{"id":840762,"date":"2026-08-02T23:54:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T23:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/840762\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T23:54:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T23:54:13","slug":"revealed-frontrunner-to-replace-daley-as-blues-coach-but-an-elephant-in-the-room-remains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/840762\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: Frontrunner to replace Daley as Blues coach… but an elephant in the room remains"},"content":{"rendered":"

Laurie Daley\u2019s decision to step down as the NSW Blues coach on Monday morning<\/a> came with impassioned brief for the person who replaces him: keep the desire alive.<\/p>\n

Watch every game of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Daley personally endorsed senior assistant and former Blues player Matt King during a lengthy announcement on Sky Radio\u2019s Big Sports Breakfast on Monday, where he confirmed the 2026 Origin series would be his last.<\/p>\n

WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n

Daley declared King is already fit to be a first grade coach, having completed a lengthy coaching apprenticeship under Craig Bellamy (Storm), Trent Robinson (Roosters) and Michael Maguire (Daley\u2019s predecessor at the Blues).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been lucky enough to have some wonderful coaches on our staff and they were there with Michael Maguire in 2024, so guys like Matt King, Boyd Cordner, Brett White – they are guys that are first grade coaches in waiting,\u201d Daley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy senior assistant was Matt King, and Matty King is a first grade coach now, he\u2019s ready to go. I don\u2019t know what NSW Rugby League are going to do, I don\u2019t know who they\u2019re going to appoint, but but I would like to see a guy like Matt King take over the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been there, he\u2019s been a servant, he\u2019s had great input into what we\u2019ve been able to do over the last three years.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outgoing Blues coach also addressed persistent scuttlebutt that NSW doesn\u2019t \u2018get\u2019 Origin in the same way Queensland does, using this year\u2019s series win to rubbish those claims.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re called upon to do something for your state, you do it. And when you love your state as much as I do, I\u2019d do anything for the Blues jersey; I\u2019d just do anything for NSW,\u201d Daley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey talk about how we don\u2019t have passion, that\u2019s bulls**t. We have just as much passion for our state as QLD have for theirs. That argument doesn\u2019t wash with me, that doesn\u2019t wash with the players that I coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery one of those players is so proud when they pull on that Blues jersey. If you\u2019re in the team meetings and you\u2019re in the presentations of the jerseys to those guys on debut \u2013 when they speak about NSW and they speak about their family and what it means to them, and you see the tears and hear the emotion in their voice, you know it means something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laurie Daley has signed off as a winning coach.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

In endorsing someone who is already inside the Blues inner sanctum, Daley believes the legacy he has helped create in recent years will be continued by his successor.<\/p>\n

NSW Rugby League chief executive Dave Trodden confirmed a successor to Daley would be named in the coming days. <\/p>\n

It is understood the NSW RL will front media on Wednesday with a formal announcement.<\/p>\n

Of equal interest to the person named will be the length of the contract, given outgoing Penrith mastermind Ivan Cleary finishes at the club at the end of 2027, and has all-but ruled out coaching anywhere else other than representative level.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working through the final details about that at the moment,\u201d Trodden said, joking that Daley had been helpful in the process by \u2018publicly endorsing 17 different candidates so far\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just working through some final details of that including the person, the term of the contract they\u2019ll have and all those final details. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s too far away. Hopefully we\u2019ll be able to nail that in the coming days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch this space, we\u2019re pretty close to having that finalised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here, foxsports.com.au breaks down the major contenders to become the new head coach of the NSW Blues.<\/p>\n

BOYD CORDNER<\/p>\n

One of the assistants on this list who worked under Laurie Daley in this year\u2019s series, Cordner, has emerged as the firm favourite over the past few months after leading the Roosters to back-to-back Under-19s premierships.<\/p>\n

Still only 34, the three-time premiership winner epitomised what it was like to be a New South Welshman during his decorated Origin playing career and knows what it takes to get the best out of those around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoyd Cordner is the firm favourite,\u201d CODE Sports reporter David Riccio said on Triple M\u2019s The Journos.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat he\u2019s achieved in a short amount of time at the Roosters in the lower grades, and the feedback on the way he coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fellow reporter Brent Read added, \u201cI\u2019d imagine Boyd would have no issue doing it next year, knowing that Ivan might take over the year after.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt King NRL PHOTOSSource: The Daily Telegraph<\/p>\n

MATT KING<\/p>\n

Another assistant coach of the NSW Blues, King, went extremely close to landing the gig last year before Laurie Daley\u2019s appointment and is regarded as a future head coach in waiting<\/p>\n

A part of the Blues coaching staff for the past three series, he has gained valuable experience under Trent Robinson at the Roosters since 2017, helping develop his coaching craft and will be one the favourites to replace Daley.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am daydreaming about it more and more,\u201d King told Triple M\u2019s Sunday Sin Bin in the past about one day being a head coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of years ago I was staunch – I was like no way I would ever do that. I turn 45 this year, I have done a big old apprenticeship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe love and joy the game gives me, I love it mate. To think that at some stage I might one the head coach of a footy program at a club that means something to me – I don\u2019t want to be that coach that is interviewing for absolutely every club that pops up.<\/p>\n

IVAN CLEARY<\/p>\n

Ivan Cleary is firming by the day to become the 2028 State of Origin series after announcing he would step away from the Panthers at the end of 2027.<\/p>\n

But could the four-time premiership-winning coach potentially join the Blues before then?<\/p>\n

Although it is highly unlikely he would be given the reins to succeed Daley in 2027, he wouldn\u2019t be the first NRL head coach to take charge of the Blues while still holding a club role.<\/p>\n

With assistant Peter Wallace already locked in to replace him at the foot of the mountains in 2028, Cleary could grant him an opportunity to look after the club on an interim basis to step away for a few months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still love coaching, but I have plenty of time to scratch that itch,\u201d Cleary told media when he confirmed his departure from the Panthers at the end of 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no interest in coaching another NRL club. If someone thought I was worthy of a rep job, I\u2019d consider that.<\/p>\n

LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 14: Michael Cheika is among the contenders.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n

MICHAEL CHEIKA<\/p>\n

An outside choice to replace Daley, the former Wallabies coach knows how to handle pressure and create a strong team environment, which suits the demanding nature of the State of Origin arena.<\/p>\n

Although he doesn\u2019t hold the same resume as others on this list, the Lebanon head coach has earned plenty of respect within the NRL after transitioning to the 13-man code and working under Trent Robinson at the Roosters.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got a presence, he\u2019s got an aura, like he\u2019s a head-coach,\u201d Fox League analyst Luke Keary told CODE Sports earlier in the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can tell, even though his rugby league knowledge wasn\u2019t very high when he first came. It is now.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got a bit of Craig Fitzgibbon about him. He\u2019s a man\u2019s man.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got the aura of a well-travelled man who\u2019s coached in different parts of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ennis has made no secret of his desire to one day take charge of the state he previously represented eight times between 2009 and 2015.<\/p>\n

Backed by former QLD Maroons forward Corey Parker, he possesses a strong understanding of the representative arena and has worked as either a coaching consultant and assistant for a handful of NRL clubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Laurie has decided he has had enough, it\u2019s definitely something I would like to do,\u201d the Fox League analyst told SEN radio.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love that arena, I love what comes with it, the expectation and the pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe level of the players. I would love to do it at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Laurie Daley\u2019s decision to step down as the NSW Blues coach on Monday morning came with impassioned brief…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":840763,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-840762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840762\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/840763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}