1998 and First Division in 1999. In 2000 Hagan became the first division coach at the Newcastle Knights, and succeeded Warren Ryan as coach in 2001. He became the first former Knights player to coach the club, and later that season led them to victory in the 2001 NRL grand final, becoming the first coach since Phil Gould to win the premiership in his first season. Hagan coached the Queensland State of Origin team in 2004 and 2005. Although he was unable to win a series, in both years the series went to a deciding game, only for the Maroons to lose. During both years, Hagan coached the likes of Slater, Lockyer, Thurston, Thaiday, Smith and Bowen (whilst having to coach against Buderus, Simpson and Johns at the same time), most of whom went on to play for Australia, and most of whom featured prominently in Queensland's eight-year Origin reign between 2006 and 2013. Hagan resigned as Queensland coach in 2005 to concentrate on coaching the Knights given their poor season in which they finished at the foot of the ladder for the first time in the club's history. His successor, Mal Meninga, went on to win nine out of the following ten State of Origin series for Queensland. In 2010 Hagan returned to the Queensland side as an assistant coach. In 2005, after losing their first thirteen games of the season, the Knights finished with the wooden spoon. In early 2006, Hagan signed a contract to coach the Parramatta Eels from 2007 to 2009, finishing his tenure at Newcastle at the end of the 2006 season. He left the Knights as the longest serving coach in club history, and guided them to finals appearances in four of his six seasons, more than any other coach in the team's history. In 2007 the Eels showed much improvement under Hagan, spending much of the season at 3rd position on the ladder (only behind the Melbourne Storm and bitter rivals the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles) before a surprise defeat against his old club the Newcastle Knights (who were at the time coached by Brian Smith) triggered a late-season form slump. The Eels toned up for the finals by handing what was to be the Brisbane Broncos' worst-ever defeat at the time with a 68-22 mauling (this despite the Eels trailing 22–6 at one stage) in the final round at Parramatta Stadium. The Eels