Billy Slater has made a stunning admission about his future as Queensland Maroons coach, declaring he will not sign another contract and will instead proceed on a handshake basis with the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) if he continues beyond this year's State of Origin campaign.
The 43-year-old Maroons mentor, who has won three of the last four series, can make it four out of five with a victory in the Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium on July 8. Slater signed a three-year extension at the end of the 2023 series, which expires this year, but opened up when asked whether the upcoming match would be his last in charge.
Slater's contract stance
“I don’t think so, but I don’t know,” Slater said on Monday in Maroons camp on the Sunshine Coast. “I won’t be signing another contract. This is not a contract job for me. I really enjoy helping this group of men go and inspire our people of Queensland. When that changes, my position will change. Or if someone in the QRL decides there’s someone better for the job, I’m all for that as well.”
When asked to clarify if his future would proceed on a handshake basis, Slater responded: “Yep, pretty much. It might surprise you, but that’s how it is.”
Motivation and inspiration
Slater made it clear that he coaches the Maroons because he enjoys “helping these guys prepare for a game of footy and to go out there and help them inspire the people of Queensland”. He added: “That’s what this team has given me when I was a kid. It gave me inspiration. Now we get the opportunity to go and give the rest of Queensland that inspiration.”
The Maroons are seeking their first win at Suncorp Stadium since 2023 after losing their previous two matches at their spiritual home to New South Wales, including the 2024 decider. Slater was adamant that the team would take nothing for granted on this occasion.
Focus on the decider
“One thing I want to be really clear about is that it won’t just happen for us in nine days time,” Slater said. “You have got to earn every situation, every moment. That is what we are chasing. The venue means a lot to us but what happened three weeks ago, 12 months ago or 30 years ago is nearly irrelevant. What happens in the next nine days and what happens in the 80 minutes is what will decide the outcome and what we will be focusing on.”
