Gould, who has powerful NSWRL figures pushing for his return, is content with his work at the foot of the mountains attempting to deliver another premiership to the Penrith Panthers. NSWRL chairman George Peponis said the vacant Blues coaching job wouldn't restrict NRL-aligned coaches from applying, with Des Hasler understood to be one of the main contenders for the job. Hasler still has two more years to run on his contract, but the veteran coach is aware his future could be decided at the Bulldogs' end-of-season review in a few weeks. The Blues have been using the Canavan report from 2010 as a guide to success, with one of those recommendations being the appointment of a full-time Origin coach. Other coaches in the mix include Brad Fittler, Craig Fitzgibbon, John Cartwright, Geoff Toovey and Trent Barrett.

But Peponis said the report and coaching structure could be overhauled as part of the restructure that will take place in the coming months. "Seven years ago we implemented many of the recommendations in the Canavan report, but obviously seven years later we've only won one Origin series and have stuck rigid to that report," Peponis told Fairfax Media. "So maybe that report is now outdated so we need to look at different ways of doing this. We're looking for the best fit for the State of Origin team. What that looks like, we'll tell you once we've conducted the recruitment process and done the interviews. "The Canavan report seven years ago suggested we should have a full-time coach, which we've done. Whether that's been successful or not is for others to decide. We haven't made a decision on that at this stage. We'll see what candidates are out there first." After a five-hour meeting at NSWRL headquarters on Friday morning, Peponis phoned Daley to deliver the news. After speaking with most of the senior members of the coaching staff as part of the internal review, the board decided it was time for a change.

The news shocked many within the organisation given the perception that Daley was going to be given one more chance to lead NSW to victory. "I spoke to Laurie before I spoke to anyone else," Peponis said. "Laurie was appreciative of the call. He was obviously very disappointed but very understanding. He was very appreciative of the opportunity that he's had the last five years to coach State of Origin. He said he's really enjoyed the journey but fully understood the decision of the NSWRL. We just felt we needed some new blood in there and give it a bit of a shake-up. "We can't keep losing. Something has to happen. It's not one thing, we looked at the whole picture. It's not one issue. But at the end of the day this is a results-driven business. It's no different to an NRL coach. We've got to get the results and if we don't get the results we need to make changes. That's what we're doing. We need directional change. We need to bring in some fresh ideas." It is understood the decision to inform Daley on the phone has angered his strongest supporters, however Daley remained appreciative of the opportunity he was given five years ago – so much so he expressed a desire to catch up with Peponis over the next fortnight.