Hull KR CEO Paul Lakin has confirmed when the club are looking to announce their next head coach, following the impending departure of Willie Peters.
After four seasons, Peters will leave Craven Park to take up a role in the NRL, and will move to Port Moresby to become the first-ever head coach of the PNG Chiefs.
The Chiefs will enter the NRL in 2028, but Peters will devote a full year to prepping and planning for their introduction to the game’s top competition.
His exit was announced last month, giving the Robins plenty of time to search for his replacement, a process that is well underway according to the CEO.
Lakin spoke to the BBC following his club’s victory over York Knights in the Challenge Cup, and gave KR fans some positive news.
“I’d like to think it’s a really attractive job,” said the Chief Executive. “We’re looking for a coach who is going to back themselves, because taking over a club that’s just won four trophies – you can’t have an inferiority complex, that’s for sure.
“What we’ve been afforded is time, and that’s a luxury. We’re only in early April so we will take our time, but I think we should be making an announcement in May.
“I want to make it as soon as that, because I want to work with the coach in parallel to Willie for next year.”
Hull KR CEO provides latest on head coach search
The best piece of recruitment KR have done over the past decade is the appointment of Peters, so Lakin knows how important getting the next head coach right is.
He continued: “Recruitment is absolutely critical. Some people don’t look at it seriously… it forms the foundation for the club.
“You get that right, everything else is that little bit easier around the club. It’s big shoes to fill, clearly, but as you’d expect there is a lot of interest from the right calibre of people, so I’m looking forward to the process.”
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Colin Baker
April 12, 2026 at 4:02 pm
Well said Paul Lakin to get WP impacted on the person taking over as Willie would want that person to carry on HKR success in the future.
Eric T Cat
April 12, 2026 at 4:29 pm
An early appointment, a planned structured handover, that is essential going forward, taking what we have and building for the next period in the clubs evolution. I hope they make a bold decision, picking someone with a vision, who can elevate the club from an already strong position. I”d say ground improvements also an important next step, East and South stand rebuilding to increase the capacity to about 15-18000. I hve my suspicion of the candidate, but I’m no great shakes at predictions, I’ll suggest Michael Dobson, currently coach of the NSW Cup side at the Newcastle Knights. Ex Rovers player, doing well at Newcastle, keen to promote himself, four years at Rovers would give him a platform, as it has for other hungry coaches from Australia, to return to a head coach job in the NRL.