Queensland rugby league legend Cameron Smith is set to join Billy Slater’s coaching staff at the Maroons this season.
Smith’s addition means Slater, who will lead the Maroons in 2022 after taking over from Paul Green, will have his former Storm teammate, as well as Johnathan Thurston and Josh Hannay on his coaching staff.
Both Thurston and Hannay were assistants under Green last season, with the pair now retained under Slater’s leadership.
LIVE UPDATES: Aussie lauded for ‘absolutely stunning’ gold medal
READ MORE: Chinese censors intervene after Olympic fiasco
READ MORE: IOC president’s Peng Shuai revelation raises fresh questions
Nine’s rugby league reporter Ben Dobbin revealed the news tonight.
“Cameron Smith has agreed to terms verbally with Billy Slater,” Dobbin told Nine News Queensland
“The QRL (Queensland Rugby League) will announce him in the coming weeks.”
New coach Slater was unveiled by QRL last year after Green’s Maroons lost 2-1 to NSW.
Slater, now 38, played 31 Origin games for Queensland and was an integral part of the Maroons dominance from 2006 onwards.
Meanwhile Smith, aged 38 also, finished up his career at the end of 2020 as the NRL’s games record holder, with 430 matches played.
Smith, the Maroons’ record holder with 42 games played, captained both Queensland and Australia during his career.
He won two premierships with Slater when the pair were teammates at the Storm.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!