Queensland coach Billy Slater has given assistant Josh Hannay a glowing endorsement, insisting he is able to tackle an NRL head teaching function.
The 43-year-old is at present assistant to each Slater and Craig Fitzgibbon on the Sharks however has huge raps as one of many smartest minds within the sport.
Hannay has beforehand held interim head coach positions at each the Cowboys and Sharks following the exits of Paul Green and John Morris respectively.
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While there are at present no vacant NRL teaching positions — the ruthless nature of Justin Holbrook’s Titans exit proves simply how rapidly a possibility can come up.
And for Slater, he’s assured Hannay — considerably the unsung hero of QLD’s teaching workers — might stroll in to a head teaching gig and ship instantly.
“He could be one today, I’ve got absolutely no doubt about that,” Slater mentioned on NRL360 on Tuesday.
“I’m quite surprised his name hasn’t been thrown up more often to be honest. Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and myself, there’s a lot of talk about us as a coaching group.
“But Josh is probably one of the most important people in our little group, players coaches. Our whole group.
“He brings a lot of footy knowledge and he has a passion to coach and I certainly see him as a head coach in the future.
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“He has already had experience as a caretaker coach of both the Cowboys and Sharks so it is only a matter of time until Josh will be a head coach at an NRL club in the future.
“If you’re asking me it’d be sooner rather than later.”
Sharks backrower Wade Graham has additionally beforehand endorsed Hannay as an NRL coach, telling the SMH in April he’s the following assistant in line to take the leap.
“The amount of respect we hold for him, and it’s not just here, he also helped Billy Slater with the Queensland Origin team last year,” Graham mentioned.
“He flies under the radar, but one day, when the right opportunity arises for him, he’s going to make a wonderful head coach.
“He communicates well, he’s a pretty relaxed guy, he understands the game and the current trends in the game.
“For selfish reasons, I’m not too dissatisfied other clubs haven’t come chasing him yet because we love him here at the Sharks and he does a hell of a job for us.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au