Former Manly Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey is disappointed not to get an interview for the vacant NZ Warriors head coaching role, saying he felt like the perfect candidate for the job.
The Warriors have been on the hunt for a new coach following the sacking of Stephen Kearney last month, with Todd Payten serving as interim for the remainder of the season.
Toovey was one of the first men to publicly express his interest in the role, but over the weekend the 51-year-old was reportedly told he "did not meet the criteria", according to TVNZ.
He previously coached the Sea Eagles from 2012-15, helping them reach the 2013 NRL Grand Final. He also coached the Bradford Bulls in the Rugby Football League Championship in 2017.
"Yeah, [I was] a little bit disappointed, but that's life," he says.
"I thought I was a good fit for the job. I was pretty excited to hopefully get the opportunity.
"Unfortunately the selection panel decided to go in a different direction."
Warriors owner Mark Robinson is among the selection panel who are interviewing candidates alongside chief executive Cameron George, chairman Rob Croot and club legend Simon Mannering.
Along with Toovey, brothers Ben and Shane Walker have also been informed they are out of the race.
Many coaches have ruled themselves out of contention for the role, including Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy, South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett, Sydney Roosters assistant Craig Fitzgibbon and Nathan Brown - who worked as a consultant at the Warriors earlier this year.
Payten remains one of the front-runners for the role, while the likes of Anthony Griffin, Neill Henry, Shaun Wane 2015 Premiership-winning coach Paul Green, are also in contention.
Some players, most recently Jazz Tevaga, have publicly supported Payten keeping the role moving forward, despite only winning once in five games since taking over.
The Warriors will look to snap their three-game losing streak on Friday night when they face the Wests Tigers.
Join us at 8pm Friday for live updates of the Warriors v Tigers NRL clash.
