Kangaroos mentor Kevin Walters has tipped his hand, signalling his desire to bring former Broncos assistant coach Ben Te'o into the fold as Australia prepares for this year's Rugby League World Cup.
Teo's departure from the Broncos last month came amid a breakdown in his working relationship with Michael Maguire, a bitter twist of fate given the pair had only recently guided the club out of a 19-year premiership drought.
Speculation had been swirling liking the ex-Rabbitohs premiership winner to Billy Slater's Maroons setup, both before and after he walked away from Red Hill.
The 39-year-old spoke to Triple M's Saturday Scrum and poured cold water on any suggestion that formal conversations had taken place around the upcoming State of Origin campaign.
"No conversations as yet. Obviously, I'm a free agent at the moment," Te'o said.
"I'm sure those types of conversations will happen over the next few months."
The coaching carousel has yet to spin Teo's way, but the wheels may already be turning.
Fronting Wide World of Sports' QLDER this week, Walters didn't hesitate when pressed on whether he had Te'o in mind for the Australian set-up
"He's certainly in my sights," Walters revealed.
"I'd like to have him on the staff; he's a very good young coach.
"I like his personality as well; he's not too heated, and he's very calm around situations, from what I've seen.
"He would be a good addition to the group if we can make that happen."
Walters signed Te'o as an assistant before being shown the door at the end of 2024, with Maguire stepping in as his successor.
The final piece of the puzzle is whether Te'o himself is willing to commit to the Kangaroos' cause.
