World Cup sole focus for Kiwis coach

Michael Maguire will spend this week coaching the Kiwis at Mt Smart Stadium ahead of their clash with Mate Ma’a Tonga on Saturday evening.

But he was keeping his cards close to his chest as to whether he would like to work there permanently next year with the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL.

A fortnight ago, Maguire was axed by Wests Tigers just hours after Nathan Brown departed the Warriors, having told club management he wasn’t willing to move to New Zealand when the team returned home for good in 2023.

Maguire’s name – as well as that of Tongan coach Kristian Woolf – was immediately linked with the Auckland team’s vacancy, but yesterday, as the Kiwis assembled for a photoshoot at their downtown hotel, it wasn’t a subject he wanted to discuss.

‘‘I’m not even going to go there. ‘‘My focus is the Kiwis at the moment. We’ve got a really important game on Saturday, and it’s very important for us to build some momentum heading into where we’re going.’’

Where they’re going is the Rugby League World Cup in England in October and November, a tournament that was postponed from last year due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic is also responsible for the fact that Saturday’s Kiwis game, the second in a double-header featuring the Kiwi Ferns, will be their first in two years and seven months.

‘‘They’ve all been busting to get together,’’ Maguire said of his 24-strong squad, which features eight potential debutants.

‘‘The players, especially in the past, have built a momentum towards what they want to achieve, and that’s success at the World Cup,

‘‘This week they have a very important test match to be able to come back together and reignite.’’

Veteran forward Isaac Liu was a late withdrawal from the Kiwis squad on the eve of their assembly, staying home on the Gold Coast to be with his partner for the birth of their second child.

Jesse Bromwich will captain the Kiwis on Saturday, while Krystal Rota will lead the Kiwi Ferns.