Who Should be the Next Blues Coach?

So it appears the Lam era is about to end in the Blues fraternity. The Blues have announced that they will be advertising Lam's job before a review of this season has been completed.

Too soon or about right? It is probably fair enough given that the Blues have had a disastrous campaign to date after all the pre-season expectations, after the signings of All Blacks Nonu and Weepu, and given the apparent talent around those All Blacks.

On a side note, I think Nonu and Weepu are a bad influence on the team and should be allowed to go overseas to play their rugby. Look what happened at the Hurricanes; it appears they've carried it over to what was already a fragmented and disorganized Blues camp (yes this was even after their fairly successful 2011 season).

While all the 4 other New Zealand Super Rugby franchises are consistently winning and placing themselves in great positions to contest the playoffs, the Blues are now firmly behind, cast adrift and fighting to avoid the wooden spoon.

So who should be the new coach? Here are my 5 candidates.

Rangi as player

Leon Macdonald
The longest shot here but worth considering should the Blues decide to take a leaf out of the Hurricanes book, eat their Auckland pride, and realise that the Crusaders way is the way to go. Macdonald has just started coaching with the Tasman Makos but mind you, Mark Hammett was only assistant coach at the Crusaders when he got the Hurricanes job and look where the Hurricanes are now.

Bryce Woodward/Liam Barry
The current assistant coaches at the Blues but they may not be in the running if the Blues decide that a cleanout of the current coaching staff is needed. However, Woodward has been involved in Northland's recent success.

Peter Russell
It was a huge shock when Peter Russell was sacked from the Hawkes Bay coaching job despite leading the Magpies back to the Premier Division last season, and despite helping turn the Bay from a former second division team into one of the biggest contenders in NZ provincial rugby. Russell may be an outsider given his lack of links to the Blues franchise but could be worth a punt if the Blues want someone from outside the Auckland region to have a look and turn things around.

Vern Cotter
The only other contender to Steve Hansen for the All Blacks head coach job last year, Cotter is one of NZ's best coaches at the moment, yet is a bit of an unknown in his own country, having enjoyed all of his success so far in France with Top 14 and Heineken Cup contenders, Clermont Auvergne. However, if Cotter has aspirations for the top job in New Zealand rugby, he must consider coaching one of the Super Rugby franchises soon and the Blues would give him the perfect opportunity to show the New Zealand rugby union what he can do. The only trouble is that

Wayne Smith
Must be favourite now surely after his decision to stay in New Zealand rather than take up the assistant coaching job with the England rugby team. The Blues must appoint the former All Blacks head coach and definitely the most highly qualified coach in New Zealand rugby who isn't currently in a head coaching role. He helped win the Rugby World Cup for New Zealand last year and has definitely transformed the Chiefs into the real deal this season. It would be perfect for Smith who originally chose the Chiefs so he could be close to his family in Putaruru rather than return to Crusaders land - yes it'll be a slightly longer drive not greatly. And yes he was an ex-Crusaders head coach.