Hull Kingston Rovers have sacked head coach Tony Smith after a poor run of form that has left the side languishing in 8th in the Betfred Super League. The 55-year-old was set to leave at the end of the campaign but Rovers have now reached an agreement that will see him leave immediately.
“The club have this morning stood Tony Smith down as Head Coach for the remainder of the season,” a club statement read.
“Danny McGuire will take charge of all first team matters until Willie Peters arrives in the Autumn.”
This decision comes after a painful 28-6 loss to Super League basement boys Toulouse Olympique on Saturday. That proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and after three consecutive losses the club have moved to change things up.
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Smith deserves huge credit for the initial work he did in the north-east, as he oversaw a major turnaround at Craven Park to establish Hull KR in the Super League. But the news of his exit at the end of the season appears to have rocked the boat more than he could have anticipated.
His side had won five straight games before his exit announcement, a run that had seen them enter the play-offs and make the Challenge Cup semi-final. But they have now won just one of their last eight matches.
This has seen them dumped out of the Challenge Cup and be nilled twice and lose by more than 20 points on four occasions.
Danny McGuire will now act as caretaker coach for the remainder of the season and will aim for a smooth transition until new Australian coach Willie Peters arrives ahead of the 2023 season. McGuire has also signed a new three-year deal with the club to remain as assistant under the current Newcastle Knights coach Peters.
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