ST HELENS are set to appoint Eamon O’Carroll as an assistant coach following his departure from Bradford.
O’Carroll, who led the Bulls to the Championship play-off semi-finals in his sole season as head coach, will replace Matty Smith on Paul Wellens’ staff.
Smith has left Saints, where he was also head coach of the women’s team, to re-join Wigan and lead their Academy team.
It means Wellens has changed both his right-hand men following St Helens’ disappointing season, with France coach Laurent Frayssinous also gone and Lee Briers arriving from Brisbane.
O’Carroll, a Super League player with Wigan, Hull FC and Widnes, was an assistant to Steve McNamara at Catalans in 2023, following his first head-coach role with Newcastle.
He finished third in the Championship with Bradford this year, before a narrow defeat to Toulouse saw them miss out on the Grand Final.
Bulls CEO Jason Hirst said: “Eamon informed me, this week, that he wanted to accept an opportunity to work at a full-time Super League club.
“Whilst somewhat surprised and naturally disappointed at his resignation, I and the club sympathise with, understand and respect his desire to work closer to his family home in the north-west, to allow him to spend more quality time with his young family.
“Our recruitment process to acquire the services of another quality coach is already underway, with the club extremely confident that given our on- and off-field successes these last two years, we will have no shortage of quality applicants.”
Smith said of crossing the Saints-Wigan divide: “I’ve had two fantastic years with St Helens women and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that experience and we’ve been a very successful group.
“This is an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. I see this as a really big role and an important one that allows me to work with and develop young talented individuals that this club has always produced.”
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