THE shock news came out last night that Halifax Panthers head coach Simon Grix would be leaving the club after four years in charge.
At the time of his exit, the club stated that he had offers on the table for next year, but didn’t reveal which clubs – understandably – were interested.
So which three potential Super League clubs could move for Grix?
Wakefield Trinity
The obvious one is Wakefield Trinity with current head coach Mark Applegarth currently coaching without a number two by his side following the exit of James Ford to Featherstone Rovers. Bringing in Grix would help shore up the current set-up and bring in another vibrant, young coach to help Applegarth in his progression – whether the West Yorkshire side is in the Super League or the Championship.
Hull FC
Although Hull FC have Stanley Gene, Michael Shenton and Gareth Ellis as assistant coaches to head coach Tony Smith, bringing in Grix would allow for fresh, new ideas and help Smith consolidate his position at the helm. Grix and Smith also go way back, with the former playing under the latter between 2009 and 2015 before Grix moved on to sign for Halifax where he would later retire and turn to coaching.
Catalans Dragons
With Eamon O’Carroll moving to the Bradford Bulls as head coach in 2024, the assistant coaching space at the Catalans Dragons has been left vacant. Of course, head coach Steve McNamara is English which would make Grix’s move a lot easier given the language barrier, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the former England boss go for someone like Grix given his eagerness on appointing younger coaches as his second-in-command.