was on the State of Origin job, rather than any other external commitments,” Trodden said.

The confirmation comes after Nine re-signed Brad Fittler last month, but made clear they wouldn’t stand in the way of his Origin ambitions.