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How coaching greats shaped untested King on Origin path
George Clarke, AAP •  August 4th, 2026 4:43 pm
Matt King | Photo: AAP
Matt King has been on the receiving end of a Craig Bellamy spray, watched Michael Cheika bring a group of players together, and been a front-row observer to the inner workings of Trent Robinson's gifted rugby league mind.
Few could claim to have served an apprenticeship as thorough as Casino-born King, who was appointed NSW State of Origin coach on Tuesday on a two-year deal.
King's path to the Blues job - his first senior head coaching role - has been 13 years in the making.
"It's been an odyssey to get to this point, and it's weird that it feels like the journey's just starting now," King told AAP. "But I feel ready and this is my dream job."
King has spent the last decade under the guidance of Robinson and has knocked back the chance to become a head coach in the Super League, where he is revered from his time as a devastating centre with flowing locks for Warrington.
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The 45-year-old, who played under Bellamy at Melbourne before his time in England, also worked under Cheika with the Lebanese national team.
Over the last three years he has been witness to the highs and lows of Origin coaching as a No.2 to Michael Maguire and Laurie Daley.
In his presentation to the NSWRL board, King listed Maguire, Robinson, Bellamy and Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon as part of his unofficial advisory board.
Just don't expect the relaxed King to launch into a Maguire or Bellamy-inspired tirade.
"It's not in my nature, I'll always revert back to questioning someone on their behaviour," King said.
"I happily accepted those sprays from Bellyache because I knew it was coming from the right place - I knew that he loved me and I knew that he wanted the best for me.
"When he did spray me it was because I was letting my teammates down and I learned a lot from that, he got the order right in building love and trust in a one-on-one relationship and then across the whole group."
The experience of working under Daley and Maguire was enlightening for King, as has been the time spent with Cheika's Lebanon side at the last World Cup.
"His greatest strength is building a collective mindset with a group," King said of the former Wallabies coach.
"He's a mate before he's a mentor and I'm stoked he's in my corner."
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