League: Brian Smith and Garth Brennan to assist Kiwis coach David Kidwell at World Cup

Brian Smith will act as a technical analyst for the Kiwis during the Rugby League World Cup. Photo / Photosport.

The Kiwis will get some high-powered help in their coaching staff for the World Cup later this year.

David Kidwell will announce veteran NRL coach Brian Smith and highly-regarded up and comer Garth Brennan as part of his staff at a formal announcement tomorrow.

The 63-year-old Smith spent 25 seasons coaching in the NRL and was at the helm of 582 first grade matches with the Illawarra Steelers, St George Dragons, Parramatta Eels, Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters as well as three stints coaching in the UK.

He most recently coached Wakefield-Trinity before stepping side last year.

Smith has been tipped for a role with the Kiwis for some time and will act as a technical analyst to second year coach Kidwell.

Kidwell, who replaced Stephen Kearney as Kiwis coach a year ago, has a relationship with Smith having played under him at Parramatta in the late 1990s.

Brennan is yet to coach at first grade level but is thought to be a promising coach that will have a successful career in the NRL. He has been linked to the Gold Coast Titans, who are likely to sack current coach Neil Henry this week. Brennan has coached lower grades at Penrith and knows a number of the young Kiwi players.

Former NRL star-turned commentator Matthew Johns nominated Brennan as the game's next great coach.

"I've had a rap on fellow named Garth Brennan for a long time," Johns said on his Triple M radio show.

"Brennan has been coaching lower grades at Penrith for a number of years now and he's won competition after competition.

"He's a young coach, he is very much in that Trent Robinson, Michael Maguire mold in the fact people don't know who he is.

"He's not a household name in rugby league but after you have 12 months of success that's how you build your reputation."

Kidwell has had difficulty assembling the World Cup line-up and was knocked back by Warriors assistant Stacey Jones, who is concentrating on his role at the struggling NRL club, but settled on a line-up that brings a blend of experience and an understanding of current trends.

Renowned NRL administrator Shane Richardson will be the campaign manager for the Kiwis having started with the side in this year's ill-fated mid-year test where senior players Jesse Bromwich and Kevin Proctor were caught up in a drugs scandal and stood down from the World Cup.

The World Cup runs October 27-December 2 in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.