When Queensland and New South Wales meet one final time on Wednesday night, there could be more on the line than the Origin shield, even if it may not seem that way on the surface.

Brad Fittler has long been linked to a foray into a first-grade coaching role while for Billy Slater, it is a matter of when he will take that step as opposed to if he will.

The Tigers, Bulldogs and Warriors have already made coaching changes this season, while Justin Holbrook and Adam O’Brien are hardly secure in their roles at the Gold Coast and Newcastle.

Put simply, there has not been a better time to be a prospective coach and Wednesday night is Fittler and Slater’s best chance to strengthen their credentials.

Stream the FOX LEAGUE State of Origin Game 3 REPLAY on Kayo with no ads during-play. Both full and condensed replays available to stream from 11PM AEST. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

It seems unlikely at this stage that the Tigers or Bulldogs would make a play for either Slater or Fittler.

Both are in the midst of long-term rebuilds and would prefer a more experienced candidate with a proven track record coaching at NRL level.

In Origin, Slater and Fittler have had the luxury of hand-picking from the best talent in the league before moulding a team culture and identity around the squad.

They would not have that luxury at either the Tigers or Bulldogs, with question marks still hanging over both rosters in spite of handy off-season additions for next year.

That does not mean that other opportunities could arise later in the year though.

In the case of Slater, he has already been floated as a potential replacement for Craig Bellamy as part of Melbourne’s long-term succession plan.

In fact, former teammate Cameron Smith has already seen shades of Bellamy in the way Slater has approached the Queensland gig.

‘HAVEN’T BEEN FIXED’: Ugly feud behind RCG’s shock Origin exile

WHISPERS: Tigers powerbrokers push to bring golden boy home

“I must admit he’s been really good,” Smith said on SEN 1170 Breakfast last month.

“Particularly in a few of the meetings where he’s had to get up in front of his group and talk about the certain style of footy he’ll be looking for and about building the game plan.

“He’s very confident with the messages he’s pushing. When he talks, he’s not just making it up on the run, he’s done his research, he’s done his homework on why he needs to say those things.

“It’s been funny, you can see a little bit of Craig Bellamy in him when he’s talking. He mentioned to all of the players when they were first selected... the reason they were there... he watched every run, every tackle, every action that those players have performed in the NRL this season so far.”

That attention to detail is something that is constantly brought up when anyone is asked about Slater’s strengths as a coach. It is what could make him such an appealing option in the NRL.

It is not a 9-to-5 job — any coach that treated it that way would quickly find themselves and their team left behind.

Catch Benji chat to the game’s biggest stars on Kayo Freebies live 7:30pm Mondays and on demand. Join Kayo Freebies now, no credit card required >

Bellamy is the master of detail, knowing that the key to any good team is making every player feel like they have a role, part of a well-oiled machine that will crumble without them.

Slater learnt from the best and will need to lean on all of Bellamy’s teachings on Wednesday night, with star five-eighth Cameron Munster sidelined.

But if you can count on anything it is that Slater will have gone through every scenario in his head and was prepared for this moment.

“The one thing about Bill is he was always going to be well prepared, attention to detail will be spot on and he’s a passionate bugger,” Bellamy said of Slater last month.

“We’ve all seen that and we all know that so they’re a couple of good traits for any sort of coach, especially an Origin coach.”

Matty Johns went as far as to predict that Slater will replace Bellamy, who recently re-signed to stick around at the Storm until at least the end of the 2023 season.

TEAM TIPS: Lodge’s NRL return nears after NSW Cup stint

‘BACKFIRED’: How the NRL forced the Dolphins’ hand to appoint Bennett

“With all of these coaches being sacked... I mean even by rugby league standards there’s been a lot of blood on the tracks the last three weeks... you can’t tell me that Slater at the end of this series won’t be in high demand,” he said on SEN 1170 Radio in June.

“Look, I think without a shadow of a doubt, if he wants to, and I think he would, he’ll be the next coach of Melbourne. I think he’ll replace Craig Bellamy.”

Funnily enough, Slater has signed a two-year deal with the Queensland Rugby League, so he too could be freed up to take on a full-time NRL gig in 2024.

Add in the fact Munster is off-contract at the end of 2023 and the fact that playing under Slater could be another bargaining chip Melbourne could play at the negotiating table.

The timing is almost too good to be true.

Now, falling short on Wednesday night is hardly going to be a hammer blow to Slater’s chances of landing a gig at Melbourne, should it come up.

After all, the Storm know Slater too well than to judge him on one game without his best player at his disposal.

But Munster’s absence in itself presents Slater with the perfect opportunity to prove just how good a coach he can be and draw on another one of his greatest strengths — his communication.

“He knows the environment he has to create and how he has to get the players to Wednesday night,” Queensland great Brent Tate told foxsports.com.au of Slater recently.

“Origin is not about coaching, it’s about creating a culture and an environment for the boys to be happy and flourish in and get them to believe in the cause.”

Few people believe the Maroons are a chance of springing an upset on Wednesday night but all that matters is what the 17 men inside Queensland’s dressing room believe. Slater will have a big say in that.

As for Fittler, he has been given a brief insight this Origin series into what life as a full-time NRL coach would be like.

The 50-year-old had been NSW’s saviour up until Game 1, when suddenly his team selections came into question after a surprise 16-10 loss.

So, Fittler made changes but too many for most pundits, then accused of overreacting and panicking. Yet the Blues won — comfortably — and suddenly he was in the good books again.

Kept up? Yep, opinions on Fittler’s coaching credentials moved quickly and it works like that sometimes in clubland too.

You can be the best coach in the world one week and have your head on the chopping block the next, it’s the unfortunate reality of the “different beast” Buderus referenced earlier.

Fittler though is in a position to write his own narrative on Wednesday night.

With Munster sidelined, everything is set up for a Blues victory — the first in a decider in Brisbane since 2005.

It is, of course, a double-edged sword for Fittler as while he will earn some praise should NSW triumph on Wednesday, the criticism will only be twice as strong if the Blues lose.

Fittler has spoken in the past about his desire to coach an NRL side at some point in the near future, although Buderus actually believes he is better suited to the Origin arena.

“I just love what Freddy’s about in this role,” Buderus said on SEN 1170 Breakfast a fortnight ago.

“He’s so made for this, this role is Freddy down to a tee. He just brings the promotion of it all, he understands the media side and everything that it’s about, it’s entertainment at the end of the day and that’s Freddy.

“His relaxed approach and the way he delivers his message to the players is just so on point.”

That was echoed by Blues assistant Greg Alexander, who said Fittler’s “personality” and “unique” approach made him an ideal candidate for the top job in NSW camp.

“All coaches know what’s important in a footy game - coaches know the game right across the board - but it’s how they get their message across,” he told foxsports.com.au.

“It’s the respect they command when talking. The good coaches I’ve had, and I’ve had some good ones, from Tim Sheens to Phil Gould, they all have a similar trait in their ability to explain things.

“They get their message across for players to know what’s important in the game and they have that ability to pull the side together.

“So while everyone has got a unique personality and they might do things a little differently on the periphery and around the edges, when it’s the important things there’s a similar trait that runs through the best coaches I’ve had - and Freddy’s got it.”

Freddy has another chance to prove he has still got it on Wednesday night.

Queensland has built its identity around backs-against-the-wall moments of glory, like it did back in 2020. Wayne Bennett, with decades of NRL experience, was the mastermind behind that upset.

Neither Fittler nor Slater have anything like that yet but they may not be too far away from getting their chance. Wednesday night is just another opportunity to take one step closer.