There’s not many perfect gigs in the world. Just about everyone could improve their lot in life professionally, whether that be their work/life balance, the amount of satisfaction they derive from their job or the amount they take home as compensation for giving up time to someone else.
Even rugby league players, who have one of the best gigs going, are currently in a pay dispute, which suggests that even when you get your dream job, the only thing you’ve wanted to do since you were small, you’re still not entirely satisfied.
If there’s one guy who does have the perfect job, however, it might be Billy Slater.
The Queensland boss is a freelancer, paid to indulge his twin passions of rugby league and horses, balancing time between media work, his thoroughbred breeding business and, of course, coaching the Maroons.
He gets side gigs through the racing industry and through his history in rugby league, as well as a fitness app. On top of that, he can devote time to philanthropy, helping out at Melbourne Storm and, of course, his family.
Given what we know about Slater the bloke, he’s basically combined the things he liked doing anyway with getting paid a shedload of cash, which has to be the dream.
It’s why he’s consistently knocked back chat about him becoming an NRL coach. Why would he give up the best job in the world? He gets paid well, can balance his life however he likes and gets maximal satisfaction from stuffing NSW regularly and his other pursuits.
It’s why he wasn’t keen on the opportunity to take over from Craig Bellamy when he leaves the Storm, and why he won’t consider his job done after leading Queensland to consecutive Origin victories.
“I really enjoy my life at the moment,” he told his Channel 9 podcast recently. “I’ve got a good balance to it.
“The Melbourne Storm mean a lot to me. I’ve spent half my life at that club, and I’m still there now as a part-time coach, still contributing to the club. At the moment it’s a no. I don’t see myself as an NRL coach.”
His teammates agree. “I don’t think he has the desire, in the short (term) to be an NRL head coach,” said Cameron Smith.
“I think he’s enjoying his role at the moment, coaching three games for Queensland. He’s obviously got a very good job with Channel Nine commentating, and he’s also got his horse breeding business.”
It’s worth thinking about given the ongoing chat at the Storm. Being an NRL coach – even an full-time assistant, which Slater is not – is only for the truly committed.
While you get the benefit of doing all the footy stuff that players love – not just the playing, but also the camaraderie, the competitiveness and the winning – but without the downside of getting whacked around every weekend.
For that, however, you give up every waking moment of your time. Players are actively incentivised to switch off between sessions, which is why so many players love golf.
If you want to know how much downtime players get, go watch Chad Townsend’s Youtube channel: it’s a lot of content about not a lot.
(Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
The coaches’ job, however, is never done. They’re constantly thinking, watches and cutting video, sitting in meetings and dealing with players, their agents, the higher-ups and the media.
Billy currently gets to do all the Queensland stuff he wants, but without the round-the-clock stress.
When he says that he watches every Queenslander in the comp, that’s believable, because eight games a week isn’t a stretch and plenty of footy fans do it without being paid to watch some of them, which Billy is.
He gets to have the good bits of being a coach for a little while, without the 24/7 stress that comes with clubland. He also doesn’t have to deal with the media all the time, except for when he’s in it, and he doesn’t have to watch reggies, or juniors, or anything that he doesn’t want to.
On top of that, Slater only has to work with the absolute best players. The great challenge many coaches face, especially those who were themselves exceptionally talented, is relating to lesser players than themselves.
This is why Trent Barrett went from one of the best assistant coaches at Penrith to a poor first grade coach and back to one of the best assistants at Parramatta.
He’s the perfect bloke to give tips to Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses, because he knows better than pretty much anyone about how to be a top level half, but is less suited to chatting to players 25-30 on a roster.
Queensland only have elite players, and Billy doesn’t have to chat to the fringe first graders. His messaging and motivation job is totally different.
If Slater was to take up a club gig, it would only be because of his competitive desire to do so. Working on the telly and running his horses from his farm in Melbourne might get boring, but it doesn’t seem likely.
Indeed, it is probably the Queensland job that keep that part of his character sated for now, because he gets to express it all on the highest stage in Australian sport, but only for a short part of the year.
Given the rigours of coaching in the NRL, and his current situation, it would be bonkers for Slater to swap that for a club job. He can also look across the TV sofa and see what is possible.
Brad Fittler also won his first two series as an Origin coach, but has lost two since either side of a third victory in 2021. His job is now on the line and few would complain were he not in post in 2024.
At Melbourne, Billy could expect that every week. Whoever follows as Storm coach is taking on the NRL’s biggest challenge, because nobody will be able to top what Bellamy has done.
Slater’s kids are coming into their teenage years and, when they are old and out of the house, it might be time to dip the toe back into the NRL on a more engaged basis. For now, sticking with the part-time Queensland gig is the biggest no-brainer in rugby league.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
So the fact Minichello was the SOO player of the series in 2005 and Golden Boot but was crippled by a back injury in 2006 which hugely affected his career from that point on is to be ignored when assessing why NSW struggled?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
You would have to be kidding about Meninga. It would hardly matter who was coach. How did Meninga go with an inferior roster at the Raiders? How about his behind the scenes effort at the Titans? I think he's been tapped on the shoulder. You can't seem to see past the raw figures on any issue. The Manly players were still fine in 2011 and 2013 but they were in fact gone by 16 apart from one or two. Players like Smith , Slater , Cronk at least and maybe Thurston lasted much much longer than players like the Stewarts , Matai and all the others who were at Manly. Players like Smith in particular were incredibly valuable because he was never injured and played forever. If you can't see how that's different to Manly's best player , Brett Stewart then I don't get your point. Without checking , I'm suspecting Smith and Slater were both around from 05 or 06 till around 17 and Cronk and Thurston were also around for much of this time and were still best on field at times. This is nothing like the experience of Manly's best.
Barry Ballerina
Roar Rookie
Ah, Billy Slater, the bloke who's living the dream, mate! He's got more side gigs than a circus performer on a trampoline! He's frolicking in the footy world, dabbling in the horse racing scene, making fitness apps, and probably giving life advice to dolphins on the side. This fella has cracked the code, combining his passions with a fat paycheck. It's like winning the lottery and finding a five-dollar note on the ground, all rolled into one. No wonder he's telling NRL coaching offers to take a hike. Who needs the headache of coaching when you can have it all? Billy, mate, teach us your secret to having the perfect gig!
Emcie
Roar Guru
100% Meninga was the main factor in sustained success from 2006 on. He changed the entire set up of QLD Origin behind the scenes and that brought results. Minichello? He was still playing origin in 2011... I don't understand your Manly reference. They had 3 coaches between '08 and '16. And if the same cattle there didn't last 8yrs how does that support your arguement that QLDs players from '03-'05 maturing were why they were successful to 2017?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Do you honestly believe that Meninga was the main factor in QLD fortunes changing? For a start you need to look at the cattle on both sides not just one. The two key players from 2005 for NSW retired from SOO in 2006. Minichello and Johns. The key QLD players didn't retire they matured. So while it appeared that the QLD cattle were similar , they were a lot better. I've heard the same cattle , different coach failing or succeeding thing many times but it's rarely accurate. Manly had heaps of the same cattle in 2016 as they did in 2008 but they were all stuffed. Fittler still has the games best player at fullback in theory but he was the a key factor in many wins , now he is a liability if we're being honest. It's the same Bull but you can't ignore that at his best he was making coaches look like champions. Just have a look at Super Coach Robbo.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Billly might have the right looks and SOO fell into his lap, as the Blues didn't have to prove anything after the thrashings they gave the frogs in 2018 19 and 21 (6 games out of 9) as the Blues just didn't have anything to prove anymore and got sick of beating them and listening to all their excuses :thumbup: :laughing: let's see Billy coaching the real comp and games of the NRL which is week in and week out for 24 games, as that is real coaching not these 3 games nonsensical SOO games that mean nothing.
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Slater certainly looked relaxed with his players on the Goldie last weekend. Apparently Jack Daniels pays its top tasters 70K. I didn't grow up wanting to be a Jack taster, but our ambitions change over time, I suppose.
Emcie
Roar Guru
well he's got 0% series wins vs Bennett and Slater so there's that
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
Yeah mate I agree that the coach is the person that has the ultimate say in the team performance and they will be judged on their success. That's the bit I hate, because if Fittler wins this game he will be remembered for having a 50% win ratio for games and series and that is not a reflection of his performance. I rate him the worst :thumbup:
Emcie
Roar Guru
Well, yeah, but as I tried to point out above, the talents only as good as what you do with it. You could have the best half in the comp in the side but if you just use em as injury replacement what's the point? It's also worth noting that Smith, Thurston and Slater were all part of losing sides before things kicked off in 2006 and Cronk didn't come in till 4 years later. Forty Twenty was suggesting that "cattle" are the main factor in success, I was trying to show that coaches success rates varied significantly even with the same players.
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
That's not what I'm suggesting, NSW has far more depth than QLD. What I am saying is that the peak talent of the top 4 players from QLD is greater than the peak talent of NSW. Remove Slater, Smith, Thurston and Cronk from a team vs Hayne, Farrah, Maloney and Pearce. I'm not saying that NSW benefits from that. My point is that the absolute peak talent was skewed very heavily to QLD during that time is all and that had an absolute effect on the series results. Yes they were well coached and worked well as a team.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Sometimes the inferior cattle get up as with Fatty's heroes and a couple of other times with QLD teams but if you think Meninga won all those series in a row with inferior cattle then that's quite funny. Fittler had healthy and superior cattle when he won series. I could spin his story and say he took over a rabble which had been losing for a decade but it would be nonsense. Slater has had a dream run because the NSW cattle have had major injury problems and the fullback which everyone claimed he had to select has been a plodder. Meanwhile some new players have emerged for QLD and they have had a much better time with injuries. Slater has done well no doubt but Fittler won series as well when things went his way. Bellamy's record is horrible for NSW and Meninga's is unreal. Somehow that's all due to Meninga knowing what to do with his cattle?
Emcie
Roar Guru
So you're suggesting that NSW would win in that scenario, suggesting that NSW has better depth? I mean sure, if you think 4 players were solely responsible for the difference go for it. On the other hand, NSW managed to average 1 win a year for the 10 years showing they could actually beat those QLD players. Just not when it actually mattered. NSW has been it's own worst enemy more often then not, and writing it off to QLD just has better players just gurantees nothing changes
kk
Roar Pro
Lot 402 To Hawkes Racing.
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
Take away the top 4 players from Menigas team and the top 4 from the blues sides over each of the series Meninga coached, whos at the biggest disadvantage. Meninga did a great job, he also had a great roster
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
Slater could potentially land a NRL coaching gig and be on approximately $800k year and if successful find himself earning $1.2 mill a year. Surely that's significantly more than what they earn at origin level.
chris1
Roar Rookie
ahh ok lol
Emcie
Roar Guru
Meninga started with players that were looking at a 4th series loss that he inherited from Hagan. Bennett won with less options then Walters had. Green (RIP) lost with better options then what Bennet had and now Slater's won 2 in a row much the same players available. The "cattle" are less of a factor then what you do with them
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
and don't forget the passion of being a QUEENSLANDER there TotC
Emcie
Roar Guru
He sold a horse in '21 for $425k. He's off to a good start