ENGLAND are set to revert to a full-time head coach following the decision of Tony Smith to step down from the role.

Smith quit in the wake of England’s 46-16 defeat by Australia in Saturday night’s Gillette Four Nations final for family reasons and to concentrate on his club role with Warrington.

The 42-year-old Australian made the decision not to seek a new contract, which runs out this month, before the start of the tournament but will help the Rugby Football League unearth his successor.

The search for a new coach to lead England into the 2013 World Cup began yesterday when a four-man panel, chaired by RFL chief executive Nigel Wood, was set up to come up with a shortlist of candidates for approval by the RFL board of directors.

It is likely an appointment will be made in the New Year, well ahead of the mid-season international against France and in plenty of time to give the new man the chance to prepare for the 2010 Four Nations series in the southern hemisphere in October.

The other members of the panel are former Wigan and Great Britain centre Barrie Jon Mather, who joined the League as head of player development this summer, head of human performance Clive Brewer and head of England’s elite training squad Paddy Mortimer.

The panel will call on other experts, including Smith, who is keen to be involved in the process.

“I’ve got a great relationship with the League and they’ve said they’d like me involved in the recruitment,” he said.

“I’m sure there are plenty of options but we’ve got to see who’s available and see who’s prepared to do the job – and whether the RFL are looking for a full-time or a part-time head coach.”

Smith quit his job with Leeds to go full-time with the League in 2007 but reverted to a part-time role when he joined Warrington in March after missing the weekly hands-on coaching at club level. Smith led the Wolves to Challenge Cup glory in August when they beat Huddersfield at Wembley.