The Maroons will name Mal Meninga or Wayne Bennett as their coach by Thursday with the hope one of them can produce an Origin miracle in just 34 days time.
The NRL's top eight is unlikely to change after the Dragons bombed a late lead against the Gold Coast to give arch-rivals Cronulla a saloon passage into the finals.
He may be in his rookie NRL year,but Mal Meninga has seen enough from the Titans coach to predict he will make his mark on the game.
The NRL has called in the super coaches for their views on a historic cross-code game against New Zealand and is set to make a decision next month.
The addition of rugby league royalty and the hiring of a savvy coach on the rise were key factors in the successful raid for Brisbane's lost star.
Keen readers of this column will recall the Blues coach urged the Roosters some weeks ago to pursue Williams. It appears his advice was taken.
Latrell Mitchell will no longer be the NRL’s poster boy as more details emerge that raise questions about his professionalism and approach to the game.
Rugby league Immortal Mal Meninga believes the scrapping of competition points could lead to a more exciting season once the NRL resumes.
The NRL are expected to determine their season structure by mid-next week,as negotiations wrap up with broadcasters.
The Australian coach has likened Todd Greenberg's exit as NRL chief executive to a coach being sacked when a team performs poorly.
The former Wallabies star is keen to sign a short-term deal with an NRL club in 2020,with the Bulldogs and Titans already in the mix.