Queensland Maroons assistant coach Nate Myles has seemingly indicated Billy Slater won't be taking the Melbourne Storm job when Craig Bellamy steps aside, claiming the intensity for 12 months a year is something the current QLD boss would struggle with.
Slater made a bombshell call earlier this week, suggesting he wouldn't sign any further contracts as Queensland coach.
He will, however, continue in the role on a handshake agreement until it's determined someone better than he could take over.
The call immediately stoked the fans ' hopes that Slater could be in line to take over from Craig Bellamy at the Melbourne Storm come the end of 2026.
Bellamy has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disorder, and while reports indicate he is looking to continue for another year, his future has been under a cloud for the best part of five years.
The Storm coach's future was originally tied to a year-by-year deal at the Melbourne club, before he re-signed through to the end of 2028, although there is now no guarantee of him seeing that out.
Myles though, speaking on SEN Radio in Queensland, indicated the intensity of a club coaching role may be too much for Bellamy, who loves coaching Queensland alongside performing his media role.
“I'm always happy where he is at the moment, mate, because I see how much he enjoys it, and how much I get to hang around him and his family quite a lot,” Myles told SENQ Sportsday.
“So I also see that side of it, and I just know the commitment that it would entail for him to go to the NRL level.
“And I'm not saying he will or he won't. I just know what that commitment would take, and the way that he applies things himself to things is just like you've never seen anyone do.
“I have been in the Melbourne system; it was only 6 months (but) I did see what they do down there, and that's exactly how he is… it would be difficult for him to have this high level of intensity that he has in every Origin series.
“He leaves nothing unturned. For him to do that for not even 11 months of the year, it would be 12 months of the year for him if he took an NRL job.
“He'd probably look like Craig Bellamy after six months, I reckon, if he tried to keep that level of intensity.”
The QRL, for their part, are desperate to retain Slater as coach.
He could lead the Maroons to his fourth series in five starts next Wednesday evening, with a decider to be played on home soil.
The Storm have indicated Slater is one of their top candidates to replace Bellamy when he does eventually hang up the clipboard.
