YOU can’t have your job but you can stick around. That is the extraordinary prospect facing Andrew McFadden who will be replaced as Warriors coach by Stephen Kearney as early as Tuesday.

Despite the Daily Telegraph revealing online of McFadden’s dumping as head coach, the Warriors are considering keeping McFadden on at the club in a different role. McFadden still has a year to run on his contract.

Kearney’s appointment has thrown the New Zealand national team into chaos with Kearney to resign as head coach of the Kiwis. Kearney, who has controlled the Kiwis since 2008, was to coach the squad at the Four-Nations tournament next month but is now expected to step out as he looks to stamp his authority early on the Warriors. The Kiwis are now on the lookout for a coach.

media_camera Andrew McFadden has had limited success in his time as Warriors coach.

Kearney has not had an NRL head coaching role since his ill-fated two year stint at the Eels ended in 2012. McFadden has paid the price for a lacklustre coaching record at the Warriors, unable to secure a final spot in his two full seasons at the club. He took over from Matt Elliott midway through 2014.

Kearney will be the first New Zealander to coach the Warriors fulltime since Brian McClennan’s single-season reign in 2012.

The appointment will be a homecoming for Kearney, who played 79 top grade games for the Warriors, in between stints at Western Suburbs and Melbourne. He has been an assistant coach at Brisbane since 2013, and has worked closely with Wayne Bennett for the past two seasons.

media_camera Stephen Kearney has enjoyed a successful stint as coach of the New Zealand national team. Picture: Phil Hillyard

It is understood Kearney has already told those in Brisbane of his intentions to move to the Warriors.

McFadden was under pressure for the bulk of this season, after his team failed to fire despite a host of big name recruits including Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Issac Luke joining the club.

“I’ve had to look very hard at myself,” McFadden said in an interview with New Zealand radio last week.

“We had some excuses last year for the end of season fade out but we had none this year.

“We had a good enough team to do better. There is no hiding from the fact we blew our chance. We were sitting seventh with four games to go, with three home games and very winnable games and we didn’t perform at all. We are certainly lacking something and that’s what the review is designed to find.”