NRL: Wests exit may affect Warriors and Kiwis

Warriors coach Andrew McFadden is seeking experienced backup. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Wests Tigers' decision to let go head coach Mick Potter could have repercussions for the Warriors and Kiwis and their assistant coach appointments.

The Tigers are expected to confirm their new head coach by October 27, with Potter's assistants, Todd Payten and David Kidwell, who was recently appointed Kiwis assistant coach, in the running to take on the top job. Nathan Brown, Matt Parish, Jason Taylor and Anthony Griffin are the other contenders for the Tigers job.

Payten and New Zealand Rugby League football manager Tony Iro have been linked to the vacant Warriors assistant coach role, while it is uncertain whether Kidwell would remain second in charge to Kiwis head coach Stephen Kearney, should he win the Tigers role.

The fact that the Kiwis start their Four Nations campaign with a test against Australia in Brisbane on October 25 makes the situation more urgent for the NZRL.

The Warriors hope to confirm a new assistant coach soon, in the wake of head coach Andrew McFadden's decision to cull both his assistants, Ricky Henry and Adam Mogg, after the club's disappointing exit from this year's finals race. Mogg came on board as an assistant coach in May, while Henry had been involved with the Warriors in various roles since 2008.

McFadden has made it clear he is seeking a more experienced off-sider to balance his own relative inexperience.

"I'm hoping we'll be able to make an announcement in the near future," he told the Warriors website on Sunday. "I'm a fairly inexperienced coach at this level and I recognised during the season that I need the support and advice of people who have been around coaching at the top level longer than I have been."

Ironically, Kidwell could find himself in a similar situation to McFadden, who was appointed Kiwis assistant coach in March while serving as assistant to former Warriors coach Matt Elliott. Just five weeks later McFadden stood down from the national post when Elliott's controversial departure saw him appointed head coach of the club.

Iro, who was unavailable for comment, has a strong resume, having previously served at the Warriors in a variety of coaching roles between 2005-12, and also having worked as national assistant to Kearney between 2009-13. He moved into the Kiwis football manager role ahead of the 2013 World Cup with former Warriors head coach Ivan Cleary filling the assistant position for that tournament.

Payten has a strong connection with McFadden from their time playing together at Canberra between 1997 and 2001 and previously coached the Tigers Under 20s side to grand final success in 2012.

Kidwell, a former Junior Kiwis coach, joined the Tigers staff this year after three years with the Melbourne Storm.