Footy great turned TV star Matty Johns reveals all about rumours linking him to one of the game’s most high-profile jobs

Footy great Matty Johns has ruled himself out of the running to take the vacant New South Wales Origin head coach position.

It comes after Michael Maguire stood down as the Blues’ coach at the end of September, succeeding outgoing coach Kevin Walters at the Brisbane Broncos.

Maguire was sacked by the club following Brisbane’s slump to 12th in the NRL ladder this season following a disappointing season.

NSW Rugby League has been searching for a successor to Maguire, with ex-Newcastle star Johns, being one name on the shortlist.

Paul McGregor, who worked as an assistant coach under Brad Fittler, is another name who has been included in the conversation, along with Dragons coach Dean Young.

Johns said he was’ flattered’ by the claims, but said: ‘I have to ask myself if I would be doing it for the right reasons’ 

While Johns has previously worked as an assistant coach with Melbourne Storm and is known for delivering cutting-edge analysis on Fox Sports, he revealed to The Courier Mail why he was not interested in taking the vacant role.

‘No, I won’t be going for the (NSW) job,’ he told the outlet.

‘You have to be really careful of the thing that sits inside all of us that can send us on a path that we shouldn’t be on and that’s ego.

‘People say, “Matty, you should coach Origin”.

‘It flatters you and there’s a part of you that thinks, “Yes I can do it”.

‘But I have to ask myself if I would be doing it for the right reasons.

‘My ego is telling me to apply for the NSW job, but then I say, ‘Hang on, I have a good life’, it’s low stress by comparison and you would be going into an Origin job potentially with no experience as a coach. ‘I’m not coach fit.

‘Other people dedicate their lives to coaching. I haven’t. I’ve chosen media.

Johns revealed that he had previously held talks with Wayne Bennett on taking the role, who urged him to join up with a lower-level team.

Michael Maguire vacated the NSW role to join up with the Brisbane Broncos following Kevin Walters’ sacking

He added that learning from mistakes in the lower divisions is key to helping prepare for life on the grand stage of the NRL.

‘He [Bennett] said if you haven’t stuffed up at that lower level, then in the NRL, you will find yourself in the coaching box and a million things will go through your head.’

There were some claims that Maguire’s exit had left a bitter taste for some at the Blues, with Channel Nine reporter Danny Weidler claiming New South Wales were ‘not happy’ with how his departure unfolded.

Rumours have emerged that Maguire had been in negotiations to join the Broncos as far back as a month ago.

‘They like to make the point that Michael Maguire wanted a two-year deal and they are not happy he pushed for that and then is leaving,’ Danny Weidler said on 100% Footy.

‘They’re not happy because he did such a good job and now he’s left them in a bit of a position. They say they needed more information earlier.

‘Since the news came out, there’s mail that this decision was made (by the Broncos to split with Walters) four weeks ago, where they started to make proper inquiries and proper conversations.’