Former New Zealand rugby league coach Frank Endacott is calling for Kiwis captain Jesse Bromwich to be axed from the job.
The Kiwis were thumped 34-8 by Australia in the Four Nations final on Monday morning, leaving New Zealand with just one win in the tournament.
Kiwis captain Jesse Bromwich Photo: PHOTOSPORT
That win came against England in their opening game of the competition, where they pipped the hosts 17-16.
The Kiwis then went on to lose to Australia 14-8, and draw with second-tier Scotland 18-18.
Endacott said as a prop, Bromwich is often subbed off the field during the game, and the captain needs to play for 80 minutes in every Test.
"You can't have your captain sitting off the field, your captain needs to be on the field all the time -- I mean, you'd never see (Australian captain) Cameron Smith leave the field," he said.
Former Kiwis and Warriors coach, Frank Endacott Photo: Photosport
"You need your brains out there and of course, Jesse leads from the front... and he does a great job, but captaincy is a different thing altogether and that's another area we're behind Australia in.
"We need a natural captain, we need to go out and look for one for our future, for the next 10 years, because it's a vital part of the game."
But Endacott said it won't be easy..
"I can't see any obvious choices at all. I think we've got to start spreading the net and start looking at what's coming through."
But Endacott has defended the performance new head coach David Kidwell, who has only one win to his name from his first five Tests in charge.
"Now that New Zealand Rugby League have made the decision to give David a two-year contract as coach of the Kiwis, they must honour that.
David Kidwell Photo: Photosport
"To be fair to him as a coach, he's got to be given time also and... I'm picking you're going to see an improvement next year and of course, if you don't, then you reassess things.
"There's a big difference between being an assistant coach of the Kiwis and head coach of the Kiwis.
"David needs to grow into that role. he's been an assistant to some very good coaches but now he's got to put his own mark on it, he's got to be his own man.
"There's talk of bringing in some Australian coach to mentor him -- I wouldn't do that. I think you need to grow as a coach yourself and if David's given the time to do that, I'm sure he'll be better off for it."
- RNZ
