Michael Maguire is set to be retained as Kiwis coach.

The Herald understands the 49-year-old will be allowed to continue with the national team, alongside his role as NSW State of Origin coach.

Despite an impressive Pacific Championship campaign, topped off by a historic 30-0 win over the Kangaroos in the final, Maguire’s future has been the subject of much debate since the news broke last month about the likely Origin job.

There has been a push behind the scenes – led by Tony Kemp and a group of fellow former internationals – to have Maguire replaced, with the belief that the two roles were incompatible, as well as being a less-than-ideal look for the sport here.

But Maguire has garnered strong support from most others inside the game, including prominent former coaches such as Frank Endacott and Sir Graham Lowe. Crucially, he also has the backing of the playing group and strong messages of support from senior players have been passed on formally and informally to New Zealand Rugby League.

The NZRL board met on Wednesday in Auckland. It’s believed there was a presentation from Maguire about the recent campaign and the past year. After the coach left, the board reconvened to consider his future.

While a final decision has yet to be rubber-stamped, it’s understood the council has decided to continue with Maguire.

It would have been hard to overlook the recent performances against Samoa (50-0) and Australia, especially given the Kiwis were missing several key players.

Maguire has also restored pride and belief in the black and white jersey after the disaster that was the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

He also has vast experience, from eight seasons in the NRL (233 games as head coach) and two years at Wigan, and is recognised as one of the best “campaign” coaches in the world.

It’s also unlikely his NSW role will conflict with the Kiwis’ job, given the strictly defined chapters of the season. There had been concerns raised over a possible conflict of interest – if a player was eligible for the Origin arena and New Zealand – but that has only happened once in the past decade (Kalyn Ponga).

Maguire is contracted until the 2026 Rugby League World Cup. He took on the Kiwis’ role in 2018, beating the Kangaroos at his first attempt. He has an impressive 2-3 record against Australia and is unbeaten against Tonga (2-0) and Samoa (1-0). The Kiwis narrowly lost the 2018 series to England 2-1 but bounced back to beat Great Britain in both tests the following year.

As well as closing the gap on Australia, Maguire’s most impressive contribution has been the ability to identify new talent and create a winning environment.

He is also fiercely competitive and has done a lot of work behind the scenes to change the mindset in New Zealand, where the Kangaroos have always been regarded as the big brothers.

The decision will open the door for his Origin appointment, which has been on ice while the NZRL consider its position.

NZRL chief executive Greg Peters was unavailable for comment, while several board members contacted by the Herald did not return calls.

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.