HULL KR have parted company with coach Tony Smith.
The 55-year-old former Huddersfield, Leeds, Warrington, England and Great Britain chief, who succeeded fellow Australian Tim Sheens at Rovers in June 2019, left in the wake of Saturday’s 28-6 Super League defeat by bottom side Toulouse Olympique in France.
The development comes ahead of the Magic Weekend derby against Hull in Newcastle on Sunday.
Rovers have lost three games running – and seven in nine, including a Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Huddersfield, since Smith revealed he would depart at the end of the current campaign.
On May 9, the club announced Newcastle Knights assistant coach Willie Peters will take over as coach from 2023 on a three-year contract.
Smith led Rovers to last season’s play-off semi-finals, but the team are currently eighth in the top flight, with seven wins from 17 matches.
Assistant coach Danny McGuire, who has signed a three-year deal to continue working under Peters, will be interim coach for the remainder of this season.
Rovers said in a statement: “The club have this morning stood Tony Smith down as head coach for the remainder of the season.
“Danny McGuire will take charge of all first-team matters until Willie Peters arrives in the Autumn.
“We would like to take the opportunity to thank Tony for all his hard work over the last three years.
“The club are in a much better place than when he started.”
