Outgoing Blues coach David Nucifora says he has a "real interest" in linking with the Australian Rugby Union, but insists he is leaving New Zealand for family reasons.

Nucifora said he would opt out of his contract a year early and return to Australia with his family at the end of the Super 14 season.

Adding further fuel to speculation that he will replace Pat Howard as manager of the ARU high performance unit, Nucifora said in Brisbane that the thought of working with Wallabies coach Robbie Deans was enticing.

However, he said he has had only preliminary talks with ARU boss John O'Neill and would also mull over "other options" which included being based in Brisbane.

"There is a lot about it (the ARU job) that is of real interest to me, but again I am not totally driven by my rugby career," Nucifora said.

"I have only had one or two conversations with John (O'Neill) ... there's nothing firm yet, no agreement in place."

Asked about the prospect of working with Deans, the former Brumbies coach said: "That is part of the offer that does interest me, to be able to work closely with Robbie.

"All of those things are of interest but I will weigh them all up after I work out what suits us as a family.

"It's not about the job bringing me home, the decision to come home is a family one."

Nucifora appeared to distance himself from the vacant NSW Waratahs coaching position, saying his preference was to live in Queensland.

"While I have been in discussions with the Australian Rugby Union, I do not have a confirmed job to go to, nor do I intend to be coaching another Super 14 team," he said.

"If I was to continue coaching at this level, I would have stayed with the Blues.

"There are some other options that I am looking at ... things that I can do living in Brisbane - the choice will come down over the next couple of weeks."

Nucifora has been coach of the Blues franchise for three years and spent a year as a technical advisor before that.

He said family would be the top priority when deciding his next move.

"My decision will be made around that, the rugby decision will follow that," he said.

"I feel like I have been on the road for seven years now in this competition and dragging my family around.

"We felt that it was the best time to come back to Australia for the sake of my children. We are getting into their high school years and we wanted to settle down a bit.

"It's going to be sad to go but coaching is like that and you move on to your next lot of challenges."

But Nucifora said his announcement would not distract him from the job at hand - leading the Blues to the Super 14 finals.

They need to win their final three games with bonus points - starting with the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night - to stay alive in the finals hunt.

"One thing I do want to make clear is that we have three very important weeks left in this season with the Blues, and I am determined to finish the season as well as we possibly can - that's the most important thing on my mind," he said.

Blues chief executive Andy Dalton said, while he was disappointed Nucifora was leaving, he understood why.

"From the outset, David has informed me of family factors that would affect his decision to coach the Blues," he told NZPA.

"I have huge respect for him and the significant results he has achieved within the franchise since he became head coach."

Blues captain Troy Flavell said Nucifora's inside knowledge of Kiwi rugby would make him invaluable to the ARU.

"He has an insight into the New Zealand players and New Zealand's mentality, I'm sure that offers something to Australian rugby," he said in Brisbane.

"From a players' point of view we would have loved to have him for an extra year.

Flavell said Nucifora's announcement would steel the team for a last gasp crack at the finals.

"All the boys are quite focussed," he said.

"We know the situation that we are in. Our backs are against the wall so hopefully that brings the best out of us."

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