Candidate credentials: Who could be the next Kiwis coach?
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The search for the next coach of the Kiwis is in full swing, with seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett recently putting his hand up to take charge of the side following Michael Maguire's departure late last year.
Given the wealth of NRL talent now at New Zealand's disposal, it's an attractive job made only more tempting by the side's 30-0 drubbing of Australia to win the Pacific Championship in their last outing, with the incoming mentor set to take the Kiwis through to the next World Cup in 2026.
If an experienced set of hands is what the New Zealand Rugby League are looking for then they need look no further than Bennett, who will hand over the reins at the Dolphins to Kristian Woolf at the end of this season and, for now at least, be without an NRL coaching gig after this year.
Having previously coached England and Great Britain, following 15 Tests in charge of the Kangaroos, Bennett is no stranger to leading a nation different to the one on his passport. In the case of the Kiwis, there's strong evidence that he'd be a good cultural fit given he served on the coaching staff of the World Cup-winning 2008 side.
As it turns out a couple of the players he mentored in that campaign are likely to go up against him as candidates for the Kiwis job.
The captain from that famed side and incumbent New Zealand assistant coach, Nathan Cayless, is the natural option if the NZRL want to promote from within the current setup, while star five-eighth Benji Marshall is a dark horse with age on his side.
Cayless has well and truly served his time on the national pathway, having been the coach of the Junior Kiwis before becoming a right-hand man for Maguire.
But he also has no NRL head coaching experience yet, with stints as an assistant to top-grade coaches at the Roosters and Wests Tigers the closest he has been.
Despite being much earlier in his coaching journey, Marshall has more hands-on experience after playing a prominent role with the Wests Tigers NRL side last year ahead of taking sole charge this season.
He's got his hands full trying to lift his club side off the bottom of the ladder, but the 38-year-old is likely to have plenty of fans in the room when the decision is made thanks to his long relationship with the Kiwis as a player.
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If the NZRL is determined to get a New Zealander back in the top job – as was the case for the 12 years prior to Maguire's appointment in early 2018 – then another option with a strong CV is former Test great Stacey Jones.
The 'Little General' has had various coaching roles in NRL systems for over a decade now and served as an interim head coach at the Warriors in 2022. He's also had a regular presence in Kiwis camps as an assistant and, similar to Cayless, has strong relationships with much of the current playing group and staff.
Not surprisingly given his standing at the club, he's been keenly endorsed by leading figures at the Warriors including coach Andrew Webster and 16-Test Kiwi Tohu Harris, and there's unlikely to be a homegrown candidate who can match Jones in terms of NRL experience.
The NZRL board will meet again at the end of February or early March to make a decision, with the Kiwis set to play their next match at the conclusion of the 2024 NRL season.
