The Queensland Maroons are officially looking for a new coach after Billy Slater decided to step away from the clipboard ahead of the 2027 series.
His decision has been speculated for some time, although it was probably assumed he would keep going for another series despite losing a second home decider in three years this year.
Despite the loss, the QRL had made their view clear - they wanted Slater to continue.
That won't be happening though, and like their New South Wales counterparts, the QRL will now need a new boss for 2027.
There are plenty of options, although the bulk of the obvious list have very little in the way of head coaching experience.
Here are the seven names most likely to be in the mix for the Queensland job in 2027.
6. Kevin Walters
Kevin Walters has already had a stint in charge of Queensland, and while it didn't bring with it as much success as he would have liked, Walters is maybe the easy option if the QRL want to go back to the well with a known quantity, and someone who has experience as a player and coach in the Origin arena.
Walters played 20 games for Queensland during his illustrious career spanning nearly 300 games, and has since gone on to coach at Catalans in the Super League and the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL.
His time in charge of Queensland may have ended badly in 2019, but it has also been seven years since, with Walters now a different coach with different experiences, having coached the Broncos to a grand final and the Australian side to an Ashes clean sweep last year.
He will handle the World Cup for Australia this year, but regardless of the result, may be looking for a different challenge afterwards.
He certainly wants to get back into coaching at club land, but if the QRL came knocking, he could be receptive.
