Former Wallabies stars Michael Hawker and Jeff Miller are part of a panel that will recommend a new Waratahs coach, with a decision set to be made at a May 12 NSW Rugby Union board meeting.

NSWRU chief executive Jim L'Estrange said the interviewing process had already started with a double digit tally of applicants drawn from Australia and overseas.

L'Estrange said a panel consisting of Miller, Hawker and NSW board member Ed Zemancheff would review the list of applicants.

He said the panel would meet and also talk with applicants by teleconference this week with interviews conducted over the next couple of weeks.

L'Estrange said the panel expected to come up with a recommendation in the next two or three weeks which would then go before the board.

"Many of the people that have applied for the job are well known, they've got track records and have been coaches for a long time, so to an extent we already know them pretty well," L'Estrange said.

Current Waratahs attack coach Todd Louden was the early favourite to replace Ewen McKenzie, but said last week he hadn't put in an application.

L'Estrange said Louden had still not applied but was hopeful he would change his mind.

"I'm certainly hopeful he will put his hand back up, but that's a question for Todd," L'Estrange said.

McKenzie, who was recently informed his five-year tenure would end after this season, on Monday flew to France for an interview with the Stade Francaise club in Paris.

L'Estrange confirmed McKenzie had been involved in the process of looking at the applications for his successor.

"I said Ewen would be involved in the process and I sat down with him last week and we were very comfortable that the right names are on the list," L'Estrange said.

He said the list of coaches contained people of varying degrees of experience, but wouldn't rule out choosing someone who hadn't already held a senior post.

L'Estrange said allowing McKenzie to travel to France this week was part of due process.

"I think it's just a common sense part of the process that Ewen is allowed to go overseas and talk and we are very comfortable with the team he has left behind to do the job," he said.

"It's respecting Ewen as a coach and we've got over 40 years of experience (among the other NSW coaches)."

Asked if he had received any emails or text messages from McKenzie, Waratahs winger Lote Tuqiri joked: "I don't know mate, he's probably too busy sipping a bloody latte on the Champs Elysees, as you do."

He said the players had no misgivings about McKenzie missing a few days of training.

"Not at all, he has to do what he has to do and NSW have given him a directive and he's got to look after himself," Tuqiri said.

In other news, NSW Premiership Clubs representative Alan Williamson resigned from the NSWRU board, with a new representative to be nominated shortly.

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