Michael Maguire has anointed Laurie Daley as the best candidate to become his successor as head coach of the New South Wales Blues for the 2025 State of Origin series.
The former Wests Tigers and South Sydney Rabbitohs mentor was released by the Blues recently to return to club coaching where he will take over from the axed Kevin Walters in charge of the embattled Red Hill-based outfit.
The race to replace him in charge of the Origin side has been heating up, with plenty of candidates in the mix.
The NSWRL are reportedly open to a number of different approaches, whether that be a club coach, or a permanent coach in charge.
Club coaches Ivan Cleary and Craig Bellamy have been linked with the role, although neither are publicly supportive of the idea.
Maguire though has reportedly told The Sydney Morning Herald that Laurie Daley should be the man to replace him.
It's understood the NSWRL are also open to the idea of the 54-year-old commencing a second stint in charge of the state, with Daley having previously coached the blues between 2013 and 2017.
He has also coached NSW Country, the Indigenous All Stars and the Prime Ministers' XIII, while his playing career saw him play 23 games for the Blues.
Daley's annointment as Maguire's potential successor comes as Matty Johns confirmed he would not be entering the race.
โNo, I won't be going for the (NSW) job,โ the Fox League star told The Courier Mail.
โYou have to be really careful of the thing that sits inside all of us that can send us on a path that we shouldn't be on and that's ego.
โPeople say, โMatty, you should coach Origin'. It flatters you and there's a part of you that thinks, โYes I can do it'. But I have to ask myself if I would be doing it for the right reasons.โ
โMy ego is telling me to apply for the NSW job, but then I say, โHang on, I have a good life', it's low stress by comparison and you would be going into an Origin job potentially with no experience as a coach. I'm not coach fit.
โOther people dedicate their lives to coaching. I haven't. I've chosen media.โ
Johns is one of the most widely respected analysts in the game through his media roles, but has previously distanced himself from the chance to coach rugby league teams, and is doing the same once again.
The NSWRL are yet to put a timeline on when they want to have a new coach installed by.
