Wayne cleared to help Slater
THE ARL Commission has given Wayne Bennett the green light to help Queensland as chairman Peter V’landys outlined why he torpedoed plans for Australia coach Mal Meninga to return to Camp Maroon.
V’landys said he would not let rugby league’s showpiece event, State of Origin, be tainted by a conflict of interest in the event Meninga assisted the Maroons while also serving as Australian coach.
The ARLC’s decision to block Meninga left the Queensland Rugby League scrambling to find a senior figure to mentor Billy Slater, the preferred candidate to take charge of the Maroons next season.
But while Meninga is out of the equation, the ARL Commission has left the door ajar for Bennett, Queensland’s only other viable mentoring option.
Bennett, who will sever ties with Souths at season’s end, hopes to secure a head-coaching role with a proposed second Brisbane team for 2023.
But even if Bennett continues in the NRL, V’landys said he would not stand in the way of the super coach joining forces with Slater.
“It’s no problem if Wayne wanted to be involved with Queensland again,” V’landys said. “Coaches aligned with NRL teams are not a problem, but being in charge of the Australian team is an entirely different proposition.
“As long as the club that Wayne is coaching agrees for him to help Queensland, that’s the main issue – the NRL has no issue with a club coach helping an Origin team.”
While Meninga’s primary focus is leading Australia to World Cup glory next year, the NRL Immortal was eager to play a mentoring role for the Maroons after being approached by the QRL.
But NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo contacted Meninga on Tuesday to tell him he would not be permitted to work with the Maroons.
V’landys said he could not risk a repeat of the Terry Fearnley affair in 1985, when the then NSW coach also coached Australia and was accused of selection bias in snubbing Queensland players during the national team’s fractured tour of New Zealand.
Fearnley fell out with Queensland legend Wally Lewis, who had alleged the Blues coach picked the Australian team with the help of NSW captain Wayne Pearce.
“We have to remember the Terry Fearnley situation,” V’landys said of the ARLC’s decision.
“There is a conflict with Mal, there is no two ways about it. We consulted a number of people and they all agreed that it was a conflict of interest for Mal to coach Australia and be working with the Maroons.”
Bennett has already ruled out a head-coaching role with Queensland and was tightlipped on Wednesday about the prospect of helping Slater.
“I have no idea what’s going on … “Until I hear something official from the QRL, I’m staying out of it.”