King was announced as the permanent successor to Laurie Daley, taking on a full-time role that will begin on November 1.
Daley officially stepped down as head coach at the weekend after leading the NSW Blues to an unlikely and come-from-behind Origin series win over Queensland this year, cementing his legacy as one of the greats of NSW rugby league.
His replacement will not be able to avoid queries about his suitability for the role given he has not yet taken up a lead coaching role at club level, despite more than one decade in various assistant roles.
King has assisted both the South Sydney Rabbitohs and current club Sydney Roosters whilst also joining the Blues setup in 2023, serving under both Michael Maguire and Daley.
He told reporters on Tuesday morning in Sydney that he is "very clear on what it looks like" to lead the Blues.
“I've had a front row seat the last couple of years with Laurie and 12 months before that with Michael Maguire and I have a true understanding of what it means to lead this great state of ours," King said.
“I'm a country boy from northern NSW, I was a Parramatta fan growing up and got to play for the Melbourne Storm, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and I’ve coached at the Roosters for a long period of time.
“But the one true rugby league love of my life has been the NSW Blues and to know now that I have the opportunity to guide the team moving forward, it means the absolute world to me."
King asserted that 'courage' and 'clarity' were two of the Blues' winning attributes in 2026 that he wants to expand upon during his two-year tenure as Blues coach, which has the option for a third.
The 45-year-old declared he was "so aware" of the intense public scrutiny that will come his way, having been a back-seat passenger to what Daley went through earlier this year when the Blues were smashed 44-24 at the MCG by Queensland in Game 2.
“I promise everyone out there that you'll have my full and undivided attention on the role and I'll give it my absolute all to make sure that I can nail the role as best as I can," King vowed.
“Loz (Daley) dealt with it in a way that I really respected. Not one time when Loz was under pressure during his tenure did he push that heat onto anyone in his staff or his playing group.
“He absorbed it, and I really admired that, and I realise that’s a massive part of my job, is to absorb it.”
NSWRL boss Dave Trodden said he was "delighted" to be able to find a full-time head coach after previous coaches Daley and Brad Fittler juggled Blues duties with other work on a part-time basis.
"With someone like Matt in the role who doesn’t have other occupations ... we jump at the opportunity to give him the breadth ... to make sure he can deliver for us," he said.
King will lead the Blues to an historic Game 2 next year when State of Origin heads to New Zealand for the first time, with the 50,000-capacity Eden Park expected to be sold out.
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
