Jim Dymock will not succeed Ricky Stuart as NSW State of Origin head coach after withdrawing his candidacy for the position.
Dymock informed NSWRL general manager Geoff Carr of his decision to pull out of the race for the top job on Friday, citing his workload as Canterbury assistant coach as the reason for his decision.
Carr, who also confirmed Phil Gould was no longer in contention for the role, said Dymock would remain in the NSW set-up.
“Jim has told me he has elected to withdraw his name from the list due to his responsibilities with Canterbury,” Carr told AAP.
“He had to make a decision and he wanted to remain committed to Canterbury in that role in 2013.
“But he will remain a part of the NSW set-up. He has been an important part of that set-up and he will remain so. He just couldn’t commit himself to the head coach role.”
Dymock’s withdrawal, and Gould’s omission, leaves former NSW Origin stars Brad Fittler, Trent Barrett and Laurie Daley as the frontrunners for the head coach role. Former Parramatta and Warriors coach Daniel Anderson is another key contender.
Gould, who has previously said he would consider taking on the role at the end of the year if it was still available, has also been crossed off the list.
“He is out,” Carr said.
When pressed on the favourite for the role, Carr added: “I don’t want to speculate on who it might be.
“We will go through the process as we have always said we will to get the best possible candidate for the job.