Coaching Career
Loyal to his Channel Nine employer, Vautin was a vocal supporter of the Kerry Packer-backed Australian Rugby League during the Super League war which started in 1995. He was considered an inferior replacement for Wally Lewis as coach of the 1995 Queensland State of Origin team and with Queensland having lost the last three consecutive series and being given a handful of young and inexperienced players, Vautin and Qld were expected to be easy prey for NSW who could still boast almost half a side of international players. However his coaching debut took a fairy tale turn when the young Queenslanders, without any of the stars from Super League-aligned clubs, completed a 3–0 series whitewash of New South Wales that year.
With the Super League players available for selection in the 1996 State of Origin series, Qld were rated a chance of retaining their crown but lost the series 0-3. After losing the 1997 series 1-2, Vautin was replaced as Qld coach the following year by Wayne Bennett.
Read more about this topic: Paul Vautin
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