By Chris Rattue
Frank Endacott's future as the Kiwi league coach hangs in the balance after putting his wage demands to the New Zealand Rugby League.
NZRL chairman Gerald Ryan is strongly backing the reappointment of Endacott, the national coach since 1994.
But at least two members of the six-man NZRL board are
understood to oppose giving him the salary he wants.
Endacott is thought to have originally received $60,000 a year from the NZRL but last year, when he had his only full season as the Warriors' first-grade coach, he took a voluntary wage cut of $20,000 from the NZRL.
The Kiwis lost another series to Australia last year then scored a rare away series win against Great Britain.
Sources said Endacott, who is now without his lucrative Warriors contract after the club's new management replaced him with Mark Graham, now wants around $80,000 to stay on as the Kiwi coach.
Endacott met a delegation of Ryan, deputy chairman David Lange and fellow board member Ken Stirling this week, and the other board members (John Tamihere, Wayne Morris and Bernie Wood) were told of the negotiations yesterday.
"He's got the best record of any Kiwi coach and he's told me he will win the World Cup for us next year," said Ryan.
"I think we can't do without him. I've told the board to come back to me by Monday. It's now down to whether we accept his package. My tip is for him to stay but I can't speak for the rest of the board."
