The NSW Waratahs face an exodus of key staff unless long-time assistant Les Kiss is appointed as head coach for the 2009 Super 14 season.

With the Waratahs flying high in second position and on course for a home semi-final, the NSW board may already be regretting their early decision not to extend Ewen McKenzie's coaching contract beyond this season.

But as if finding a better alternative than the meticulous McKenzie - NSW's most successful mentor in the 13-season history of Super rugby - was not hard enough, it now appears that his successor, unless it is Kiss, will be asked to start from scratch.

In addition to McKenzie leaving, attack coach Todd Louden has signed with the Ricoh club in Japan, defence coach Kiss is not expected to stay unless he gets the top job and forwards coach Steve Tuynman is also tipped to depart.

Below McKenzie, Louden, Kiss and Tuynman, the entire back-room staff, including team managers, doctors, physios and kicking and strength and conditioning coaches, are said to be nervously awaiting the appointment of McKenzie's replacement.

"There's no way Les Kiss will hang around for a seventh straight season as defence coach, not with his aspirations," a Waratahs insider said.

"And The Bird (Tuynman) won't hang around ... the entire coaching structure is up in the air."

But with Kiss believed to have been overlooked for a second interview and speculation rife that the job is down to a race in two between former Wallabies attack coach Scott Johnson and ex-Australian under-21s coach Chris Hickey, all McKenzie's carefully built structure could be lost in a twinkling.

"The players don't want to start learning all over again, new moves and strategies and what-not," the insider said.

In his five seasons in charge, McKenzie has taken the Waratahs to their only final in 2005, the semi-finals in 2006 and he has them on the brink of the playoffs this campaign.

Off the field, the hard-working former World Cup-winning prop and Wallabies assistant coach has been equally influential.

He has played a major role in recruiting big-name players to the franchise, most recently rugby league international Timana Tahu, and was also largely responsible for the Waratahs moving from adequate training amenities at Narrabeen on Sydney's northern beaches to the state-of-the-art facilities at Sydney Football Stadium.

McKenzie's departure is already having a bearing on the Waratahs' future, with Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom saying he for one would not commit to a new playing contract until he knows who the next coach will be.

Despite reports of division at board level over the decision to sever ties with McKenzie, who is poised to sign a lucrative deal with French premiership club Stade Francais, NSWRU chief executive Jim L'Estrange maintains he has no regrets.

L'Estrange is expected to make a recommendation to the board early next month after an independent panel decides on a shortlist of contenders to replace McKenzie.

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