WARRINGTON WOLVES boss Sam Burgess has admitted that his assistant Steve McNamara is keen to be a head coach amid strong links with Hull FC.
McNamara is Hull’s top choice to take over from John Cartwright at the end of the season, with reports that an approach has already been made.
Warrington, who have McNamara under contract until the end of 2027, have not replied to requests for comment.
Burgess neither confirmed nor denied the speculation on Thursday but said: “(With) Steve’s standing in the game, he wants to be a head coach and he sees himself as a head coach.
“There has been a bit of noise around it in the last few days, but we’ve dealt really well with it internally and the boys have made a couple of jokes about it.
“In time, things will figure themselves out.”
McNamara joined Warrington last October to be Burgess’ right-hand man and he has helped the club to currently sit top of Super League.
Burgess added: “One thing I am sure of is Steve’s commitment to the group. He’s brought so much to the group and he’s fully committed, whatever is going on around him.”
McNamara coached Burgess both at Bradford Bulls and during his stint with England between 2010 and 2015 – reaching the semi-finals of a home World Cup in 2013.
He then spent more than eight seasons with Catalans Dragons, leading them to their first Challenge Cup win in 2018, their first League Leaders’ Shield in 2021, and their first two Super League Grand Finals (losing to St Helens in 2021 and Wigan Warriors in 2023).
The 54-year-old’s playing career began with Hull, whom he joined at 17 and went on to make 160 first-team appearances for between 1989 and 1996.
McNamara, along with Burgess, has also been linked with a return to the England set-up as the RFL seek to appoint a new head coach in the coming weeks.