- Billy Slater is being eyed for a new NRL job
- He could be the founding coach of an expansion club
- Slater was on the losing side of Origin this year.
Billy Slater could make a shock career move, with reports suggesting the embattled Queensland coach is being lined up by two aspiring NRL expansion clubs.
The Brisbane Tigers and Brisbane Jets are vying to win an NRL expansion licence as part of a new 18-team league.
The NRL has welcomed expressions of interest from potential new clubs and both the Tigers and Jets believe there is interest in adding a fifth Queensland team to the competition.
“Yes, we have submitted an offer,” Jets president Johnson said.
‘I think Queensland has room for another team.
‘Without discussing the specific merits of any particular bid, the game could easily support another team in Queensland without impacting the four existing clubs.
‘Brisbane’s western corridor has a great nursery, it’s the Penrith of Queensland, so we have expressed our interest and look forward to the tender process.’
And according to News Corp, if the Tigers are successful, they would look to install Slater as their base coach.
Billy Slater is being eyed for a coaching job with an NRL expansion club.
The Maroons coach is under contract with the Origin side until the end of 2026, opening the door for him to join the expansion club from 2027. He has yet to prove himself as an NRL coach and it remains to be seen whether he will seek out that challenge.
The Tigers are a strong contender in the expansion race, having the backing of wealthy Easts Leagues club, and will rival Perth, Papua New Guinea, the Bears and Kea from New Zealand’s South Island.
During their expansion battle in 2021, the Tigers changed their name to the Firehawks and have more than $25 million in cash reserves and have also overseen a $10 million upgrade to their Langlands Park headquarters.
“There is a huge need for a team in Brisbane’s western corridor,” Tigers chairman Shane Edwards said.
‘The AFL has just started its Academy and we need to give people in that region an NRL team to support.
‘The Dolphins in 2023 clearly demonstrated that being a club with an established and highly successful pathway from youth to the State League ensured it could create a competitive and commercially successful team from day one.
‘The Brisbane Tigers have a long and successful history. They are a passionate organisation with the financial resources and commitment to growing rugby league from the grassroots to the elite in a region that is currently in the crosshairs of the AFL, ARU and NFL.
“Craig Bellamy is a great coach but Billy Slater would be our first choice. He is a proud Queenslander and has done an excellent job with the Maroons Origin team.”