Kiwi league legend Tony Kemp has demanded the New Zealand Rugby League sack Michael Maguire as national coach immediately if he gets the Blues State of Origin job.The highly respected Maguire is the hot favourite to replace Brad Fittler as NSW coach but says he is committed to continuing with the Kiwis and helping them through to the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.Maguire's stance has infuriated the outspoken Kemp, who went as far as saying the NZRL should never appoint an Australian coach again."We should never have an Australian coaching the Kiwis and then allowed to take an Aussie job such as Origin," Kemp told Wide World of Sports."The Kiwis is the pinnacle, not a stepping stone for the Australian pathway system."Kemp is also angry at the way the 16 Aussie-based NRL clubs continue to pillage New Zealand for players."Australia are so concerned about their own pathways that State of Origin has now become Country of Origin," he said."The NRL know how important Kiwi players are to its competition and that's the reason it allows the clubs to waltz into New Zealand and do a hit-and-run mission on kids."We aren't even in the fight to retain 'Kiwi' hearts in our game or our 'Kiwi' way that has been built since 1907."I can see a time when New Zealand becomes a second-tier nation because the island nations are winning the hearts and minds battle over NZ and Aussie."The NRL needs to grow some balls and take over our game in NZ for the sake of the grassroots game."We are a tournament-based competition that promotes scouting and also a pathway for sacked NRL coaches to get back into the game."
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