KEY POINTS:
Gary Kemble looks set to be appointed the Kiwis rugby league coach this week, with Phil Prescott his assistant.
Kemble's experience at the top level is understood to have tilted the hotly contested position his way, although he had been active only one season in the past four, taking Counties-Manukau to the Bartercard Cup playoffs last season.
His first job as Kiwis coach is October's New Zealand-Australia test in Wellington.
Kemble is a real estate agent in South Auckland.
Prescott, a former Canterbury Bulls coach, has taken this year off after guiding New Zealand A to a 48-18 win over their Australian counterparts last year.
New Zealand Rugby League football director Graham Lowe said the coach had been chosen and informed, but the announcement would be made on Friday.
A total of 15 applications were received for the job of succeeding Leeds-bound Brian McClennan, with Aucklander Kemble and Canterbury's Prescott emerging as the favourites from the likes of Wellington Orcas coach Paul Bergman, James Leuluai, David Lomax and Graeme Norton - all among the shortlisted candidates.
Lowe headed the appointments panel, who also included fellow former Kiwi coaches Frank Endacott and Howie Tamati.
Kemble, a fullback in his playing days, made 19 tests appearances for the Kiwis between 1980 and 1986 before switching his focus to coaching.
He coached the Northcote Tigers and Hawke's Bay in the Lion Red Cup in the early 1990s and was in charge of Counties-Manukau last year.
His impressive CV reads Junior Kiwis coach (1994, 1998-99), New Zealand Residents coach (1995), New Zealand 13 coach (1996-97), Kiwis assistant (1995), New Zealand A coach (2002) and was also co-coach with Norton of the 2000 World Cup squad while Frank Endacott remained at Wigan.
He took the Warriors reserve grade side to the grand final in 1997 and was on the elite coaching staff with the Warriors and NZRL in 2001-02. He was involved with the Warriors side that reached the 2002 National Rugby League grand final.
The following year and in 2005 Kemble missed out on the Kiwis job.
Prescott forged a fine record in Canterbury league, leading Halswell to three titles and two grand final appearances during the 1990s, He became Gerard Stokes' assistant with the Bulls for the 2000 Bartercard Cup season, stepping up to the top job in 2002 and winning the title in 2003.
Canterbury were second in 2005 and last year.
- NZPA
