Laurie Daley has opened up on the pressure that emerged with coaching the NSW Blues during State of Origin.
Under plenty of scrutiny throughout the series this year, Daley got the last laugh and trumped Queensland in front of 50,000 boisterous Maroons fans for the decider.
Plenty of speculation has mounted that Daley will step down from the role, but no confirming word yet.
When appearing on Nine's Freddy and the Eighth, he was quizzed on what his future looks like at the helm of the winning state.
“I think I just wanna let it all settle in and settle down and let the players enjoy what they've been able to achieve,” he said on the program.
“A decision will come in the coming weeks, but I'm certainly happy with the decision I've made and what happens next.”
Daley was asked who could be appointed to the role if he were to step down, with a bunch of suitable candidates named for the gig.
He also claimed a current NRL coach would have trouble balancing both tasks, given the fierce nature and rivalry in the representative arena.
“I think there's a lot of people out there who could do it, but a lot of people don't understand the scrutiny that comes with a position like that,” he said.
“If you were an NRL coach, I don't know if you'd be able to combine both, because there's plenty of work that goes into it. The coaching staff that I had would all do a fantastic job - Matt King, Boyd Cordner, Brett White - those guys are working in club level and have been assistants for a number of years.
“If there was someone with NRL coaching experience that was not working at a club, they'd be up for it as well, so I think there's a number of people able to do it.”
Daley also backed Andrew Johns to step into the role and yield success, despite the eighth Immortal publicly declaring he doesn't intend to become a NSW coach.
“I haven't got the personality to do it, and I've got no experience,” Johns said.
But 'Joey's' passion and competitive attitude is an element that NSW has been criticised for lacking in recent years, with Daley claiming he could "easily" provide for the state under the right circumstances.
“I think Joey, you're underestimating yourself there,” Daley replied.
“You'd be able to do it easily if you had the right people around you.
“The one thing I love about Joey is he's passionate; even throughout the series we would speak, and he'd send me clips, and when you've got someone like Andrew Johns showing you stuff, you take it on board.”
Johns also played a minor role in Brad Fittler's coaching staff while he was calling the shots from 2018 to 2023.
Ivan Cleary has emerged as a potential long-term candidate after he dropped a bombshell in May, standing down as head coach of the Penrith Panthers at the end of 2027.
Cleary also hinted that if a representative job surfaced, he would consider picking up the whistle again.
It gives the NSWRL board a handful of quality options if Daley calls time on his Blues coaching career.
