EVERYONE knows by now that Warrington Wolves have Sam Burgess as their new head coach from 2024 onwards.
Previous boss Daryl Powell and assistant coach Ryan Sheridan left the Cheshire club a number of weeks ago following the Wolves’ 42-6 loss to Wakefield Trinity.
For Powell himself, though, where does his future now lie after such a disappointing 18 months at the Halliwell Jones Stadium?
Castleford Tigers
It would be incredible to see Daryl Powell back at the place where he has made the biggest difference in his rugby league coaching career. Castleford reached the Super League play-offs in every full season under Powell but now sit joint bottom of the table with local rivals Wakefield Trinity – a club that the Tigers beat comfortably in every year under Powell. With Castleford’s current head coach Danny Ward only having a deal until the end of the season, could an SOS – regardless of which league the Tigers find themselves in in 2024 – bring the Prodigal Son back home?
Featherstone Rovers
James Ford has been appointed as head coach of Featherstone as previous boss Sean Long moved to Wakefield Trinity, but is it a long-term appointment? Ford was initially brought in by Rovers to become director of rugby before Long moved on. Imagine Daryl Powell back in the hot seat at Featherstone after being so successful first time around. Such an appointment would be very popular amongst Rovers fans given his affiliation with the club.
NRL
It wouldn’t be unusual to see Powell head to the NRL like a number of former Super League head coaches, including Brian McDermott (Newcastle Knights) and Richard Agar (New Zealand Warriors). The 58-year-old has experience with Australia having played for Balmain Tigers and Gold Coast Seagulls in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Plus, any NRL club would be improved with Powell’s experience and success at getting the best out of players that perhaps have been underestimated. Of course, a head coaching job in the NRL would be far-fetched, but Powell would be a wonderful assistant.
