Newly appointed Maroons coach Billy Slater has made his first big move as the man in charge, bringing in respected assistant Josh Hannay.
Hannay’s appointment comes following two seasons as an interim head coach with the Cowboys and Sharks in the NRL.
In 2020, Hannay was an assistant coach at the Cowboys before taking over for 10 games in charge after North Queensland parted ways with Paul Green.
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That same situation followed Hannay to Cronulla this season, where he went on to coach the Sharks for 19 games in the aftermath of John Morris’ sacking.
“I think he’s got a big future in the coaching game and it’s only a matter of time before he’s leading his own club,” Slater said of Hannay’s appointment.
“He’s had a lot of experience after being handed the reins in some tough circumstances and I think he’s handled himself really well.
“Every dealing that I’ve had with him, whether it be at Origin level or throughout the media, has been positive and I think he’s got a really intelligent football mind that will add a lot of value to the playing group which is what we’re looking for.”
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Hannay is also a former Maroon, having featured twice for Queensland during his playing days.
The 41-year-old was previously a Maroons assistant under Kevin Walters in 2018, the same series which featured Slater before he retired.
“I’m honoured to be involved in a new coaching group with Billy and the other people he’s going to have on board,” Hannay said.
“To be part of that is going to be exciting, but also (we’re) acutely aware of the challenge ahead in getting the shield back against a New South Wales team that looks probably as strong as it has been in a long time.”
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