Mal Meninga believes Kevin Walters will remain as Queensland coach, much to his relief.
Meninga admits there is no standout candidate to replace Walters if he was lost to the NRL.
The Queensland Rugby League are still sweating on Walters to re-sign after he was linked to the Gold Coast coaching job.
Walters is not off contract until next year but QRL boss Rob Moore confirmed they still had not received a final verdict on whether he would stay on next year.
A QRL board meeting last Friday did not discuss his future, Moore said.
"Of course we want him to re-sign. He's currently contracted until next year and we would like to extend that contract," Moore told AAP.
"If Kevvie felt desperately he wanted to go to the NRL we wouldn't stand in his way.
"We've already had ongoing discussions with Kevvie (about his future).
"We don't have a time frame in mind but we are comfortable with the process."
Walters' stocks are at a career high after becoming the third Queensland coach to win his first two series at the helm.
Meninga said he had a feeling Walters would remain at the Maroons.
"Personally I think that Kevvie will stay as coach of Queensland," Meninga told Former Origin Greats website.
"But hypothetically, if he was to walk away, I don't really know who is the next in line to take over as Queensland coach."
The QRL have already endorsed Brisbane's Wayne Bennett and North Queensland's Paul Green as possible contenders, saying they could juggle their NRL roles.
Broncos coach Bennett is also the England national team mentor for the 2017 World Cup.
But Meninga said a part-time Queensland coaching gig would not work.
"The results that we have achieved over the past 12 years, with 11 series wins, would prove that the system we currently have is working and working well," he said.
"And the job goes well beyond just coaching three games with Queensland every year.
"Giving that away by going back to an NRL coach looking after Origin on a part-time basis would be a mistake in my opinion."
Meninga said Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston were future Queensland coaching prospects but believed they would have to invest in youth in the meantime if Walters were to walk away.
"Those guys (Thurston, Smith) are still a few years away from being ready to make the transition from coaching to playing," he said.
"It would mean we would most likely be looking at a younger or more inexperienced coach to fill that role if Kevin were to leave.
"(But) we are very fortunate with the Maroons that we have a tremendous set-up with a very experienced off-field staff that includes guys like Trevor Gillmeister, Allan Langer, Gavin Allen and Steve Walters."
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