Sheens lured by All Blacks

Three-time NRL premiership-winning coach Tim Sheens has revealed he was poised to join the All Blacks coaching set-up in 2002.

Sheens, who led Canberra to grand final glory in 1989-90 and 1994, was considering a code switch to the New Zealand Rugby Union after an unhappy stint at North Queensland ended in 2001.

One of league's most successful and innovative coaches, Sheens was close to turning his back on league after a brainstorming session with Crusaders coach Robbie Deans, at that time the All Blacks assistant under John Mitchell.

"I hadn't had a break [from league] in 20 years so I went over to Christchurch and sat down with Robbie Deans," Sheens told the Australian newspaper.

"I did a lot of work for a year on rugby.

"I was actually probably close to getting a job with the New Zealand Rugby Union. It would have been a skills/overall coaching director with a rugby league background ... but they wanted to look more at offence as well. Robbie had organised it when the Wests Tigers offered me the job."

- NZPA