The New Zealand Rugby League's offer to increase Kiwis coach Brian McClennan's pay-packet will not solve the impasse sparked by Super League club Leeds' attempt to poach him.
The size of the "substantial increase in his package" announced yesterday will still not come close to what the Rhinos'job would be worth.
McClennan has always made it clear his first desire is to coach the Kiwis.
But the NZRL yesterday stood by its position that McClennan must live in New Zealand if he wants to retain the Kiwis coaching position and see out his contract through to 2008.
This was to "enable him to be part of its high performance and coaching and development pathways", the NZRL said, in what it declared would be its last statement on the matter until an outcome was reached.
If his decision comes down to money, there is only one sensible outcome for a married man with two young children.
The new pay offer was made when McClennan met NZRL chairman Andrew Chalmers and director of football Graham Lowe yesterday.
Both sides agreed it was in everyone's interest that McClennan decided as soon as possible whether to accept the offer from Leeds and the NZRL said a deadline of July 31 had been settled on.
McClennan will consider his position after consulting his family and advisers. The NZRL said it would support the coach whichever decision he made.
So presumably it is happy for him to control the Kiwis when they play Australia in Wellington on October 13 and on the tour to England in October/November regardless of whether he stays or goes.
Leeds play their last round match on September 14 and the Super League finals wind up at Old Trafford on October 13, so the question is will the club want him on board as soon as their 2007 campaign ends?
* The Rhinos have just signed a player-swap arrangement with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and yesterday announced that the two clubs would hold a training camp in the United States in January 2008 and were hoping to play a televised exhibition game there.
