Gatland intriguing component in mix

Warren Gatland has the CV to fill the top job and is still young. Phil Walter / Getty Images

Warren Gatland has signed a one-year contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union to be Chiefs assistant coach next season. He wanted only the one year so he could align the Chiefs and Waikato contracts to expire at the end of 2007.

"After that we will see what happens," says Gatland.

It will be fascinating times, as what is likely to happen is a major game of musical chairs in coaching jobs across the globe.

New Zealand will be one of the most frantic markets. Graham Henry, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen all come off contract after the World Cup. Robbie Deans will be on the market, too, and then of course there's Gatland.

Henry is never going to convince anyone his future is undecided. Almost certainly he'll stand down after taking the All Blacks to the World Cup.

Hansen harbours ambitions to be head coach and, given his knowledge and contribution since 2004, will make a strong case. Smith has hinted he's happier as an assistant and if he can't be accommodated, his next move could be coaching elite juniors.

Deans does not give much away and he'll be inundated with offers, as he has been for the last couple of years. His two years as John Mitchell's strangely termed coaching co-ordinator are unlikely to have led him to put a tick in the box next to All Blacks. Deans has worked with Hansen but he must surely be looking to be a head coach, rather than assistant coach.

If Deans can't secure the top job in New Zealand it's unlikely he'll opt for another stint at the Crusaders. A number of French clubs have approached him, Wales made inquiries and by the end of next year, the England job will be available.

Where Gatland fits is much harder to assess. He's ticked the international box with Ireland and done club rugby in England.

If he applied for the All Blacks job he'd be a very serious candidate. But Gatland is still only 43 and knows that his time will come again.

What appears to be driving him is a desire to turn Waikato and the Chiefs into a province/franchise combo every bit as successful as the Canterbury/Crusaders model.

Mooloo blood pumps through Gatland's veins and the next step in 2007 might be seizing the reins of the Chiefs. It would be logical, especially as he has spent much of the last two years putting in place structures that he hopes will bring through a raft of supremely talented young players.

One of the big changes has come in the approach to physical conditioning, with Gatland having increased the number of fitness advisers in the region to five.

"Some of the biggest gains have been in physical development," says Gatland. "We have naturally talented footballers in New Zealand but we have to get that balance right with physical preparation. We had to look at how we could do things better.

"In the past we have had some good eras, won some big games, but we have lacked consistency.

"I was involved in this as a player and what we have tried to do now is to raise expectations.

"We have to handle the expectation of being favourites. We have been good at going in there with our backs to the wall when no one expects us to win. It's always easy to be the underdog but we have spoken about that and talked about the responsibility we have to make sure we do things the right way."

Plenty have come to the region before Gatland and tried - and failed - to establish a dynasty. Before his arrival last year there was a solitary championship in 1992 and one measly Super 12 semi-final appearance for the Chiefs in 2004 to boast of.

Big money has been spent on bringing Tom Willis, Byron Kelleher, Sione Lauaki and Mils Muliaina to the Waikato region.

The inspirational Jono Gibbes has committed for three more years, Keith Robinson is back from hell, Liam Messam is now a seriously good loose forward, Richard Kahui is an All Black in waiting and Willie Ripia, Dwayne Sweeney and Brendon Leonard are exciting prospects.

The raw tools are there. Maybe Gatland is the man to convert that into a legacy of domination.