Who is Warrington Wolves’ new interim head coach Gary Chambers?

With Daryl Powell gone and reports online suggesting Warrington Wolves chairman Stuart Middleton has already booked his flight to Australia to find the club’s next head coach, things are moving very fast suddenly at the Cheshire club.

No matter how fast things go though, it seems almost impossible that a permanent appointment will be in place by Friday’s clash against league leaders’ Catalans Dragons at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

This will give a chance to interim coach Gary Chambers, who steps up from his role as the club’s Head of Youth, to temporarily take the hot set at the Wolves, with former Halifax Panthers and Salford Red Devils head coach Richard Marshall to assist him after Ryan Sheridan was dismissed alongside Powell.

Cumbrian-born Chambers, 53, spent his entire rugby league playing career at Warrington between 1989 and 2000, playing 210 times for the club – including 94 Super League appearances before his retirement.

After the no-nonsense front-rower hung up his boots, he became an assistant coach to former Wire boss Daryl Van de Velde before working under Paul Cullen and Tony Smith, becoming head coach of both Warrington and England Under-19s.

In 2013, Chambers, who has also coached England A and Cumbria, became head coach of Swinton Lions in the Championship and he remained there until the end of the 2014 campaign as the club ran into financial problems.

Chambers has also held positions working in local schools as a deputy-head teacher, combining that with his different roles at Warrington down the years, with more recent times seeing him at the forefront of the Wolves academy.

In April 2022, Chambers took a full-time role at the Halliwell Jones Stadium again as he was appointed Head of Youth, but he will now take on first-team head coach responsibilities for this Friday’s game in an unlikely turn of events for the former school teacher.

As we wait to hear from Chambers following Sunday night’s events, here is what club CEO Karl Fitzpatrick had to say when he was appointed Head of Youth last year.

“The role as Head of Youth is more vitally important than it has ever been and he will supplement the outstanding youth development work already being done by Richard Marshall and his team.

“Gary is vastly experienced, has invaluable connections with community clubs and schools and has a real passion for the club.

“Producing our own homegrown talent is of strategic importance and Gary’s appointment will go a long way towards that.”