With the 2022 NRL season about to wrap up its seventh round of footy, it's becoming clearer which coaches are on the verge of the 'hot seat' in regards to their tenure with their current club.
Trent Barrett at the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs is likely already on the hot seat, and, despite his side's current two-game winning streak, Michael Maguire, coach of the Wests Tigers, could also be placed in this camp.
Much like players who are lacking form, when a coach is rumoured to be on the verge of exiting prematurely speculation of their replacement follows soon after.
Of these typical candidates is former North Queensland Cowboys premiership-winning coach Paul Green.
Green burst onto the coaching scene in 2014, winning the Cowboy's maiden premiership the year after.
After coaching the Cowboys for another four full years, Green stepped down from the post just 10 games into the 2020 season.
The Daily Telegraph is now reporting that while Green has been waiting in anticipation for an NRL return, UK Super League team the Leeds Rhinos have called for his coaching services.
“It wasn’t the right time with my family. My kids are settled in their schools. If the opportunity comes up again in five or six years’ time, I’d be keen to look at it," Green said of the offer from Leeds.
Following the rejection by Green, the Rhinos elected to hand the reigns of the 2-7-1 team over to Rohan Smith, son of former Hull and Bradford Super League coach Brian Smith, with the hopes of turning around a wayward season.
While Green assures his decision is based on timing, with a few head coaching jobs likely to come open at the closing of this year and next, Green could be biding his time for a shock NRL return.
Green also coached the Queensland Maroons in 2021, falling to the New South Wales Blues 2-1 in that series.