Former NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley has officially had his hopes of an NRL return blocked by the league administration.
While the new-look Manly Sea Eagles coaching team including Anthony Seibold, Shane Flanagan and Jim Dymock have already begun preparations for next season, Daley will not be joining them.
The club's official request to bring Daley on board has been blocked by the NRL due to his employment in the gambling industry.
Though Daley was coach of the Indigenous All Stars as recently as last year, NRL regulations forbid any aspiring participant from having ties with betting operators at NRL club level.
“The NRL has advised Laurie Daley that he cannot be permitted to accept a role as a club official with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles while he engages in other employment with a wagering operator,” an NRL spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“The NRL Code of Conduct prohibits all players, club officials, match officials and administrators from being sponsored, employed, contracted, engaged or otherwise commercially involved in any way with a gambling operator.”
Per the Herald, this isn't the first time that Daley has had his hopes of an NRL return blocked. The Michael Magurie-led Wests Tigers attempted to bring him into their ranks in 2019, before it was determined that his role on Sky Sports Radio's Big Sports Breakfast created a potential conflict of interest given that he regularly gave NRL tips during segments.