Huddersfield Giants are still on the look-out for a new head coach after parting ways with Luke Robinson a month ago.
Robinson was sacked from his role after 20 months following a string of bad results, however injuries played a huge role in their performances given that the former half-back only had his full strarting spine available to him on a small number of occasions.
Assistant boss Liam Finn has been handed the reigns on an intetim basis as the search for a more permanent leader continues.
Giants’ Director of Rugby, Andy Kelly, is the man tasked with bringing in that new head coach, and he has provided an update as to where the search is currently at and what he is looking in his candidates.
The former Wakefield boss was a guest on The Bench podcast this week, and was asked for the latest. Kelly revealed that the club are taking extra care in their due dilligence to avoid making the same mistakes as in previous appointments.
“It’s been a long list [of candidates], but it’s shortening down,” Kelly explained. “There are people in there that were very interested.
“When we talked about we were asking for expressions of interest rather than applications and I think expressions of interest is a very two-way thing and therefore it’s allowed us to also look at coaches who may not have seen us as a viable option for them and actually approach them and go would this be of interest to you?
“…We’re currently just shortlisting and if I said I haven’t spoken to a couple of people I’d be lying. We have spoken to a couple of people, not necessarily always about them coming here but actually about the coaches that we would be interested in.
“We have an interest list and in that list there’s some very exciting propositions.”
Kelly has revealed how he wants a more hands-on coach to the ones they have had in the past. The next boss needs to see the long-term strategy of Huddersfield Giants and align with that. The club cannot afford to have another failed head coach given the current position the West Yorkshire side find themselves in.
“I’m looking for a coach who’s got a vision about where he wants to take the team,” the Giants Director said. “So from the next two to four years and actually understand the club where we are now and the importance of the club, not only just in the community but to the game.
“We’re at the very beginnings of rugby league in Huddersfield but we can’t live off that forever. We have to understand the club before we start to understand where the club wants to go and a coach with a vision of that.
“They’ve got to have all the things, the technical know-how, the tactical know-how but they’ve also got to have an ability to manage a team.”
John Cartwright’s chances of becoming Huddersfield Giants head coach assessed
One man who could be of interest is former Hull FC boss John Cartwright, who stepped down from his role as Black and Whites boss last week, though he does still remain employed to the club for the time being.
“He’s probably not even considered what his next move is,” Kelly said after being asked if the former Gold Coast boss was a viable option.
“He’s been associated with all the jobs at the moment, I would imagine that John Cartwright needs to finish his cup of coffee and sit back and breathe… He’s a profile coach and a coach that we’ll do some due diligence on and some background work on.
“We’re not in a position where we can just dismiss somebody who might be available. It’s trying to cover the whole sphere and not rush into the decision.
“When we talk about the club now,we’re really in a real pinnacle moment in terms of the club’s history where we can change what going forward what we’re capable of doing and the coach appointment’s a massive massive responsibility for us all.”
Kelly confirmed that there is no timescale on when the club will appoint Robinson’s successor, leaving interim boss Finn in charge for what could another number of weeks or it could be until the end of the season.
The former Irish international is another man who has put his hat in the ring for the job, but speaking last week hadn’t had any formal conversations with the club’s higher-ups about a potentially permanent stay at the helm.
Commeting on the former half-back’s chances of taking the role, Kelly said: “What’s evident now is we’ve got a very competent caretaker coach who we can trust with the ownership.
“…Liam’s indicated to us is he’s happy to take the caretaker position now.
“If that runs to the end of the season he’s happy to do that because it’s great experience for him and he wants to be considered for the job longer term.
“What does he know now? He knows that we’re going to have a conversation next week so that he’s fully up to speed with where we are and what we’re doing.”
