LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
James Maloney has spilled the beans on why he decided to dive into the world of NRL coaching, mate.
The former footy star made his coaching debut this year and had to do a bit of a U-turn on a promise he made to his missus.
Maloney revealed that he wasn't too keen on getting into coaching until towards the end of his playing days, cobber.
He's been putting in the hard yards with the North Queensland Cowboys this season, working under the head honcho Todd Payten.
Fun fact - he even snubbed an offer from his old club, the Roosters, to join the Cowboys crew.
In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald not too long ago, the 37-year-old spilled the beans on how he had to go back on his word to his sheila in order to jump on board with the Cowboys.
He was almost set to work with the Roosters this year and had promised the missus they'd settle down in Sydney after years of roaming around like a footy nomad.
But fate had other plans when Maloney bumped into Payten's agent at a chook shop (that's Aussie slang for a chicken joint), which led him to the Cowboys gig because they dangled a full-time role in front of him.
Maloney, who's kicked goals for the Storm, Warriors, Roosters, Sharks, and Panthers in the NRL, rounded off his career at the Catalans Dragons in France before making the move back to Sydney with his young family.
"I had a yarn with Trent Robinson, who had a part-time gig lined up for me at the Roosters," Maloney revealed.
"But he said if I couldn't snag a full-time role elsewhere, he had the next best thing for me at the Roosters."