Green among big-name coaching targets for new Brisbane team

Newly appointed Queensland mentor Paul Green has emerged as a potential coaching target for a second Brisbane team admitted to the NRL in 2023.

Green, who coached North Queensland to premiership glory in 2015 and a grand final berth in 2017, was last week given charge of the Maroons for this season and possibly the 2022 series, as the QRL has an option on his services for next year.

However, the exact details of Green’s role beyond this year’s series have not been finalised as the QRL is still considering the findings from a wide-ranging review of the state’s Origin program, which may determine whether the Maroons coach can also be involved with an NRL team.

“We wanted to be in a position where we covered off on this year and we digested the review, had a look at what impact there would be and we can work forward from that,” QRL CEO Rob Moore said. “It may not have any impact on the coaching position at all.”

The ARL Commission set to decide mid-year if a 17th team based in Brisbane should enter the NRL premiership in 2023 and Green is certain to be on any short list for the rival Firehawks, Dolphins and Bombers-Western Corridor consortiums if he is available.

With Wayne Bennett having declared his interest in a coaching role, Craig Bellamy planning to leave Melbourne before 2023 and Green also a possible contender, the succesful bid team may have a choice of three premiership-winning coaches.

After departing the Cowboys midway through last season, Green has moved to Brisbane and was runner-up to former Maroons coach Kevin Walters for the Broncos job so it is expected he would be strongly interested in an opportunity to lead a new franchise based in South-East Queensland.

The QRL has insisted the state coach be fully committed to working for the Maroons since Mal Meninga took over from Wayne Bennett in 2006 but whoever is appointed to guide a possible new franchise into the NRL in 2023 would have no training or match-day commitments until then.

“Realistically what happens in 2022 is not something we will get to yet so it is hard to comment on what we would do if, for argument's sake, Paul was coaching us in 2022 and he gets appointed to a role for 2023 with a new club,” Moore said.

“The review is into the program that sits behind the coach so any changes you make to programs might have an impact on what you do from a coaching perspective as well.

“The sensible thing for us to do was to make an appointment for this series, bearing in mind we are only four months out so the priority is pretty much on the series and not much else, whereas the coach normally has some input into other elements of our programs.

“At the moment Paul’s focus is on the coaching role and the preparation of players leading into the series so we will see what the review throws up for us from 2022 onwards.”

Green played for Easts Tigers, who are behind the Brisbane Firehawks bid, before moving to Cronulla in 1994 with the club’s coaching and management team of John Lang and Shane Richardson.

The former Maroons halfback also began his coaching career in Brisbane with Wynnum-Manly, guiding them to Queensland Cup glory in 2011 and 2012 before helping Trent Robinson steer Sydney Roosters to the 2013 premiership as an assistant and taking on the Cowboys job in 2014.

Redcliffe Dolphins chairman Bob Jones said that the availability of Bennett, Bellamy and Green would ensure any new team admitted to the NRL had a top coach from the outset.

“Those guys are all in the frame and you would be crazy not to talk to them to see where they are at,” Jones said.

“They all understand the Queensland culture and Wayne, in particular, understands building a club from the ground up.

“He was involved with the Broncos, and while that was a while ago I am sure he would also know some things he would do differently with a new start up club than he did when starting the Broncos.”