JOHN CARTWRIGHT is on Huddersfield’s radar as they seek a new coach to replace Luke Robinson.
Australian Cartwright departed Hull FC last week after it was previously announced he would leave at the end of the season.
The Giants had already started their recruitment process after Robinson was dispensed with in March after starting the campaign with five straight league losses.
His assistant Liam Finn, the former Dewsbury and Halifax coach, in in interim charge, and has said he would like the job.
He will have his fourth match at the helm at Leigh on Thursday.
Giants director of rugby Andy Kelly said: “A list of coaches is being looked and it’s shortening. There are people we are very interested in.
“I’m doing a lot of the background work, a lot of the research, looking at where I think a coach will fit with what we’re trying to bring about, and then putting that in front of the board.”
Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast, Kelly said of Cartwright, who had close to eight seasons in charge of Gold Coast Titans, then worked on the staff of a number of other NRL clubs: “He’s a profile coach, one we will do some due diligence and background work on.
“We’re not in a position where we can just dismiss someone who might be available, just as we can’t dismiss someone who is effectively available.
“It’s about covering the whole sphere and not rushing into the decision.
“I’m looking for a coach who has a vision for where he wants to take the team in the next two to four years, and who understands where we are now and the importance of the club in the community and to the game itself.
“A coach has got to have technical and tactical know‑how, but they also have to have the ability to manage a team.”
While Huddersfield have made the play-offs only once in the last ten seasons, over which time they have had four coaches, owner-chairman Ken Davy has targeted a Grand Final appearance by 2030.
And Kelly continued: “This is a defining moment in the club’s history – one where we can change what we’re capable of doing going forward.”
“The coach appointment is a massive responsibility for us all.”