BoP coaching crisis drags on

Bay of Plenty's coaching impasse will roll over to next week after scheduled talks between management and exiled coach Greg Smith failed to materialise.

Smith was expected to return to Tauranga to discuss his future with Bay of Plenty officials ahead of the province's Air NZ Cup match against Northland in Rotorua tonight, but the meeting will not take place until early next week at the earliest.

Appointed as Kevin Schuler's successor as head coach in March, Smith was stood down on Monday amid claims of a player revolt and a breakdown with management after the side's unimpressive pre-season.

The former Waikato and Fiji hooker returned to Hamilton, leaving the team's preparation for tonight's match with assistant Steve Miln and technical advisor Shaun Horan.

Bay of Plenty chief executive Jeremy Curragh would not talk specifically about the reasons behind Smith's temporary removal, saying the union was still working through a review process.

"There's no update, that hasn't happened yet (talks with Smith)," Curragh told NZPA.

Curragh said the New Zealand Rugby Union had been kept informed of developments.

Smith has not commented on the circumstances leading to his enforced break.

It is likely Miln and Horan's caretaker role will continue for Bay of Plenty's next match against Counties-Manukau at Pukekohe next Sunday.

Smith's one-year appointment came under scrutiny at board level after Bay of Plenty stuttered to a 29-18 win over Counties-Manukau before dropping their second trial match to Hawke's Bay 7-35.

With four provinces to be dropped from this year's Air NZ Cup to make way for a 10-team premier division next year, Bay of Plenty's coaching crisis is hardly ideal although Curragh insisted the players were solely focused on their preparation.

Smith, 35, previously coached Waikato club Fraser Tech to club championship victory last year and he has been a scrum coach for the Waikato Rugby Union.

In 2001 he was the assistant coach of Fiji when they won the Pan Pacific championship.

- NZPA