Dumped premiership coach Michael Maguire thinks his time helping the NRL's referees will give him a unique edge in the hunt for the vacant New Zealand coaching job. 

Maguire ended South Sydney's 43-year title drought in 2014 before his sudden departure last season and has since found a home instructing the NRL's referees and administrators. 

While content with his role, Maguire sees it as a new way back into the coaching game, singling out the New Zealand job as one of interest. 

GETTY IMAGES Michael Maguire has confirmed his interest in coaching New Zealand. 

"I'm a coach that wants to learn and it's a good place to learn," Maguire told Fox League's NRL 360. 

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GETTY IMAGES Maguire was dumped as Rabbitohs coach last year. 

"There's a lot of things that players and coaches don't understand in terms of rules and I've got that education now and I look forward to using that one day." 

Maguire is understood to be one of three candidates for the job vacated by David Kidwell - along with Geoff Toovey and Laurie Daley - after Des Hasler reportedly dropped out of the race this week. 

"I haven't heard anything [about the New Zealand job], but the international game has always appealed to myself to build, especially [a team] of New Zealand's calibre, would be a great experience," Maguire said. 

GETTY IMAGES Des Hasler's reported interest in the Kiwis job is said to have cooled. 

Maguire still lives in Maroubra in Sydney and said Rabbitohs fans "give you a cuddle and say thank you" for the 2014 premiership and that the feeling was driving his return to coaching. 

"To achieve that again is something I'm after ... I want to go back for more," he said. 

"It's my passion, what I want to end up as and I've used this time to help somewhere in the game." 

GETTY IMAGES Maguire celebrating South Sydney's historic premiership success in 2014. 

In regards to his current role, he said the early-season penalty blitz was starting to reap rewards. 

"As coaches we're alway stretching the rules ... it's a coach's job to play in that space and that's all above board," Maguire said. 

"But they were playing a lot more off-side than on-side and now, getting them back 10 [metres], it's actually starting to open up the game. 

"You'll see teams change their mindset and teams are giving away less penalties now and, having watched the footage, it's not [because referees have stopped blowing penalties]."