The worst kept secret in Australian rugby was today made official. Daryl Gibson will replace Michael Cheika as head coach of the NSW Waratahs.

Gibson will take over the reins on a three-year deal from 2016 and is confident he can uphold the identity the defending premiers have carved for themselves under Cheika.

“Michael has made it clear that part of his legacy is leaving our organisation in really excellent shape. I think through the appointment of myself and being an internal candidate, we can achieve that,” Gibson said.

“Our coaching styles are very different but our commitment to our principles, the blueprint that we’ve laid down and being a vision based organisation won’t change.”

With 25 current players off contract next year and the likes of Adam Ashley-Cooper, Sekope Kepu and Wycliff Palu all heading overseas, Gibson was quick to point out that retention was his main priority moving forward.

“We are firmly in retention mode, while having a real firm eye on key departures that have already been announced. We want to cover those departures but also focus on retaining the bulk of our squad for 2016,” Gibson said.

“Now, with certainty around the direction of the club and the person that will take them forward, I believe we’re in an excellent position to retain our key stars.”

Gibson believes the next generation of Waratahs talent plays a big role in maintaining their status as perennial contenders for the Super Rugby title.

“We hope to retain a good core of our team next year, but during that time there’s going to be a handover process between older players who are seeking new challenges and our younger players coming through.”

Gibson added that young guns like Andrew Kellaway and David Horwitz aren’t too far from off Super Rugby debuts and believes 2016 marks a changing of the guard for the NSW franchise.

“They’re very close. I guess our challenge is making sure those guys are ready for 2016 and the work that goes into them now becomes critical.

“The fruit of our pathways will be seen in the coming years, particularly in the 17 to 18 age group. A lot of those young players that we’ve nurtured throughout our pathways will become Waratahs and lead our organisation in the future,” Gibson said.

With the Easter hunt for Michael Cheika’s successor now over, the Waratahs enjoy a well-earned bye before hosting the Stormers at Allianz Stadium next Saturday.