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.
3. Cameron Smith
Smith is maybe the most obvious choice not currently involved with Queensland.
He was the captain through the greatest winning run by either state in the history of Origin, and was then part of the coaching staff through to the end of 2024.
Smith, who is the most capped NRL player of all-time, simply knows what it takes to win at this level.
He loves his state, loves the players that represent it, and would bring the team together to play for Queensland in much the same way Slater has done.
Whether he'd be keen to abandon some of his media roles remains to be seen, but Queensland would be crazy to not ask the question at the very least.
