Another top candidate in the race for the Newcastle Knights coaching job has pulled out of the race, with Jason Ryles signaling his intent to continue his role as assistant coach of the Melbourne Storm.
Ryles, who has been operating under Craig Bellamy's wing since 2015, was talked up as being a strong chance to take over from Nathan Brown as Knights coach next season.
However, according to Channel 9 reporter Danny Weidler and The Daily Telegraph's David Riccio , Ryles has informed Knights officials he would not be available to interview for the vacant position.
Breaking. Highly regarded @storm assistant coach Jason Ryles has turned down the opportunity to be interviewed the Knights job. Must mean Adam O’Brien is getting closer to the gig. @9NewsSyd
— Danny Weidler (@Danny_Weidler) August 23, 2019
It further narrows the Knights' search for a coach to take them beyond 2019, after fellow lead candidate Craig Fitzgibbon also withdrew his name from the hat earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, Kevin Walters signified his commitment to his job as Queensland coach , while the NRL is expected to block any attempt by Shane Flanagan to apply for the role, as he remains deregistered for breaking the terms of his ban in 2013.
The man now heavily favoured to land the Knights job is highly-touted Roosters assistant coach Adam O'Brien, who received the endorsement of Trent Robinson to explore the opportunity on Friday.
"He is obviously ambitious and wants the role and I will support him in that," Robinson said.
"That’s what head coaches are there for, we are there to develop and progress and he is good enough for the job so I am sure they will be positive about it.
"He is a high quality coach, that is why I got him up here and he has proven his credentials enough over that period of time. It is now up to Newcastle to decide that and for him to prove that."
Robinson's endorsement arrives amid reports suggesting the Roosters would banish O'Brien if he was to apply for the role, after the former Melbourne assistant arrived on a three-year deal at the Roosters this season.
Brown's standing down and the Knights' consequential search for a new coach has attracted great interest throughout the week, with the club still sitting on the edge of the top eight with three rounds remaining.
Club icon and immortal Andrew Johns weighed into the discussion after Friday night's game between the Eels and Bulldogs , highlighting that whoever takes the job must have a firm eye on junior development.
"The thing for the next person going in is junior development there," Johns said.
"There's such a huge junior nursery but I don't see the flow-on with a lot of local juniors coming through in the Knights system.
"I think this weekend, I looked, and I think there's three local players who are playing in the 17.
"In days gone by there was 12, 13 or 14 local players, so you've got to look at the junior development and the identification of which players they need to keep because they've missed some (NRL superstars).
"Greg Inglis was in the Knights system, Greg Bird was in the Knights system, Body Cordner was there, Latrell Mitchell was there, Josh Jackson was there and the list goes on.
"So the identification of the real special ones, we've got to keep them - you can't keep everyone - but you've got to keep the special ones."
