Maroons' huge Billy coup as Origin future confirmed

Queensland legend Billy Slater has agreed to coach the Maroons for at least another three years.

The rugby league icon took his time coming to a decision on his coaching future, but has put pen to paper to do the State of Origin job until the end of the 2026 series, he confirmed with Wide World of Sports.

Slater, 40, took the reins in 2022 and has won the shield in both Origin series he's coached to date.

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But despite that success he had, up until now, refused to guarantee his future, and had even been linked with a move to clubland to take over the Storm from Craig Bellamy.

"I've just got to make sure that it works. Selfishly, I'd love to coach on, that's the easy answer, but I'm a husband, I'm a father, I run a small stud farm, we do that ourselves as a family," he told Wide World of Sports' The Billy Slater Podcast in August.

"I've got to make sure that everything works and I can commit that time to the Queensland rugby league team."

Interestingly, both Origin coaches were off-contract at the conclusion of this year's series.

Blues coach Brad Fittler remains so, although he's reportedly signed on to do the job again after meeting with the NSWRL this week.

It means Slater and Fittler look certain to square off again in 2024, where the latter will be desperate to get one back on his Queensland nemesis.