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The NSW Blues have officially confirmed that Brad Fittler will take over as coach of the State of Origin side for the next two seasons at least.
Fittler played 336 NRL games for the Penrith Panthers (119) and Sydney Roosters (217), but also represented NSW on 31 occasions and Australia on 40.
He coached the Sydney Roosters through 58 matches from 2007-2009, recording 25 wins, 32 losses and a draw – a success rate of 43 per cent.
From 2010 Fittler has predominantly worked in the media, but he recently coached Lebanon to the quarter-finals of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
Now he will an attempt to turn around the woeful fortunes of the NSW Blues.
Fittler takes over for Laurie Daley who coached the Blues through five Origin series from 2013 to 2017, winning only one in 2014, winning six of fifteen matches over the course of his tenure.
The Blues also confirmed they have not yet made any appointments for support staff, but will consider this in the coming weeks and make announcements in the near future.
Chairman of the NSWRL board George Peponis said:
“Given the importance of this appointment, the Board has taken the appropriate amount of time to fully consider the issue. A number of highly qualified candidates expressed an interest in the position. I have no doubt that any one of them could have done a great job if the Board had decided to appoint them. Ultimately, the Board was unanimous in the view that Brad Fittler should be appointed to the position.
“Brad’s qualifications for the role are impeccable and his standing within the game is pre-eminent. His recent efforts in the Rugby League World Cup with Lebanon serve as a reminder of his talents as a coach and they provide a window into the exciting future which he will bring the New South Wales State of Origin team.”
NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden said:
“I couldn’t be happier for Freddy with this appointment. In the last few years, he has made a massive impression on everyone in the NSWRL with the work he has done with our KARI City Origin team and our Pathways teams. He has achieved outstanding success with these teams and in reality, he has spent those years preparing for the role which he has now been appointed to. NSWRL is in for a great ride and sustained success in the next few years beckons.”