Queensland Maroons face coaching search after Smith and Walters decline roles

Queensland Maroons officials face a challenging search for a new head coach after two primary candidates, Cameron Smith and Kevin Walters, have ruled themselves out of contention.

Cameron Smith, who had been a frontrunner for the position and received endorsements from Wayne Bennett and Cameron Munster, stated that the head coaching role is not for him at this time. He noted that he previously stepped away from assistant coaching duties because he could not fully commit to the role, and his circumstances have not changed.

Kevin Walters, the former Maroons coach who led the team to two series wins between 2016 and 2019, has also declined the position. Walters intends to honor his two-year commitment as the Australia Test coach. With both legends out of the race, Matt Ballin and Ben Te’o have emerged as the leading candidates to succeed Billy Slater.