Matt Elliott might be only 11 games into his coaching career with the Warriors but already the club are thinking about his successor with Elliott in line to work alongside Wigan Warriors' coach Shaun Wane in 2015.
Wane has previously described coaching Wigan as his "dream job" but also said he would never rule out a job in the NRL and is said to be conscious of what his predecessor, Mick Maguire has done with the Rabbitohs. The Sun newspaper has reported Wane's wife has even been to Auckland to look around.
Elliott is contracted through to the end of 2015 and could reportedly then assume a role akin to a director of football or executive general manager similar to what Phil Gould does at Penrith. Elliott is already trying to implement a number of changes at all levels of the club and is trying to juggle that with being first-grade coach.
Wane's possible arrival might aid the Warriors' efforts to recruit Wigan and England fullback Sam Tomkins, who is being chased hard by the club. They are hopeful of signing last year's UK Super League Man of Steel (player of the year) but would need to fork out close to $1 million a year for him and he might be more inclined to move to Auckland if he knew Wane wasn't far behind.
The timing of Wane's link to the Warriors, however, is curious with so much time between now and 2015. It might also come as disappointing news to someone like Warriors assistant Andrew Mcfadden, who is an ambitious young coach.
An opening might come up with the juniors, with under-20s coach John Ackland expected to leave the club at the end of the year and take up scouting again.
