Wayne Smith believes Sir John Kirwan should retain his job and has confirmed he would help his former All Blacks team-mate.

Sir John Kirwan's desperate fight to retain his head coaching role at the Blues next season has been bolstered by the support of arguably one of the country's best rugby brains.

Wayne Smith, often referred to as the "professor" such is his coaching nous, believes the embattled Super Rugby franchise should not offload Kirwan when his deal ends this year despite yet another horror season at the helm.

In fact, the long-time All Blacks servant is also prepared to put his "money where his mouth is" by confirming he's keen to mentor his former test teammate should he avoid the chop.



Much like other high-profile rugby backers – the likes of fellow former All Blacks coach John Hart and team-mates Andy Haden and Gary Whetton – Smith is open about his friendship with Kirwan.

For that reason, his endorsement should come as no surprise.

Smith started at first five-eighth when Kirwan made his test debut on the right wing as the All Blacks edged France 10-9 in Christchurch in 1984. Their relationship grew further when Smith later coached Kirwan in Italy, where their families lived in close proximity.

Essentially, Smith is keen to help out a mate in his time of need. And after winning 16 from 45 games over the past three seasons before Saturday night's clash with the Hurricanes, Kirwan clearly needs assistance.

There are, however, no guarantees Kirwan will retain his job after New Zealand Rugby was asked to mediate a board room standoff between the Auckland Rugby Union and private investors around his future at the struggling franchise. No decisions have been made yet and Smith's involvement hinges on Kirwan's future.

"I've got a strong relationship with him – we are close mates," Smith said. "I've got no interest in taking the head coach role off JK at the Blues or coaching the team as such in any capacity.

"I'm always happy to mentor people I've got a lot of time for. I'm keen to be a resource for JK if that helps him.

"I don't think he should be let go. If the problems are that simple then they would have had success with other quality coaches they've had over the last 12-odd years. It's more complex than what a lot of people paint. Clearly it's not a simple job. JK has huge passion for the club, the team and the region. You can see that the players are playing for him. They haven't given up in what are difficult circumstances.

"Ditching the coach hasn't worked. I think the Blues should retain JK and reinforce the coaching with another very capable coach to work with him. In that scenario, I'm prepared to put my money where my mouth is and be a resource for him."

After 29 years of top-level coaching, Smith intends to take a step back and enjoy some rest and relaxation with his wife after helping the All Blacks in their quest to defend the Webb Ellis Cup in England later this year.

His potential role with the Blues would, therefore, need to fit around those plans. While he would aim to work with Kirwan one-to-two days per week around enhancing coaching processes along with technical and strategic ability, that may be via Skype or over the phone if he's unable to always meet in person.

Any position with the Blues would differ greatly from Smith's current duties with the Chiefs, where he has stepped away from the fulltime role to be a part-time coach responsible for kick counter-attacks and turnover plays.

Smith's value to the franchise would extend well beyond Kirwan, with his presence sure to be of benefit and see recruitment and retention take on a much more positive outlook.

"I doubt if I'd enter anything that over-commits me in 2016. I'm hugely excited about this year with the All Blacks and next year I'll be looking to pull back a bit. I've been looking for an extended break from the game for a while, and that's part of the plan next year. A coach's sabbatical."

NZR chief executive Steve Tew is under no illusions the messy coaching saga has damaged the Blues' reputation and he is keen to see the board room dispute resolved sooner rather than later.

"We need all of our Super Rugby teams to be in good shape. In our biggest city we need the Blues to be functioning very well on and off the paddock. Anything that's getting in the way of that should be resolved as quickly as possible.

"Currently our role is advice. They are trying to resolve one or two issues themselves but if they need some more formal help then we're ready to go."