Maroons to look at contingency plan for Walters replacing Seibold

The QRL will discuss contingency plans around Kevin Walters's head coaching role and sourcing a successor should the Maroons mentor be parachuted into the Broncos as Anthony Seibold's replacement.

Walters and ex-Cowboys coach Paul Green are considered the frontrunners for a start at Red Hill in 2021, if Seibold departs from the Broncos.

The Broncos are yet to make an official comment on Seibold's future, and nor is the embattled coach obliged to accept any termination settlement.

But a scheduled QRL board meeting this Friday will address the possibility of Walters landing his first NRL coaching role just a few months out from this year's rescheduled Origin series.

The QRL won't stand in Walters's way should he seek a return to Brisbane after recently signing a one-year extension that covers two Origin series in the space of just seven months.

QRL managing director Rob Moore refused to be drawn into the speculation around Seibold's future on Monday.

But he conceded the prospect of Walters rebuilding the Broncos come November rather than plotting to foil three straight NSW series wins loomed large.

"We've got the time to have a discussion at board level about what we would do in that situation," Moore told NRL.com.

"We had talked about [an early release for Walters if an NRL coaching role emerges] previously but then we agreed to an extension of Kevvie's contract through this period where he's got the two Origin series close together.

"We'll have another discussion at the board meeting. His name does keep getting tossed up but that's all we know.

"If you talk to Kevvie he's committed to us, but we don't know what may be offered by an NRL club.

"We'll have a talk about it at the next board meeting and from a board's perspective how we would handle that. At this stage it's just speculation and not too much to go on yet."

Walters told The Big Sports Breakfast on Monday morning that while he hasn't had any contact from the Broncos, "I love the Broncos, I love everything about the club".

"I’m hurting as much as any supporter is at the moment. If I can get back there and help them, I’d love to do that in some way."

Should Walters land at the Broncos, Green looms as an obvious replacement in the Origin arena given his premiership pedigree and own 10-game playing career for the Maroons.

QRL and NSWRL officials meanwhile held discussions with NRL counterparts last Friday around plans for this year's condensed Origin series in a COVID-19 landscape.

The three interstate clashes are scheduled to be played within 15 days between November 4 and 18, following the October 25 Telstra Premiership grand final.

Given the immense physical toll Origin takes on players that have already endured one of the most injury-hit seasons on record, extensive state squads of around 24 players are being considered.

Players not involved in finals matches are likely to be able to break their respective biosecurity bubbles once their club commitments wrap up for the year.

However the prospect of 14-day isolation periods has also been raised before players come together again in camp.

Venues and locations for the 2020 series are yet to be confirmed, with one game in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney the plan before COVID-19 rocked the code.

Should that schedule remain in November, the QRL are exploring similar fly-in fly-out arrangements to interstate games that NRL clubs currently use.

"It's not something we've had a big discussion about but it's something that Kevvie and I have considered already," Moore said.

"It'll be subject to regulations in whatever state you're travelling to and then returning to Queensland afterwards.

"But if nothing changes from the current situation it seems like the only option is to fly in and out like NRL teams are doing currently.

"The clubs have got some really good plans in place that have already been approved by the state governments so we'll learn from all of those."