NRL to remove Meninga from Ashes series with Fittler, Smith and Walters in the frame
The talk out of Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night was that Mal Meninga's announcement as the inaugural coach of the Perth Bears was imminent, pending an agreement on the contract value.
Attention will quickly turn to what that would mean for the Australian team and most of the 34 players who took to the field for game one of the series in Brisbane.
This column has been told that the NRL does not want Meninga to coach Australia at the end-of-season Ashes series in England, instead wanting him to focus on building the Bears' roster for their 2027 debut.
The Bears can't sign a player until November 1 - that's the same date as the second Test against England at Everton Stadium, a new 53,000-seat ground in Liverpool.
The third and final Test of the series will be played a week later in Leeds, meaning Meninga would be preoccupied during a busy period for the NRL's newest franchise.
Instead, the NRL will move to appoint a new Australia coach with an eye on the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
The three names currently in the mix are former NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler, ex-Kangaroos captain Cameron Smith and former Broncos coach Kevin Walters.
'I wouldn't consider it unless I was formally asked,' Fittler said. 'I don't know if Mal has the job or that he can't do both.'
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