LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
An assistant coach at the Brisbane Broncos, Matt Ballin, has garnered interest from two rival clubs as he aims to become an NRL head coach in the near future.
Ballin, a former dummy-half for the Manly Sea Eagles and Wests Tigers, has made a significant impact over 11 seasons with 220 matches to his name. He is recognized as one of the brightest emerging assistants in the NRL.
His experience includes working within the Queensland State of Origin setup under Billy Slater, and there are discussions around him potentially succeeding Slater if he pivots to a head coaching role in the NRL.
Currently working under Michael Maguire at the Broncos, Ballin's skills have caught the attention of both the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys, who have recently made significant changes to their coaching staff, as reported by The Courier-Mail.
Joining either of these teams would see him collaborate with newly-installed coaches Josh Hannay or Todd Payten.
"I have been coaching now for a while now since I finished playing, and the goal for me is to be a head coach," Ballin stated in the publication.
"I am in no hurry to be a head coach. I want to do it, but I have a lot of learning to do."