Queensland Maroons head coach Billy Slater has made a stunning contract claim, declaring he won't sign a new deal with the Queensland Rugby League.
Slater's future has been under the microscope in recent times, with plenty of suggestions he is being courted by the Melbourne Storm over potentially becoming the club's next head coach.
While Slater's appetite for that role, given his Queensland base, his Maroons job, media commitments and other ventures in life, remains up in the air, the Storm are putting plans together with Craig Bellamy's future unclear.
Slater, who is searching for a fourth Origin series win in five years at the helm of the Maroons is off-contract this year but suggested he won't sign a new deal.
That doesn't mean he will certainly exit stage left though, telling the media that the job is a 'handshake role' to him.
“I don't think so, but I don't know,” Slater said in response to a question regarding whether he would give up the Queensland job.
“I won't be signing another contract. This is not a contract job for me.
“I really enjoy helping this group of men go and inspire our people of Queensland.
“When that changes, my position will change. Or if someone in the QRL decides there's someone better for the job, I'm all for that as well.
“Whilst I'm here, I really enjoy helping these guys prepare for a game of footy and to go out there and help them inspire the people of Queensland.
“That's what this team has given me when I was a kid. It gave me inspiration. Now we get the opportunity to go and give the rest of Queensland that inspiration.”
Slater admitted the move to only do the job on a handshake basis might surprise people, but said that's how it was.
Queensland were believed to be in talks with their current coach before the series started, but those talks have been put on the back burner while the series is ongoing.
The QRL have made no secret of the fact that they want Slater to re-sign and remain coach for years to come, but the Storm job may well appeal to the former champion fullback.
The speculation over Slater's future comes with the Blues also having their coaching future up in the air. Laurie Daley is off-contract at the end of this year's series, and it's widely thought Ivan Cleary will be the best candidate in 2028 once he stops coaching the Penrith Panthers, but that still leaves a gap in 2027.
It stands to reason that there could well be two new Origin coaches in the hotseat come the 2027 series.
