The QRL have announced today that South Brisbane Mustangs coach Matt Lyons will coach the Queensland State of Origin team, taking over from California Vandals coach Chris Maunder who resigned due to family reasons. Matt Lyons record as a Queensland representitve coach with 3 Wins coach North Queensland and 1 win this year coaching Queensland City saw him get the job. "I've got to say I'm pretty surprised to get the role. I put in my cv to coach Queensland hoping I would get it."

However Matt Lyons has a big job on his hands with NSW taking out the first game of the series and will go into the 3 match series a match down. When asked about this Lyons said "It just makes the job a bit more challeneging doesn't it. Mick Treacey's a great coach winning the State of Origin with New South Wales last year and winning the ASRL Premiership with Capetown. There are a few plans that I'm going to put into place one of them is getting some of our former Queensland legends to come into the team as positional coaches. There are a few other things that I want to put into place but I'm keeping it top secret till game day. I'm Queensland through and through and I love this place to bits. I will do all I can to bring the State of Origin shield back to Queensland."

So with a new coach at the helm can Queensland fight back to claim the Origin seires for only the second time in 5 years, only time will tell.

Mike Coleman, Courier Mail 8/12/06