With Brad Fittler officially pulling out of the race to coach the Kangaroos, all signs now point to Cameron Smith as the front-runner to replace Mal Meninga in the top job.
Fittler, who had coached New South Wales in six State of Origin series and recently led the PM’s XIII, confirmed he turned down the role, citing an inability to juggle the commitment alongside his media responsibilities.
That leaves Smith, the only man to play over 400 NRL games and a two-time World Cup-winning captain, firmly in the frame, and drawing high praise.
‘He’s got the right temperament’
SEN’s Bryan Fletcher believes Smith is tailor-made for the role, having quietly developed his coaching credentials even before retiring.
“He was a gun player,” Fletcher said on SEN 1170 Drive.
“By all reports, he was doing a lot of coaching while he was still playing. He’s got the right temperament, I think he’d be perfect.”
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Co-host Joel Caine agreed, adding that Smith’s leadership record speaks for itself.
“I totally agree (with Fletcher),” Caine said. “I would have loved Freddy (Fittler) to do it, but in the absence of Freddy, (Smith is) perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
Smith, who played 56 Tests for Australia, second only to Darren Lockyer, and 46 Origin games for Queensland, previously worked as an assistant coach under Billy Slater in 2022 and 2023 before stepping back from the Maroons setup this year.
He’s expressed an openness to taking on the role, saying he’d be “keen” to talk with the NRL about the opportunity.