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Opinion
It’s a sad state of affairs for the Blues that they seemingly have no plan B or coaching succession plan at the ready following Brad Fittler’s decision to walk away from a one-year extension offer.
Club coaches don’t want the gig because it’s a hiding to nothing unless they achieve the virtual impossible of keeping full focus on their NRL team while also preparing the Origin side for victory.
Particularly if their club team does not fire on all cylinders, they will cop not so subtle reminders from the board which pays the lion’s share of his salary that it might be a good idea to give the representative side hustle the flick.
Apart from Wayne Bennett’s end-of-season Maroons rendezvous three years ago when he stepped in at the last moment during the pandemic-delayed season, there hasn’t been a club coach who has juggled state duties since Ricky Stuart lost back-to-back series in 2012-13.
Fittler’s abrupt departure on Thursday after thumbing his nose at a one-year deal, exposes the Blues’ lack of foresight.
There is no clear choice to take over.
Even though he expressed zero interest when asked midway through the season, Craig Bellamy would be the best option for the Blues.
Every coach has their price – he has been trying to get the coaching bug out of his system for the past few years with his annual period of contemplating retiring.
If he really is heading for the Storm retirement lounge at the end of next season, he could help ease his way out of the club ranks by making the transition to Origin coaching, juggling the gigs in 2024 before concentrating solely on NSW duties the following year.
Money would not necessarily be the motivating factor for Bellamy – taking over from Fittler would be more a case of removing a glaring stain on his resume.
Blues coach Brad Fittler. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Bellamy coached the Blues between 2008-10 and went back to Melbourne with his tail between his legs after managing just two wins from nine matches, ending with a clean sweep at the height of the Maroons dynasty.
He said he felt conflicted having to coach against his club stars – Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis – at Origin level and even though the likes of Cameron Munster, Harry Grant and Xavier Coates are modern-day Melbourne Maroons reps, Bellamy seems at least slightly more mellow about his pursuit of perfection.
On the Spinal Tap scale, he’s dialled it back from 11 to 10.5.
When asked about the Blues gig in June after Fittler had lost his second straight series inside two games, Bellamy gave a firm “no” to questions about his interest in the role.
“Freddy is NSW coach and that’s how it is and how it should be. He’s still got a game to go and a job to do and hopefully they will get a win.”
Times have changed – they got that win in the dead rubber but Fittler is no longer in the post so Bellamy, and other coaches for that matter, don’t have to be polite by expressing interest in a job that was not yet vacant.
An experienced coach like Bellamy, rather than the Blues’ past two appointments of legendary players in Laurie Daley and Fittler, is the way forward for NSW.
A Billy Slater vs Craig Bellamy coaching match-up would be an Origin dream. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Fittler, for all his many detractors, actually did a decent job to win three of his first four series in charge but the eccentricities and seemingly relaxed approach did not seem as charming when Billy Slater transformed Queensland into a clinical machine and the Blues failed to meet their intensity over the past two series.
He had been at odds with the NSWRL executives over the direction of the Blues program and had lined up the Blues’ most successful coach of all time in Phil Gould to be part of his off-field staff next year if he had been reappointed.
After he made his case to the board last week and they failed to reach a resolution at their board meeting on Wednesday, the writing was on the wall that the two parties were not aligned and Fittler walked.
“I loved doing the job and NSW and I will always love NSW,” he said in a statement issued by the Blues.
NSWRL chairman Paul Conlon paid tribute to Fittler despite the abrupt parting of the ways.
“The board understands and respects his decision,” Conlon said. “Freddy was a legend as a player and returned to coach the team at a time when his state needed him.
“He enjoyed immediate success and his series win in 2021, which included record scorelines in Townsville and Brisbane, will go down in NSW Blues history. He holds a special place in NSW Rugby League history.”
Queensland Rugby League boss Ben Ikin announced earlier on Thursday that Slater had agreed to a new three-year deal but he will now be coming up against a new coach in 2024.
It’s a total clean-out for the Blues with Fittler’s main advisor, Greg Alexander, and assistant coaches Paul McGregor, Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus already confirming they would not be back.
Stuart is the other current NRL coach who has already been tossed up as a potential option for the Blues.
(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
At the same time as Bellamy was being questioned by the media after Origin II, Stuart didn’t totally close the door shut on a potential NSW return but with Canberra facing a rebuilding season ahead following the loss of former Dally M Medal winner Jack Wighton, adding the Blues burden to his workload would be tricky for Sticky.
Penrith’s dual premiership-winning coach Ivan Cleary assisted Fittler for the Blues’ Origin III win over Queensland in Sydney in July to avoid a clean sweep although he is also unlikely to put his hand up.
And why would he? Penrith are potentially about to lift their third straight Grand Final trophy and with the nucleus of their team signed up for the next few seasons, they have the opportunity to register a rare dynasty.
The NSWRL could look to the unemployed coaches line to pluck out someone like Michael Maguire, Geoff Toovey or Trent Barrett but they each come with baggage from their previous stints in clubland.
Whoever they appoint, the Blues need to have a clear succession plan like the Maroons have in place with Smith and Johnathan Thurston on Slater’s staff.
The NSW coach’s position should be sought after and considered a privilege but as the years go by it’s becoming seen more and more as a poisoned chalice.