By Dan Walsh and Billie Eder
Kiwi legend Stacey Jones will take charge of the New Zealand national side after being appointed ahead of decorated veteran coach Wayne Bennett.
Jones, who was already part of the Kiwis coaching team under Michael Maguire, will hold the top job for the next three years, taking New Zealand through to the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
Bennett was a leading contender for the role, having applied last month ahead of his final year as Dolphins head coach, but New Zealand Rugby Leage chief executive Greg Peters said no other candidate came close to Jones for the role.
“I’m not going to talk about other candidates because I think out of respect to them that’s not an appropriate thing to do,” Peters said.
“What I will say is we had a panel … that was appointed by the board to scan the applicants and work through a short list of interviews, and Stacey was far and miles ahead of any of the other candidates.”
Former Kiwi prop Nathan Cayless was also considered before the NZRL plumped for Jones, who will be the first New Zealander to coach the Kiwis since David Kidwell in 2017.
The NZRL’s decision has now left Bennett jobless for 2025. The 74-year-old is set to step down as the Dolphins’ foundation coach later this year for assistant Kristian Woolf to take over.
The Dolphins have made clear that an advisory role is also available for Bennett, who made a point of returning home to Queensland for good when he joined the NRL’s newest side. At the same time, Bennett has baulked at talk of a coach’s director position, insisting that he is a head coach.
Several rival NRL coaches enter 2024 under pressure, with Bennett previously linked to a South Sydney return that was denied by all parties.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys has identified Bennett as the ideal candidate to lead the NRL’s 18th team, but the governing body is yet to determine when and where a new franchise would enter the NRL.
Jones, who played for New Zealand from 1995 to 2006 and is regarded as the country’s greatest playmaker, said the appointment meant just as much to him as his Kiwi debut almost three decades ago.
Stacey Jones playing for New Zealand against Great Britain in 2001.Credit: NRL Photos
“I am very honoured and privileged to be in this position,” he said. “I know what the Kiwi jersey is all about.
“Being a part of the campaign with Madge [Maguire] for the last four or five years gave me that hunger to take this opportunity on, or try and pursue it, and I feel very fortunate to be given this role.
“It means a huge amount. It’s kind of like when you make your debut, when you get picked for the Kiwis for the first time, sort of got that feeling again about it.”
Despite Maguire relinquishing the role because of the potential conflict of interest with his new role as NSW State of Origin coach, Jones said he had been given the green light to remain as assistant coach at the Warriors during his time as Kiwis coach.
“They [the Warriors] were so supportive of me to do this, but also continue in my role there,” Jones said.
“I think it’s important to be still around the footy game day in day out, where I’m still learning lots of stuff from a day-to-day coach, and I know that what I’m doing there I can bring to this Kiwi team.”
Jones will now lead a New Zealand team that is in its best shape in decades after their Pacific Championships victory where they dealt Australia its heaviest Test loss in history.
“Michael Maguire rang me before and was really happy, and he just said, keep things going, keep things heading in the direction he wanted to take us,” Jones said. “So he was really stoked. I feel like I’m in a position where I can do that.”
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