Maguire linked to Wigan

[nacho]

THE list of highly credentialed coaching contenders awaiting the fate of Jason Taylor at the Rabbitohs includes Nathan Brown, Graham Murray, Steve Folkes and Shane Flanagan.

But Kiwis coach and Storm assistant Stephen Kearney has ruled himself out of contention if Taylor is sacked, as expected.

Battling to save his career at Redfern, Taylor has until 5pm Tuesday to tell the club's board of directors why his $250,000 contract should not be torn up.

The Souths coach was issued with a breach of contract notice on Thursday after chief executive Shane Richardson concluded his investigation into the Rabbitohs' end-of-season antics in Surry Hills.

Kearney has ruled himself out of the running if Taylor is axed, while fellow Melbourne assistant Michael Maguire is believed to be close to signing with Wigan in the UK.

"Regardless of the current circumstances at South Sydney, I want to make it clear that I am not interested in any job that may or may not become available at the club,'' Kearney said.

"I am committed to Melbourne Storm at least until the end of 2010 and that, along with the New Zealand coaching role, is where I will focus all my energies.''

The rest of the contenders include Brown, Folkes, Murray and Flanagan, while football director John Lang is not expected to covet the top job.

[Taliesin]

The New Coach next year thread at Cherry n White is currently 30 pages & counting.M n M has been firmly in the frame since about page 15.

Noble to Celtic - Maguire to Wigan,(current 2IC may stay on ?)

[cougar]

and Kearney is smart too - why take a job at the Bunnies where no matter how good a coach you are the team have been losers for so long now it's not funny - every year it's we're gunna do this & gunna do that then at the end of the year the coach gets the bullet 'cos the team are shit...imagine if Bellamy had taken the Wests job when it was offered to him - he definitely wouldn't be regarded as highly as he is now....

[Insomniac]

...imagine if Bellamy had taken the Wests job when it was offered to him - he definitely wouldn't be regarded as highly as he is now....

Who knows?  Bellamy would've been able to build up the team that he wanted and being the great coach that he is, may have been able to make just as big a difference to the Tigers that he has with our Storm...