Ipswich Jets head coach Ben Cross has revealed he wants to become an NRL or English Super League head coach in the future.
The former two-time New South Wales State of Origin coach, who had a 140-game career across the top flight in both countries, has been in the coaching game since 2013 where he took up a role with the Newcastle Knights' NSW Cup team as an assistant coach.
His path since then has been a winding one, but Cross told Rugby League Outlaws Super Duper Saturday live stream that everything he is doing is leading towards a future opportunity as a coach at the top level.
"Yeah, definitely. That was always the path I wanted to put myself on. I was coaching over in England while I was still playing," Cross told the show.
Watch the full interview from approximately 8:30pm (AEDT) in the Rugby League Outlaws live stream below.
"As I came back to Australia, I was an assistant coach at NSW Cup level in Newcastle, then coached my own team in Newcastle, then came to the Broncos as NRL assistant, spent a year with PNG Hunters, now head of football and coach of the Ipswich Jets.
"It's a good long learning curve. Do the apprenticeship right. The role I'm in at the moment gives me a good grounding and understanding of running a whole football organisation as well, so recruitment, retention, planning of training sessions, hiring and firing staff.
"It all comes down on me, but it's a good background to promote into NRL or Super League head coaching, but that's definitely the pathway I want to take.
"I'm putting as much as resources and time into my development to get there."
The 45-year-old, who was born in Wagga Wagga and was a proud two-time Country Origin representative, also said the Ipswich Jets' new affiliations with the Gold Coast Titans and Sydney Roosters will help to level the playing field for the club in 2024 at QLD Cup level.
"That's allowed us to get on an even playing field with the QLD Cup. We haven't had that in a while, and you do need that level of quality players coming back. That's what this competition is for. It's an affiliate competition," Cross said.
"For the Roosters, it's an opportunity for them to get into a rugby league heartland where there are plenty of David Fifita's, a couple of Ezra Mam's. There are some bloody good kids coming through that area that they will be able to tap into."
In a half-hour interview, Cross also talks about City-Country, his time under Craig Bellamy, the Super League, and the 2024 NRL season ahead.
Watch the full Super Duper Saturday Rugby League Outlaws show
