Rugby: NZRU set to extend Henry contract without fuss

Graham Henry is keen to continue to the 2011 World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

Graham Henry is expected to have his contract extended without challenge ahead of next month's Tri Nations.

The incumbent All Black coach has signalled his desire to carry on to the World Cup and the New Zealand Rugby Union are ready to grant his wish.

It is believed the NZRU high performance unit has recommended Henry's contract be extended with minimum fuss. The conclusion is that nothing will be gained by a contestable process or by delaying negotiations until later in the year.

Even if the All Blacks suffer a poor Tri Nations, Henry would still be head and shoulders the best candidate to coach through to the World Cup.

The only other serious contenders - Robbie Deans and Warren Gatland - are ineligible because of their respective commitments with the Wallabies and Wales.

Neither of the two leading domestic candidates - Colin Cooper and Ian Foster - have international experience or track records that would justify holding off extending Henry's contract now to see what the All Blacks deliver later in the year.

Given his success and professionalism, as well as his desire to remain at the helm, Henry has nothing to prove. The NZRU are also keen to show they are living up to their own beliefs of promoting continuity and rewarding those who achieve.

Ideally, Henry and the NZRU will reach agreement on the finer detail of the contract in time for the board to grant approval for his extension at their next board meeting on June 19.

Henry and his assistant coaches, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen, were asked during their 2008 season reviews to give some indication of their future plans. Having been hurt by the World Cup failure in 2007, Henry retains a fierce desire to stay at the helm and made that clear.

Smith has also indicated he will be happy to stay as the backs coach but there is uncertainty as to Hansen's intentions. He's indicated he wants a head coaching role but he also feels a loyalty to Henry and Smith.

Retaining the current coaching panel became a priority once the NZRU captured the signatures of Mils Muliaina, Tony Woodcock and Ali Williams last month. They were the last senior players to commit their futures to New Zealand as part of a targeted recruitment drive.

With the players on board, the focus shifted to the coaching panel who have played a significant role in the success achieved by the All Blacks since 2004. Not only have the All Blacks won 55 of their 63 tests under Henry, Smith and Hansen, they have also won the respect of most of the players.

When Henry was reluctant to re-apply for his job after the World Cup failure, he was persuaded to do so by some of the most senior figures in the team. Likewise, when Smith was weighing up European club offers at the end of last year, an impassioned appeal by some players helped bring about a change of heart.

By re-appointing Henry ahead of the Tri Nations, the NZRU will provide certainty to the coaches and the players about the longer term. With that security, some longer-term planning initiatives can begin and a detailed picture drawn as to how best to develop and manage the careers of the players.

Scrum guru Mike Cron has already signed an extension through to 2011 but kicking and skills coach Mick Byrne has taken a position as John Kirwan's assistant in Japan.