The Queensland Rugby League have tabled a multi-year offer to Billy Slater to coach the Maroons — but there's outside concerns he may not be the best option.
The Courier Mail reports the QRL offered a two-year deal with an option for a third, but the Maroons must meet Slater’s asking price in order for the legendary fullback to accept the offer.
New South Wales coach Brad Fittler is said to be on $350,000, while Green was paid just under $200,000.
QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher confirmed to The Courier Mail that he was hopeful the 38-year-old would have accepted the offer last week but is still confident a deal will be done.
“The ball is in Billy’s court. He has to come back to us and accept the position,” Hatcher said.
“In Billy’s case, the QRL and his manager need to work out a deal.
“We’re looking at a three-year contract, it would be two years with a one-year option.
“Billy and his manager are the ones considering all issues, so we just have to wait.
“We are pretty definite about what we are prepared to offer, it just depends whether it’s acceptable or not and in any way, shape or form negotiable.
“That’s about the only thing standing in the road with Billy, we can’t drag this on indefinitely and make it a Dutch auction.
“I was hoping for an answer last week. I didn’t think it would be this complicated, but I understand managers do this for a living and that there is a marketplace out there.
“I have spoken to Billy about the job before we made the offer and he was highly excited.
“It’s a matter of the details now. Billy has indicated he wants to do it, so the QRL would love to have him on board taking us into the future.
“But then he has a manager to deal with and Billy’s manager is pricing his product and telling the people seeking the product are you prepared to pay this amount?
“If things don’t line up, then Billy has to accept maybe there is no deal.
“But I’m still confident Billy will be coaching the Maroons next year surrounded by some pretty powerful experienced people.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley said the move by the Maroons is a “huge gamble” and Paul Kent is concerned Slater’s brilliance as a player may not transform into the coaching realm.
“I think the jury’s out to be honest,” Kent told NRL 360.
“There’s no doubt that he’s got great footy intellect and he’s one of the greats of the game but there’s no guarantee you go from being a great player into being a great coach.
“I know they’re copying the model that Mal Meninga put in place but that’s still no guarantee of success. Mal was blessed with a rare class of players that came through and dominated Origin.
“He’s completely untested as a coach. He’s not been a head coach except for under 12s.”
However, James Hooper believes given Slater has learnt from the best, his limited coaching experience might not matter.
“I would argue having come out of the Storm system and having played the majority of his career under Craig Bellamy, Billy’s a different cat in that sense,” he told NRL 360.
While Slater is the first choice to replace Paul Green as coach, the Maroons are reportedly also interested in locking in Mal Meninga as mentor.
They will need the ARL Commission to sign off on Meninga taking on the role while still serving his position as Kangaroos coach.
But neither Kent or Hooper can see that happening.
“Let’s remember in 1985, the uprising begun by Queensland against Terry Fearnly, who was the NSW and Australian coach, brought in the rule that the Origin coach can never coach Australia. It was Queensland that insisted on that rule,” he said.
Hooper added: “He can’t do both and it’s in the hands of the commission at the moment. They’ll make the determination on that.
“I couldn’t see them possibly green lighting Mal being in his mentoring role at the Titans, coaching Australia and being an Adviser for the Maroons. It’s too many hats.”
Story first published on Fox Sports