NSW Blues coach Matt King says he is ready to face the fierce scrutiny of the State of Origin arena when he leads out those south of the border for the first time as head coach.
King waited for the right time to become a head coach and accepted the NSW Blues job after Laurie Daley stepped down after NSW's famous series win in 2026.
King has had a decorated assistant coaching career in a short period, starting his tenure at the Blues when Michael Maguire added him to his staff before Daley kept the Roosters assistant for two more years.
At clubland, King started at the South Sydney Rabbitohs under Michael Maguire.
King was there for three seasons before becoming a mainstay at the Sydney Roosters for ten years and has been part of three premiership-winning seasons, most recently the 2026 Grand Final.
King revealed how much this season meant to him.
"I love footy, hands down, but 2026 has been, for me, one of the great years," King said on Channel 7's Agenda Setters: Rugby League on Monday.
"Origin this year was really special. What Teddy did for us in Game One, and then Game Three up there at Suncorp, I'll never forget that.
"And then Roosters, we managed to get it done, and then Lebanon, and then I start with the Blues today. So it's been a wild, wild ride, and I'm just so grateful to be a part of it."
It will be King's first major gig as the top dog, declaring he is prepared for the role and the intensity that follows.
"I've been coaching for 13 years now, three years with Madge at the Rabbitohs when I first retired, and then I've had 10 years with Trent Robinson.
"He's in the argument for the best we've seen in the last couple of decades, mate. So I feel like I'm really ready. I've had three years now, one year under Madge again, and then two years under Lozza.
"I went for the job when Loz (Laurie Daley) got it a couple of years ago, and it stung when I didn't get it. I really wanted it, but I wasn't ready two years ago.
"You count your blessings at different times, and things happen for a reason. I needed a right shotgun beside Loz these last couple of years.
"The lessons I learned were incredible, and I feel like I'm ready to go now."
State of Origin will be unfamiliar waters in 2027, with two rookie coaches going head-to-head, including Darius Boyd, who has stepped in to take over for Billy Slater moving forward.
Additionally, Origin will be played outside of Australia for the first time in its history, with Game 2 held at New Zealand's Eden Park.
