Brisbane Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy has addressed the claims being made that former assistant coach Ben Te'o was denied an opportunity to take on a coaching role for the QLD Maroons.
Donaghy's defence was that he was concerned the Broncos program would be severely weakened if he was absent during times of the year in the Origin period.
With other staff members such as Matt Ballin also playing a role in Billy Slater's coaching ranks, he had to make the hard decision not to approve it.
"The thing you need to understand is the NRL is the toughest game in the world," Donaghy said when appearing on Triple M's The Rush Hour with Dobbo & Elliott.
"It's 24 games and 24/7. We want our staff to experience Origin, but we can't have too many of them… we contribute Matt Ballin, [strength coach] Patty Kenny… that's a significant contribution.
"How far do you go?
"We've got to prioritise our program and requirements of our staff through the Origin period. It's a challenge, and there's always different opportunities that arise for different staff, but we weren't able to approve that for Ben in this instance. You can't weaken your program.”
Speculation has been mounting widely that it played a significant role in Teo's resignation.
Donaghy's announcement comes in the wake of coach Michael Maguire and Te'o having a heated altercation in the buildup to their thrilling win on Friday night, acting as the catalyst for his exit from the club.
It was reported by News Corp that the duo had an argument over dinner in the days leading up to the clash, and when a crisis meeting was held on Monday night between Maguire and Te'o, the issues could not be resolved.
It is unknown for now where Te'o's next career move is, however, Wide World of Sports is reporting the Gold Coast Titans are an option for him to continue his coaching ambitions.
Titans coach Josh Hannay reportedly tried to sign Te'o to the glitter strip for this season, and it is understood he admires his defensive work displayed at the Broncos.
