NEW Zealand are secretly targeting Cowboys coach Paul Green to help the Kiwis to World Cup glory and shatter Johnathan Thurston’s Kangaroos farewell.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Green has been sounded out by New Zealand hierarchy in a move that could pit the Cowboys coach against his star playmaker Thurston at this year’s World Cup.
Green fielded the approach a fortnight ago and is currently weighing up whether to accept a role as New Zealand coach David Kidwell’s right-hand man.
Maroons icon Mal Meninga steered Australia to Four Nations glory last November in his maiden year in charge of the Kangaroos, but the Kiwis view Green as the secret weapon.
The 44-year-old is rated one of the smartest coaches of his generation, breaking the Cowboys’ 20-year premiership drought in his second season at the helm in 2015.
Thurston, Green’s most important player at the Cowboys, will retire from representative football at season’s end and is desperate to walk away as a World Cup winner.
But if the Kiwis get their way, Green will help Kidwell orchestrate a New Zealand boilover and break Thurston’s heart in the process.
Green confirmed he had been approached by the Kiwis to assist in their World Cup campaign.
“I don’t want to say too much but it would be great to be involved in the World Cup,” Green said. “No decision has been made at this stage.”
The Kiwis ramped-up their 2017 campaign on Monday, adding former England coach Steve McNamara and ex-Souths CEO Shane Richardson to their management team.
Now Kidwell is gunning for Green, who is widely regarded as the man to succeed Kevin Walters as Queensland’s next Origin coach.
Green was initially offered the Maroons post before Walters last year, but turned down the job due to his club commitments at the Cowboys.
New Zealand’s blueprint of sourcing Australian coaching talent has previously paid dividends.
In 2008, Broncos coach Wayne Bennett accepted an advisory role to Steve Kearney and helped the Kiwis to a shock 34-20 defeat of Australia in the World Cup final.
New Zealand halfback legend Gary Freeman, who coached the Kiwi team in 2001-02, urged Green to accept the job.
“He’s won a premiership with the Cowboys — assisting with the Kiwis would be a great stepping stone for him,” Freeman said.
“Wayne Bennett has helped the Kiwis before so I can’t see why Paul Green can’t do it. Paul Green is a winner and knowing Thurston’s game so well is one of the reasons I would get him on board.
“I’m not suggesting ‘Greeny’ would say bash Thurston because the game has gone way past that, but Paul knows him tactically and he could impart his knowledge on the Kiwis.”
Rookie Test coach Kidwell concedes he needs more support to topple Meninga’s Kangaroos and Bennett’s England side at the World Cup.
“For us to have a winning culture and ultimately give us the best shot at winning the rugby league World Cup, there was a need for greater leadership, both on and off the field,” he said.
“This has been my opportunity to lead in that department, and I’m doing that by surrounding myself with the best in the business.”
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...p/news-story/35f326fa12664cfc012485d6e739bfad