The Dominion Post yesterday reported All Black assistants Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith were looking at hands-on roles during the expanded Super 15.
A previous report on Newstalk ZB had linked Hansen to the top job at the Highlanders, with Wellington coach Jamie Joseph and Southland co-coach Simon Culhane as his assistants.
The job is technically vacant as it has been advertised by the New Zealand Rugby Union, even though incumbent Glenn Moore has a year remaining on his contract.
Henry spoke to reporters in Auckland yesterday and was asked what might be happening with his two right-hand men.
"That hasn't been decided. There's been some speculation. There's some foundation to the speculation but it hasn't been decided," Henry said.
"It's a franchise decision at the end of the day plus the New Zealand Rugby Union. We've got to make sure we do our best with that because there's eight months where we don't have any contact with the players, in a coaching sense. That's a hell of a long time leading into a World Cup."
Asked specifically if one of his assistants might be the head coach at a franchise, Henry replied: "I think there's some foundation to that speculation. That has been discussed, but that decision has not been made. I don't want to say it is not going to happen and I don't want to say it is because I don't know."
Henry said it might not necessarily mean a hands-on role for either Hansen or Smith, who has been linked with the Blues.
Highlanders chairman Ross Laidlaw said his board had not discussed the possibility of having an All Black coach join the franchise, nor had it been advised of that possibility by the NZRU.
It would be difficult to comment on the merits of having someone like Hansen joining the Highlanders until an appointment was made, Laidlaw said.
Applications for the Highlanders job close on Wednesday.
Laidlaw said the franchise board had no idea who or how many coaches had applied, because it was an NZRU appointment.
He did not know whether Moore was going to reapply for his job.
