Warrington Wolves expected to take head coach search down under

Warrington Wolves suffered a huge defeat to Wakefield Trinity yesterday and that sixth consecutive defeat was enough for the higher ups at the club to pull the trigger on Daryl Powell, with the former Castleford Tigers and Leeds Rhinos man on his way out of the Halliwell Jones after less than two years.

If you’d have told Powell back in April that he’d be gone by the end of July he’d have most likely laughed you out of town, such was the incredible form that the Wire started the season with.

Those eight opening wins laid the benchmark for what looked to be a bounce back season following the 2022 disappointment that was an eleventh placed finish.

However since then there’s only been three wins in the league across twelve games with the team slipping from first down to fifth, and even dropping below Hull KR into sixth on points difference after yesterday’s heavy defeat 42-6.

Speculation started immediately as to who the new man in charge at the Halliwell Jones would be with strong shouts for legendary player Lee Briers, as well as talk of Justin Holbrook.

The former St Helens boss is out of work at the moment and was linked to the club by Sky Sports’ Jenna Brooks a few weeks back, alongside links with Huddersfield and Leeds.

What is fairly clear though is that the search for the next head coach of Warrington Wolves is likely to head down under with ex NRL bosses and current assistant coaches in the NRL likely being the pool that is searched.

That would include both Holbrook and Lee Briers, Holbrook being dismissed by Gold Coast Titans earlier this year and Briers being part of the set up at Brisbane Broncos.

Whether Briers would wish to give up a role at a club that is currently running second in the NRL is unclear, but he’ll certainly be on the list and if any Super League club could tempt him into a head coach role than it would be this one.

Barring a swoop for a rival Super League coach the candidates in the UK do look quite sparse, hence the expectation that Warrington’s higher ups will be destined for Australia in their search for a head coach.

It was confirmed in the club’s statement last night that a ‘search for a new head coach would begin immediately.’

One man in the NRL at the moment who has coached in England and could be an outside choice would be Ryan Carr, formerly at Featherstone Rovers.

He’s currently interim head coach of St George Illawarra Dragons but with a permanent replacement lined up for 2024, there’s a chance he could snap up a full-time Super League gig especially given he has coached in England before.