Melbourne Storm co-captain and veteran prop Jesse Bromwich has thrown his support behind the idea of Billy Slater returning to the club in a coaching capacity.
Slater might have signed on as Queensland Maroons coach at State of Origin level for the 2022 season, yesterday revealing he will be joined by fellow former Queensland greatest Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith in the coaches' box, but it didn't stop a new report.
It suggests that, while Craig Bellamy is yet to call time on his career, the Storm could well target Slater as a future head coach when Bellamy does decide to hang up the clipboard.
The Storm, for now at least, are content to let Bellamy extend a deadline and take time making up his mind about whether he will continue as head coach, or move into an advisory role from the start of 2023.
Bromwich, who will leave for the Dolphins at season's end alongside both brother Kenneath Bromwich and fellow forward Felise Kaufusi, told reports on Wednesday that "he would be really excited" if Bellamy moving into a coaching role at the Storm was to happen.
"I've never seen anyone so passionate about our game and someone like Billy Slater as coach of this club, how good would that be?," the prop said on Wednesday.
"Whether that's now or in a few years time I'm not too sure, but I'll be really excited if that was to happen one day.
"When he was a player, it felt like he was a coach anyway at this club; he was so vocal and he's got so much knowledge about the game and I think he'll be a really good coach.
"He's just really committed to the game and he just really loves the game."
Slater, who has no coaching experience, will be calling heavily upon Josh Hannay - the other assistant coach - during this year's State of Origin series, while it's also believed lines of communication to master coach Wayne Bennett will be open.
Talk of Slater replacing Bellamy as head-coach is just poppycock.
Slater may have been a great player, but playing skill does not automatically translate into coaching ability. Playing and coaching require different skill sets. Similarly, being a head coach in the NRL is primarily about man-management: soothing the egos of the alpha males and the prima donnas on big money, motivating the youngsters, and making the hard calls on who to move on.
Recently retired players have to grow those skills. Trying to do that in a club where the roster includes guys he used to play with is going to be even harder.
Being an assistant coach at a club is primarily a technical role. A successful ex-player technical coach is able to explain and demonstrate to the trainees what made him successful, and what needs to be done to deal with the changes that have arisen since he hung up his boots. Origin coaching is different again.
Billy Slater may be a popular man, and may have been a great player, but those attributes won’t help him as a coach.
Take a look at the CV of someone like Jason Demetriou. He has a lot a technical and man-management experience, from Super League, Queensland Cup, NRL etc. His coaching experience and record qualified him to take over from Wayne Bennnet at Souths. Billy Slater’s lack of coaching experience and skills does not qualify him to take over at the Storm, (despite what Mr Bromwich may think).