Overview

• Meninga is set to step down as Kangaroos coach for the end-of-season Ashes series in England.
• The NRL wants him to concentrate exclusively on assembling the inaugural Perth Bears squad, with player signings beginning November 1.
• Brad Fittler, Cameron Smith and Kevin Walters have emerged as the leading candidates to replace him.
• The league aims to finalise a new appointment swiftly to provide cohesion ahead of the 2026 home World Cup.
• Tickets for the second and third Ashes Tests in Liverpool and Leeds have already sold out.