- Billy Slater is being approached for a new NRL job
- He could be the starting coach of an expansion club
- Slater was the losing side of Origin this year
Billy Slater could be making a surprise career switch, with reports suggesting the embattled Queensland coach is in the running for two NRL expansion clubs.
The Brisbane Tigers and Brisbane Jets are competing for an expansion licence from the NRL as part of a new 18-team competition.
The NRL has shown interest from potential new clubs and both the Tigers and Jets believe there is a need for a fifth Queensland team to join the competition.
“Yes, we have made an offer,” Jets chairman Johnson said.
‘I think Queensland has room for one more team.
‘Without discussing the specific merits of any particular bid, the sport could easily support another team in Queensland without impacting the existing four clubs.
“There is a large nursery in the Western Corridor of Brisbane. It is the Penrith of Queensland. So we have expressed interest and are looking forward to the bidding process.”
And according to News Corp, if the Tigers are successful, they would like to appoint Slater as permanent coach.
Billy Slater is approached for a coaching job at an NRL expansion club hoping
The Maroons coach has a contract with the Origin team until the end of 2026, which would allow him to join the expansion club from 2027. He still has to prove himself as an NRL coach and it remains to be seen whether he will take on that challenge.
The Tigers are a strong contender in the race for expansion, as they are backed by the wealthy Easts Leagues Club, and can compete with Perth, Papua New Guinea, the Bears and New Zealand’s South Island Kea.
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 overseen a $10 million upgrade to their Langlands Park headquarters.
“There is a great need for a team in Brisbane’s western corridor,” said Chairman Shane Edwards.
‘The AFL recently started their own academy and we need to give the people in that region an NRL team to support.
‘The Dolphins clearly demonstrated in 2023 that as a club with an established and highly successful progression from juniors to the State League, they 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 grassroots to elite in a region currently targeted by 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.’