Rugby league coach Frank Endacott slams Kiwis coaching call as failing to see the bigger picture

A former New Zealand Rugby League coach has blasted the decision to let go of Kiwis coach Michael Maguire as losing a man the national side was “lucky to have”.

Maguire is stepping down to take on the New South Wales State of Origin side when he would have preferred to keep both coaching roles.

New Zealand Rugby League saw a conflict of interest, according to Australian legend Greg Alexander, who raised his own questions about the controversial decision.

On this side of the Tasman, Endacott was well placed to comment after coaching the Kiwis through two World Cup campaigns between 1994 and 2000, and in 2000 was named England’s Coach of the Year for taking Wigan to the Grand Final in the Super League.

“Getting rid of Michael Maguire is actually going to bite us,” former Kiwis, Warriors and Wigan coach Frank Endacott said.

Former Kiwis coach Frank Endacott.

Rather than making the call, Endacott felt New Zealand Rugby League could have worked through any perceived conflict of interest to hang on to their man.

“They should have at least given it one campaign of the State of Origin to see how it worked out,” Endacott said.

“And if it worked out well, then everything carries on as normal.”

“There was never a conflict of interest. Michael is a level-headed man. If anything it would have helped the Kiwis because working with the Australian players in the State of Origin he’s going to learn about those players and have more information on them.”

Maguire won 12 of 18 Test matches as national coach with this month’s 30-0 domination of the Kangaroos in the Pacific Cup final bringing a record-breaking performance.

“That would be one of the best Kiwi records of all time in my book,” Endacott said.

“We had one of the world’s best coaches who has just come off one of the best Kiwis victories over Australia of all time.”

Potential Kiwis coaching candidates

Whether there are any New Zealand coaches in the talent pool ready to jump into the international game remains to be seen.

Stacey Jones and Nathan Cayless will be ready to coach the Kiwis in the future, according to Endacott, but it may be too soon.

In the meantime, an Australian candidate may be preferred.

“They’ll have to advertise and see puts their hand up,” he said.

“We had the very best and we’ve let him go and they don’t come up very often.

“Michael Maguire’s one of the best coaches in world rugby league and we were lucky to have him.”

Meanwhile, across the ditch, former Kangaroo Greg Alexander was left bemused by the decision.

“Obviously the board have been swayed and have said ‘it’s not a good look’. They thought there was a conflict of interest,” Alexander said.

“That’s all it can be. It’s the optics of it.”

“The end of the origin is the middle of July, once you’ve finished that third game you’re finished. Then he’s got another 12 weeks before international footy rolls around.”

– RNZ