Ali Brigginshaw has questioned whether the time was right for Australia to split with coach Brad Donald only weeks from a historic clash in Las Vegas.
But the co-captain has endorsed Jess Skinner, Donald's interim replacement, to take his job into the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
AAP reported in January that Donald's future was under threat amid an NRL investigation into a disparaging comment he made about a journalist in front of players.
Donald had also raised eyebrows with his decision to omit Dally M Medallist Olivia Kernick from his squad for an admittedly successful Pacific Championships campaign.
The Jillaroos confirmed this month that long-time assistant Skinner would replace Donald during the NRL's second trip to Las Vegas, where the Jillaroos face England in a rare one-off Test match.
After more than eight years as coach, Brigginshaw felt there was always going to come a time when Donald passed the baton.
"I don't think it was necessarily right now. He was prepping the team for 2026 (and the World Cup)," Brigginshaw told AAP.
"We had three assistant coaches alongside him. Yes, he was the head coach, but I don't think he was pulling all the strings.
"He was making sure the program was going to have the right people take over when he did stand down.
"I don't necessarily think it was the right time."
Donald won the 2017 and 2022 World Cups with the Jillaroos, helping oversee the game's transition from amateur to professional status.
He was particularly tight with the older contingent of the playing group, some of whom he began coaching before the NRLW's inception in 2018.
"I know he'll still be watching every single game we play," Brigginshaw said.
"His full support is behind the team. We'll stay friends, obviously."
Skinner has built an impressive coaching resume, most recently guiding the Indigenous All Stars to a 20-18 defeat of the Maori counterparts last Saturday.
She has also worked as assistant coach at Newcastle, and presided over Australia's big Prime Minister's XIII win against Papua New Guinea last year.
"She's got plenty of credentials and plenty of games under her belt now, so I'd love to see her take the reins," Brigginshaw said.
"It's going to be pretty much the same players going into 2026, so I'd love to see a lot of those staff be able to be a part of that. I think it's really important to keep core people in a Test team.
"I just love her calmness and her care for the players, she genuinely cares about every single player. She wants the best for everyone."
