FEATHERSTONE ROVERS have tasked Paul Cooke, Ged Corcoran and stalwart Ian Hardman with leading the club forward following the surprise departure of James Ford as coach.
Ex-England and Super League halfback Cooke, 43, joined his fellow former Rovers player Hardman, 39, as an assistant to Ford ahead of this season, and has now been promoted to the top job.
Cooke spent last year alongside Corcoran, the 41-year-old coach of the Ireland national team, on the staff at York, first working under Andrew Henderson, then Mark Applegarth.
Corcoran, an ex-assistant coach at Sheffield, left York last week soon after the announcement that Ford, 42, had left Featherstone.
That was after just two Championship matches, the first of which his side won (22-4 at home to Doncaster) before a 14-12 defeat away to London Broncos.
The club went into the season with a reshaped and stronger-looking squad and high hopes of an improvement after losing at the first stage of the play-offs for two seasons running.
Ford, who impressed over eight years in charge of York before a spell as assistant coach at Wakefield, arrived at Featherstone in May 2023 initially as director of rugby, taking the team reins when Sean Long left that August.
Cooke said: “I have worked closely with Ged previously and we genuinely are a great combination.
“We both share the same vision for how the game should be played and we know inside out each other’s strengths and weaknesses to form a good partnership.
“Together with Ian’s history at the club and knowledge of the playing squad, we are confident we can look forward to a strong season.”
Chairman Paddy Handley said: “We needed to move quickly and I feel that we have identified the right blend of coaches to take the club forward.
“I have known Paul and Ged for some time and I know they have bought into our plans.”
Meanwhile French halfback Thomas Lacans has been released from his contract for personal reasons.
