Michael Maguire has lost his position as Kiwis coach after deciding to take up the job as the NSW Blues coach.

The 49-year-old had wanted to do both roles and this week spoke to the New Zealand Rugby League board in an attempt to convince them that this was possible.

However, there was a potential conflict of interest in having both roles, particularly around how Maguire would handle players who were eligible for the Kiwis and Blues, as it’s not possible to play for both teams.

Maguire was given the choice by the NZRL board to pick the Kiwis or NSW Blues and he has chosen the latter.

His departure follows the Kiwis’ historic 30-0 win over the Kangaroos in Hamilton on November 4, which was Australia’s biggest ever defeat in a test.

After that game Maguire confirmed his commitment to the Kiwis.”I’ve never wanted to leave,” Maguire said in his post-match press conference.

“We’ve got a fair bit of unfinished business to do as a group. I alluded to that before.

“I’m very passionate with my players and when you’ve got players that are putting in like they did there, it’s pretty easy to turn up.”

However, he has chosen to step down.

NZRL CEO Greg Peters said he’s disappointed Maguire will no longer coach the Kiwis, but the board believed it wouldn’t be feasible for him to do both jobs.

“We’re devastated to lose him,” Peters said.

“I’ve had a strong working relationship with him for five years now and he’s had huge success in putting the mana back in the Kiwis shirt, together with the player leadership group we’ve got.

“Michael sat with our board and discussed a range of considerations and we have to respect the decision he ended up making.

“It’s a difficult world in professional coaching. A coach of that calibre is always going to have offers coming at him, particularly as his stocks have gone up in recent weeks.

“He hasn’t announced State of Origin, but everyone knows that it is the likely avenue.

“We believe with the status and mana in the Kiwis shirt that we want someone who is 100% focussed on that.

“Michael always was that and still is, but we don’t see that the dual roles work.”

Maguire argued that he could still give his all to the Kiwis, while also coaching the Blues as their campaigns are at different times of the year.

“He’s a coach, it’s two campaigns and he [felt] he can differentiate them. He’s entitled to that view and there are contrary views,” Peters said.

“He’s balanced those views, heard our side and made a decision. I respect that, because it’s a difficult decision to make and he’s weighed up all the factors.

“But it’s a difficult situation, because he wants to advance and he feels this will help him advance his coaching career.”

Peters said they would plan the process for finding a new Kiwis coach, but they’re not in a rush to find a replacement.

“We haven’t determined a timeline,” he said.

“We’re coming up to Christmas, it’s not like we’ve got a replacement ready to go right now. We want to run a process to see who might be interested in the role.

“There is no immediate rush, because unfortunately we don’t play again until October. We want to get the right person and the right structures around that person is important.”

Stacey Jones and Nathan Cayless are two of the obvious candidates to become the next Kiwis coach, but while the NZRL is keen to have New Zealand coaches involved in the team, the next coach could be another Australian.

“We want the best coach,” Peters said.

“That’s the policy and unless the board changes that policy as part of this process, that’s the current policy.