Rugby League Coaching Manuals

By Andrew Webster, Daily Telegraph - He failed at Origin level and remains happily unemployed, but former North Queensland coach Graham Murray has emerged as a shock contender for the Kangaroos job.

As speculation intensified that Maroons coach Mal Meninga is almost no chance of being handed the role, despite being put up last night by bookmaker Michael Sullivan as a scorching favourite, Murray confirmed to The Daily Telegraph he coveted the position.

"It does interest me, and if someone from the ARL showed interest, I'd show a lot of interest in return," Murray said. "I haven't applied and I haven't had a conversation with anyone from the ARL. But it's the most prestigious job in the game and I would certainly be interested if they called."

Murray resigned as Cowboys coach in May last year when his relationship with senior players made his position untenable.

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As NSW coach in 2006-07 he lost back-to-back Origin series against Meninga-coached Queensland teams. With that in mind, his candidacy is sure to raise several eyebrows.

But it is understood some ARL powerbrokers are keen to appoint a coach without club commitments. Murray fits the bill.

"I don't have any interest in coaching club football at the moment and I don't intend to take it on again," Murray said. "I feel refreshed and recharged after the break I've had. I haven't been doing much. I've been doing some guest speaking and some coaching consultancy, but that's about it."

Murray is another name for ARL board members to consider when they meet next month as they try to replace Ricky Stuart, who was forced to resign after abusing World Cup referee Ashley Klein.

Meninga has long been the favourite but is now considered next to no chance, as ARL chief executive Geoff Carr appeared to confirm yesterday.

Carr insisted the rule forbidding an Origin coach from holding the Australian clipboard would exclude Meninga from the job.

"That hasn't changed," he said. "If he elects to keep the Queensland job, he won't be getting the Australian one. That's the hard and fast rule we have in place."

With Meninga unlikely to hand over the Maroons role because it pays significantly more than the national job, it is believed Manly coach Des Hasler is firming as favourite with ARL board members.

Sullivan made him second favourite at $2.75, with Kangaroos assistant John Cartwright and Tigers coach Tim Sheens surprise outsiders at $21.

Carr would not dismiss Murray's chances, claiming he would be included in the debate at next month's board meeting because he was no longer in the coaching grind of the NRL.

"In an ideal world, you would want someone who does not have the burden of coaching during the season," Carr said. "But in most cases those are the coaches who are in the top echelon of the game."