Billy Slater walks away from Queensland coaching job

 Billy Slater walks away from Queensland coaching job/NRL Photo

Billy Slater has stunned Queensland rugby league, standing down as Maroons State of Origin coach after five years at the helm. The announcement landed on Friday and blindsided much of the game, with Slater widely tipped to remain in charge through to next year's series before his sudden call to step aside.

The Innisfail product took over the Maroons job in 2022 and wasted no time making his mark, steering the side to series wins in each of his first two years in charge. The high point came last year, when Queensland clawed back from 1-0 down to snatch the series on the road in one of the more memorable Origin turnarounds in recent memory. This year's series swung the other way, with New South Wales wresting back control, but it did little to dent the overall picture of a coaching reign that reshaped the Maroons into genuine contenders again.

In stepping away, Slater spoke of the emotional pull of the role, describing the journey from a boy who grew up idolising the Queensland jumper to a player who wore it with distinction, and finally to the coach entrusted with guiding a new generation. He thanked the playing group for their commitment to the jersey and the state, and made clear that his Queensland identity isn't going anywhere even though the coaching chapter has closed.

The race to replace him is already taking shape. Cameron Smith looms as the most prominent name in contention, having cut his coaching teeth as one of Slater's assistants in 2022 and 2023, though he has indicated he'll talk it over with his family before committing to a tilt at the job. Other insiders within the program, including Matt Ballin, Johnathan Thurston and Ben Te'o, are also likely to be considered given their existing links to the setup. Queensland officials aren't rushing the decision, wary of the scale of the task in replacing a coach who did as much to restore the program's identity as he did to win matches.

Slater's departure has also stirred fresh chatter about where he goes next, with his name once again linked to a possible future at his old club, Melbourne, where he spent his entire 323-game NRL career. Storm officials have long viewed him as a natural fit to eventually take over from Craig Bellamy, though Slater has consistently downplayed the idea, pointing to the toll full-time club coaching would take on his family life. Whatever comes next, he exits the Maroons job with three series wins to his name and a rebuilt Queensland outfit that looks far healthier than the one he inherited.