New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Jim Doyle today announced the Kiwis' management team for their 2010 international programme.

World Cup-winning coach Stephen Kearney will again have his former New Zealand team-mate Tony Iro as his assistant for the May 7 Anzac Test against Australia in Melbourne and the Four Nations in October-November.

The 2010 team manager is Tony Kemp, who was appointed to a new role as the NZRL's football manager late last year. Former Kiwi captain Ruben Wiki, now the NZRL's high performance manager, returns to the New Zealand management team; he was one of the Kiwis' trainers during their 2008 World Cup campaign and will have some involvement in that area again in his new position.

"Last year we created a new management structure at the NZRL which led to the creation of a football department and clearly defined roles," said Doyle.

"That restructuring was also designed to flow through to linking the Kiwis and the NZRL to ensure we provide continuity and consistency. Having a fulltime football manager, it logically makes sense for him to have this position with the Kiwis, as it does with Ruben in his capacity as our high performance manager."

Kemp takes over from Gordon Gibbons, who was the Kiwis' manager in 2008 and 2009.

"We're extremely grateful for the job Gordon did as team manager. This change and others made to the management team had nothing to do with performance but were instead consistent with the changes we have made to the NZRL's overall management structure and job descriptions," said Doyle.

Gibbons said he fully supported the changes made.

"I've always regarded it as a huge honour and a privilege to have the job as Kiwi manager," he said.

"I would have enjoyed the chance to continue but I fully understand and agree with the changes the NZRL has made to the management structure. I'm 150 per cent behind anything that helps the Kiwis to perform better on and off the field and I'll always be available to help in any way I can."

Dean Bell, the Kiwis' football manager in 2008-09, was unavailable due to his heavy commitments as the Vodafone Warriors' recruitment and development manager plus the club's NRL team manager.

Head trainer Dayne Norton, the Vodafone Warriors' NRL trainer, had support from Manly's Don Singe and Canberra's Quentin Pongia last year. Norton continues in his role in 2010 with Wiki assisting. Simon Mayhew is again the team doctor and Hamish Craighead continues as physiotherapist.

Doyle said a logistics manager would also be contracted when the Kiwis are in camp while there was capacity for specialist football support staff (such as kicking and wrestling coaches plus an IT analyst) to be brought into the management team when required.

The full management team is:

Football Manager: Tony Kemp

Head Coach: Stephen Kearney

Assistant Coach: Tony Iro

Head Trainer: Dayne Norton

High Performance Manager: Ruben Wiki

Doctor: Simon Mayhew

Physiotherapist: Hamish Craighead

Communications Manager: Richard Becht