WHITEHAVEN have appointed former captain James Newton as interim coach following the shock resignation of Anthony Murray.
Murray stepped down on Sunday after just over a year in charge, citing additional work commitments and the toll of travelling to Cumbria from Greater Manchester.
Newton, who was forced to retire last year due to a serious neck injury after making 238 appearances for the club, will step up from being an assistant to lead Haven in Sunday’s home fixture against Midlands Hurricanes.
He will be helped by fellow assistant Neil Frazer, with the club now suggesting the duo could remain in charge for the rest of the season.
Whitehaven initially stated that an appointment could be made by the end of next week, but chief executive Lee Butterworth has since stressed they will not rush into a permanent replacement for Murray.
“We’ve got full confidence in Gus (Frazer) and Newts,” said Butterworth.
“We’re not going to rush the decision. We’ve opened it up (for applications) to see what response we get. If somebody is the right fit it might take time to find.
“They need to be right person for our team. The CV could have all sorts on it but these are different circumstances (here) with a small budget.
“A lot of the lads came in under Muzza (Murray) and haven’t played for anyone else in a professional capacity. You won’t get many people better than Muzza for man management and getting the most out of them.
“It might be that those two (Newton and Frazer) take the reins for the rest of the year because it needs to be the right person.”