Warrington Wolves’ head of performance Jon Clarke will leave the club at the end of the season to take up a role in rugby union.
A popular figure at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, Clarke spent 11 years with the Wolves as before returning to the club as part of their backroom staff in 2015.
This season he was promoted to head of performance under new head coach Steve Price, but is now set to depart for the 15-man code.
“I’ve been involved at Warrington for over 13 years so it’s been a massive part of my life and I’ve loved every minute of it,” he said.
“I had some great times as a player – particularly towards the back end when we started winning trophies – as well as making some unbelievable friends within the team, club and town.
“After leaving for Widnes I then came back here as head of strength and conditioning before becoming head of performance. I’ve had the time of my life doing this job. We have been to three finals in my time on the performance side, unfortunately we’ve lost them all up to now but hopefully we can put that right in October. I’ve gone on to meet some lads I didn’t know before coming back, have worked under Tony Smith for two years and then under Pricey’s leadership and coaching which has undoubtedly been the best environment I’ve worked in to date.
“The club is very lucky to have Steve Price as head coach. He’s a phenomenal coach and the way he has handled this situation with me has been first class; I couldn’t hold him in any higher regard if I tried. Also with Hendo, Briersy, Kylie and the other staff under him the club will only go from strength to strength in my opinion and be successful over the next few years.”
Price added: “Since day one when I arrived Jon and I have formed a strong bond. I’ve come across a fair few heads of performance in my time and he’s certainly one of the best in that field. He’s extremely hard working and understands the intricacies of what high performance looks like. He understands Rugby League like no other and I’ve loved every minute of working with him. Jon’s an outstanding family man and on behalf of Warrington Wolves we wish him all the best.”
