The Australian League Commission is actively seeking a replacement for Kangaroos coach after Kevin Walters revealed he has signed a three-year contract with St Helens starting in 2027. Former Broncos player Corey Parker believes he has an idea who might fill Walters' role.
Walters plans to depart from coaching the Kangaroos post-World Cup in October, heading to the Super League to lead St Helens. With Billy Slater also stepping down as Queensland coach, both the Maroons and the Kangaroos are on the lookout for new candidates.
Parker noted this week that he won't go after the Maroons position for family reasons and chose not to join Walters as an assistant during last year's Ashes tour in England for the same reason. However, he believes the Kangaroos role requires less commitment than coaching State of Origin, making Cameron Smith a "primed" candidate.
"If I had to put a name forward right now on who takes the Australian job, I'd be saying Cameron Smith," Parker said on SEN radio on Friday. "He's been very cagey in what jobs he takes on and what jobs he doesn't. It's my understanding that Smithy was told (last year) to just go and put yourself in a few areas of coaching. So when the time is right you have a little bit of background in that space."
Currently, Smith is serving as a consultant for the Brisbane Broncos and has worked with Slater in the State of Origin setup. Parker feels that coaching Australia won't involve the same level of pressure as coaching Queensland or NSW.
Brad Fittler was also a contender for the Kangaroos position last year but chose to withdraw. Other potential candidates include Andrew Johns, Anthony Seibold, Michael Ennis, and Shane Flanagan.
Additionally, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary may be in the mix after he concludes his commitments with Penrith at the end of the 2027 NRL season, with international Tests following soon after. Cleary has indicated that he is open to taking on a representative coaching role.