KEY POINTS:
Stephen Kearney isn't talking but the beating of the drums suggests he is odds on to become the next Kiwis coach.
Kearney, the second-most capped Kiwi with 44 tests to his name, told the Herald he had nothing to say yesterday, but several sources said the job was as good as his.
The NZRL also declined to discuss the matter, with general manager Peter Cordtz not returning a phone call. Another NZRL insider said no decision had been made.
That silence likely suggests one of two things: Either the NZRL is working out the best way to spin the appointment of Kearney, a hugely experienced player with no coaching record to speak of; or Wayne Bennett's apparent refusal to take on the job has left the governing body with no real back-up plan.
Bennett has also refused to comment on the matter but his announcement yesterday that he is to end his 21-year association with the Brisbane Broncos suggests any role with the Kiwis is not high on his immediate agenda. "I doubt the Kiwis are on his mind at all right now," a Broncos spokesman said.
Bennett's decision to quit the Broncos at the end of the season with a year left on his contract was reportedly due to his increasingly poor relationship with the club's board.
He has not announced his retirement and speculation in Australia quickly turned to where he might go next and who would succeed him. The six-time Premiership-winning coach has already been linked with St George Illawarra, the Bulldogs, North Queensland and Canberra.
Kearney, initially thought to be in line to assist Bennett with the Kiwis, would appear to be a strange fallback option as head coach for the national side. It would be bizarre if Bennett acted as an assistant to Kearney.
Although vastly experienced as a player at club and international level, Kearney's coaching experience is restricted to a couple of seasons at Melbourne Storm.
As an assistant, Kearney's role would almost certainly have been restricted to running training ground drills and instructing players on minutiae such as tackle technique.
The big picture stuff would be handled by Bellamy.
Bennett, on the other hand, has over two decades' experience calling the shots at club and representative level. His preferred option is believed to be an advisory role but the benefit of having such a godfather-like figure hovering over an inexperienced coach would be questionable.
Bennett's input into the All Golds was hailed by the players but almost certainly undermined the authority of former Kiwis coach Gary Kemble.
Kearney's standing in the game would ensure more respect among senior players than Kemble could muster but the last coach appointed by the NZRL on his reputation as a player, Gary Freeman, failed.
On that occasion, the NZRL changed its rules to force Freeman out.
The residency rule that got rid of Freeman - and Brian McClennan - was ditched to allow the hoped-for appointment of Bennett. If that constitutional change is used instead to appoint Kearney, the NZRL runs the risk of being accused of not learning from its mistakes.
Another option created by the scrapping of the "Freeman rule" would be the return of McClennan.
Given the untidy way McClennan's departure to Leeds was handled, it's hard to imagine the NZRL going back cap-in-hand to the 2005 Tri Nations-winning coach. It's also hard to see McClennan accepting if they did.
