'A lot more to it': Slater denies Maroons deal is done

League icon Billy Slater has confirmed his management is in discussions with the Queensland Maroons over a head coaching contract extension, but said reports that it was a done deal were premature.After starring as a player in the Maroons' eight-straight series victories between 2006 and 2013, Slater took on the top job in 2022 and has since coached Queensland to two-straight series wins.The 40-year-old had previously refused to comment on his future as Queensland coach after his side was stopped short of a series clean sweep last month.QRL boss Ben Ikin told News Corp that they've "established that Billy wants to keep coaching the Maroons"."Now we'll work through the specifics of how that looks, both for Billy and the QRL," he said.However, when asked on Nine's The Billy Slater Podcast if talks of the contract extension being confirmed were premature, he agreed."Yeah I think so, Ben Ikin came out and said that I'd like to coach on and I don't think I've ever said that I wouldn't like to help the Queensland rugby league team," he said."I've just got to make sure that it works. Selfishly, I'd love to coach on, that's the easy answer, but I'm a husband, I'm a father, I run a small stud farm, we do that ourselves as a family."I've got to make sure that everything works and I can commit that time to the Queensland rugby league team."Slater went on to confirm his manager George Mimis has spoken with the QRL."My management has started discussions with the QRL and hopefully they progress further and then I'll sit down with my family and work out how it all works because like I said, there's a lot more to it than me selfishly wanting to be coach of the Queensland rugby league team," he said.

Ponga, Maroons hero dumped in Billy's cut-throat squad

Queensland coach Billy Slater has confirmed a number of big calls in his team for Origin I.As expected, Reece Walsh won the race to the fullback position over incumbent Kalyn Ponga.He is the only debutant in the squad. 1. Reece Walsh, 2. Selwyn Cobbo, 3. Valentine Holmes, 4. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 5. Murray Taulagi, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans, 8. Thomas Flegler, 9. Ben Hunt, 10. Lindsay Collins, 11. Tom Gilbert, 12. David Fifita, 13. Patrick Carrigan, 14. Harry Grant, 15. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, 16. Reuben Cotter, 17. Jai Arrow, 18. Tom Dearden, 19. Christian Welch.

Bellamy lessons guide Slater Origin crack

A text from Craig Bellamy this week continued Billy Slater's crash course on coaching that is beginning in the State of Origin arena and could possibly flow into the NRL. The champion Queensland fullback will be just the third person to lead an Origin team without any previous senior head coaching experience when he guides the Maroons against NSW in Game 1 on Wednesday in Sydney. "I've never dipped my toe in in my life; it's a start of this (coaching) for me ... but just another part of my Queensland Origin story," said Slater on Tuesday. "So where it takes me, I don't know. "This team has been important to me since I was a four-year-old boy ... that's the only reason I'm here." "He's been very influential ... I've been around Craig for 20 years, you know, so if you're around someone for long enough, you become that environment," he said, noting Bellamy's work ethic as his biggest strength. "They have an influence over you and he's been he's been great to me, very supportive, sent me a text yesterday actually. "I don't anticipate carrying on like him (during the game), but stranger things have happened." "But we had a couple of really good sessions and that put me at ease," he said. "So from Saturday on I've been really, really comfortable, really excited. "The players have given given me a lot of belief. I suppose a part of my job is to instil belief in them, but I'll tell you what they've instilled a fair bit of belief in me."

Slater shock has teen on verge of debut

Queensland has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to wingers, with Corey Oates, Kyle Feldt, Murray Taulagi, Selwyn Cobbo and Xavier Coates all available and in good form.But after his dynamic performances over the past two weeks, Cobbo will be the first winger picked.Despite his tender age (19) and lack of experience, Cobbo is setting the NRL alight.Against the Knights last Thursday, he bagged two tries, had 224 running metres, nine tackle breaks and three line breaks.The teenager has the speed and power to cause the Blues all sorts of headaches and I'm hearing Queensland coach Billy Slater finds him too dangerous to leave out.