Mal Meninga looks set to be relieved of his duties as Kangaroos coach for the Ashes tour, ahead of his imminent announcement as the new Perth Bears coach.
Meninga was a key driver in the revival of the Ashes, which was held sporadically through the second half of the 20th century and not since 2003. Australia has held the trophy since 1970.
The second in the three-Test Ashes series will be held on November 1 in Liverpool – the same date the Bears can begin signing players.
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According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the NRL wants Meninga’s focus to be on the Bears, rather than leading the Kangaroos.
Brad Fittler, Cameron Smith and Kevin Walters are the three names currently in contention for the job.
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga. Getty
Meninga has been Kangaroos coach for nearly a decade, having first taken the role for the 2016 Anzac Test against the Kiwis.
The news comes the same week Meninga touted Maroons debutant Robert Toia as a smokey to make the side for the Ashes series.
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Toia became the third least experienced player to make their State of Origin debut in the Maroons’ loss to the Blues on Wednesday.
“There are some new guys coming through at the moment, so we’ll look at the new guys and see how they handle the bigger occasion,” Meninga told NRL.com.
“Robert Toia’s a good example of that. I’m not quite sure where Rob’s eligibility sits but I’d love to have him available, he’s a player of the future.
“Then you’ve got Trent Loiero and on the other side Max King for NSW, so we’ve got some new talent there that you want to keep an eye on and see how well they perform at that level.
“The players that are eligible to play for Australia know Origin is a stepping block to the national side so performances during the series will be looked at encouragingly.”
The second and third Ashes Tests in Liverpool and Leeds have sold out, while more than 30,000 tickets have been sold for the series-opener at London’s Wembley Stadium.
