FORMER Super League Man of Steel Danny Brough has moved into coaching – at Huddersfield Rugby Union Club.
The 40-year-old former Scotland international and Huddersfield Giants player, who won the League Express Albert Goldthorpe Medal three times before retiring from Rugby League two years ago, has played a handful of games for club’s second and third teams this season.
Now he has joined a coaching set-up led by Neil Ryan and Rob Anderson at the National League Two North club.
Huddersfield are fighting to retain their status at level four on the 15-a-side pyramid, and Brough has been brought in as defence specialist.
“All the players are on board and the coaching staff are really helpful,” he said.
“It’s going to be a process to try and fix some of the defensive problems we have been having but the lads have the determination to do it.
“We are putting a defensive structure in to set as our benchmark.”
Brough was Man of Steel with the Giants in 2013, when he skippered them to the League Leaders’ Shield and made the Super League Dream Team (as he did in 2015).
The halfback, who captained Scotland in three World Cups, was in the Wakefield development system but started his senior career at hometown club Dewsbury back in 2002.
Brough also played for York, Hull FC, with whom he won the 2005 Challenge Cup, Castleford, Wakefield (in two spells) and Bradford.
He landed the Albert Goldthorpe Medal as a Wakefield player in 2008 as well as with Huddersfield in 2013 and 2014.
Brough was the subject of interest from Edinburgh RU in 2010.
He has long had an association with Huddersfield RU, where he has run coaching workshops with the backs, and was among the chief guests at the annual dinner earlier this year, taking part in a popular question-and-answer session.
Huddersfield’s first-team squad includes former Rugby League players Ed Barber (Dewsbury, Swinton and Halifax) and George Collins, who made appearances for Whitehaven, Midlands Hurricanes and Dewsbury after spending time at Huddersfield and Castleford.
