WESTS Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe has reportedly met with New Zealand Kiwis coach Michael Maguire, as he looks to sign a gun coach to replace Ivan Cleary for the 2019 season.

As it stands, Cleary will remain head coach next season, but the Tigers see his position as untenable because of his plans to link up with the Panthers at the completion of his current contract.

So, if they can find a clipboard-holder they consider to be of at least the same calibre as Cleary they’ll be happy to release him early.

Michael Maguire — a premiership-winning coach with the Rabbitohs in 2014 — fits the bill.

As, of course, does Wayne Bennett.

But the master coach, who also spoke with Pascoe before departing for the UK, has reportedly gone cold on the post.

Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster told Sky Sports Radio on Friday that he’d been “told overnight that Wayne Bennett has dropped completely off the Tigers”.

So, it should come as no surprise that Pascoe has upped the ante in his pursuit of Maguire.

NRL.com revealed that the chief executive was scheduled to fly direct to the United States for a club corporate tour, but instead stopped over in Auckland to sit down with Maguire prior to the Kiwis upset victory over the Kangaroos last Saturday.

Maguire has made no secret of his desire to coach in clubland again.

Earlier this month, he turned down the Sea Eagles role but he remains one of the frontrunners for the highly-coveted Broncos post that opens up in 2020.